A bomb of magnificent proportions, Caprice strikes all the wrong notes from the get-go - with the end result a seriously underwhelming piece of work that has little to offer even the most patient film buff.
Doris Day stars as Patricia Foster, an industrial spy whose latest assignment - involving a spray that keeps hair dry even when soaked in water - pairs her with a shady yet charismatic figure named Christopher White (Richard Harris). Director Frank Tashlin's various efforts at eliciting laughs fall completely flat, and there's simply no overlooking the incredibly dated vibe that's been hard-wired into the proceedings by the filmmaker (virtually all of the elements within the movie, from the grating score to the outlandish sets, are dripping with '60s excess).
It goes without saying that both Day and Harris - through no fault of their own - are unable to make any kind of a positive impact, as screenwriters Tashlin and Jay Jayson force the actors into increasingly absurd situations (ie the painfully misguided sequence in which Day's character, to avoid being heard by a hidden microphone, masks her speech with a series of piercing noises). Caprice generally comes off as a total misfire on every level, and it's not difficult to see why Harris ultimately disowned the film.
The miscating of Richard Widmark detracted from the Tunnel of Love directed by Gene Kelly. Richard Widmark was brilliant in Kiss of Death but not right for this film
I would have loved to see Doris work with Billy wilder who would have done wonders with the Tunnel of Love. I think Gregory Peck would have done a brilliant job in the Richard Widmark part. Doris did her best and made the film worthwhile seeing.
The least favorite for me was episode 26 of Doris Day's Best Friends with Leslie Nielsen. I waited, and waited for something else - just a fairway shot or something....
for a film- Eggroll, because it was her last. Then there was only Boxcar Bertha, and Two Mules for Sister Sara.
It was sad she had taken so to the little critters on her lawn.
"As long as its show business, I'm happy." One of these days, I am going to quit smoking these things.
It's hard for me to choose a "least favorite" because I love everything Doris does! LOL
However, I guess I would choose "Tunnel of Love", simply because I disliked the story line, and I didn't think any of the supporting actors did a very good job.
