Please Don't Eat the Daisies

[Ania]

Thank you Dorine I am glad that I'm on the forum thanks to this forum I met people who like me love Doris

Greetings from Polish. Have a good Sunday Ania

[Ania]

[Jas1]

Not enough of Doris' films provided opportunity to show off her wonderful behind- but this one did! Truly one of the best bodies ever to have graced the silver screen!

[tonyrandall]

I'm with you on that behind thing. But the most amazing scene in this movie is the one in the school principal's office. David Niven had just said something completely obnoxious. Doris is sitting there staring at him, you can tell her emotions range from dismay to disgust to anger to despair,(something like that) yet she doesn't move a muscle or change the expression on her face the whole time. Wow, how do you do that?

[DorisIsTerrific]

I rated excellent loved this movie the kids are too cute and the dog is adorable love the scene where she is gettin dressed her boys come in the bedroom and she says for once I'd like to get dressed without an audience. This movie reminds me of another movie I watched on TCM one night where this woman and her husband lived in an apartment in new york she buys a house in the country without her husband knowin about it and they have to fix it up cause it's rundown the movie was called George Washington Slept Here it was really good anybody seen it.

[Toby_Martin]

Please Don't Eat the Daisies was the film that started it all for me. I used to play the 45 of Whatever Will Be, Will Be, and seen the film in 68 or 69 at a drive-in theater in Ohio. I did a book report in 4th grade on famous people from Ohio, and I chose Doris Day, had to draw a picture of her as well, we had a list of people to choose from and she was the only one I knew on the list, thanks to that movie! then of course her TV show came on around then too. I wrote to her via our newspaper, the Akron Beacon Journal, and got a reply from the editor, and my letter was printed in the paper! I wish that the internet was around back then! It wasn't until my 30s that I actually wrote to her and received (without asking for) an autographed photograph from her!
The next one was on famous black Americans, and I chose Lena Horne.

[jmichael]

Toby, that's a great story. Thanks for sharing it.

This film is irresistible in my opinion. It's loud, rambunctious and charming -- much like the McKay family it depicts. Doris excels in her role and shows how nimble she was as an actress: she could just as easily play the harried mother of four boys as a successful career woman battling the wolves of Madison Avenue. I can't see any of her fellow leading ladies at the time playing this part as effectively as Doris. I thought her chemistry with David Niven was strong and he fit his role perfectly. My personal fave among the terrific supporting cast was Janis Paige, who nailed the vain Deborah Vaughn character.

I can watch this one again and again and I still find it fresh as a daisy -- pardon the pun.

Michael

[Lauren]

Very well put, Michael, as usual. I agree with above comments about Janis and how about Spring Byington? She *looks* like she could be Doris' mother.

Someone once said this about Doris and I completely agree: "Nobody moves like Doris Day." This statement is especially true, I think, in "Daisies." Doris takes over in the beginning segment of the movie with all boys in the apartment just being boys while she is performing the intricacies of dressing to meet David Niven. She moves like a gazelle on steroids just as a real-life mother would move while juggling 15 things in her role as a harried housewife and mother on a time line.

Doris' performance in the movie's introduction leaves the audience wanting more and she delivers - such as the scenes in the department store while picking material for the furniture.

It's one piece in her arsenal of comedic talents that makes Doris so watchable among others.

Lauren

[Doris Martin]

Toby, that's a great story. Thanks for sharing it.

This film is irresistible in my opinion. It's loud, rambunctious and charming -- much like the McKay family it depicts. Doris excels in her role and shows how nimble she was as an actress: she could just as easily play the harried mother of four boys as a successful career woman battling the wolves of Madison Avenue. I can't see any of her fellow leading ladies at the time playing this part as effectively as Doris. I thought her chemistry with David Niven was strong and he fit his role perfectly. My personal fave among the terrific supporting cast was Janis Paige, who nailed the vain Deborah Vaughn character.

I can watch this one again and again and I still find it fresh as a daisy -- pardon the pun.

Michael

ME TOO...

[ray]

Loved Doris singing anway the wind blows. Also funny when they met the veternerian and the kids asked if it was a man or woman. Then when the paino player couldn't hit on Doris he asked her to move for his next victim. Doris was in all her glory when this film came out and it shows. Wish she did South Pacific and the Sound Of Music. Both would have been even better with Doris. Doris was so real in Daisies as the Mother of four wild boys and as the cool understanding wife. Also funny when she commented about the sultry star wearing falsies. Daring for back then!!!!

[jmichael]

Lauren, great observation about how well she moved on screen. You are spot on. It was uncanny how she could seamlessly manage the physical aspects of a scene like the one at the beginning of PDETD. I think Lucille Ball mentioned this in one of her radio interviews with Doris. She felt Doris was an expert at handling all of the different props in a scene. This is yet another area where Doris was underrated. She just made it look so easy and you never, ever saw the work that it took make it appear that way. It takes a very rare kind of gift to make that scene with her four boys so believable. And what about the yelp she lets out when one of the boys zips her into that dress? That scene was a mini-master class in physical comedy acting by lady Day.

Ray, agree, all of the scenes were delightful and more reasons why I can watch this one over and over again.

Michael

[Ania]

Ania

[Ania]

[Johnny]

After seeing Please Don't Eat the Daisies on Turner Classics recently, I enjoyed and appreciated it even more. In the opening scenes where the three older brothers, Gabriel, David and Christoper are coaching little brother Adam in throwing water balloons out the window, Doris' low key response was spot on as their mother. She has a knowing and loving attitude about what little boys can get up to. I just loved these scenes with her boys.

Growing up with older brothers, an English father and a Canadian mother with a great sense of patience and humour, the scenes with the boys and their mother brought back wonderful memories.Doris did an outstanding job and the film is filled with charm and good will.

[Doris Martin]

Loved Doris singing anway the wind blows. Also funny when they met the veternerian and the kids asked if it was a man or woman. Then when the paino player couldn't hit on Doris he asked her to move for his next victim. Doris was in all her glory when this film came out and it shows. Wish she did South Pacific and the Sound Of Music. Both would have been even better with Doris. Doris was so real in Daisies as the Mother of four wild boys and as the cool understanding wife. Also funny when she commented about the sultry star wearing falsies. Daring for back then!!!!

I have just seen it...again...and I think she is wonderful ...Doris is fantastic..

[Jas1]

This is [in my opinion] most certainly one of Doris' best performances.

[jmichael]

I can't find a false note anywhere in her remarkably natural performance as Kate McKay.

Michael

[howard]

I totally agree ... that scene in the beginning when she's getting ready to go out, with the kiddies all around, should be shown in every actor's master class! But then, she's amazing throughout! Love this film!

[Doris Martin]

I totally agree ... that scene in the beginning when she's getting ready to go out, with the kiddies all around, should be shown in every actor's master class! But then, she's amazing throughout! Love this film!

I completly agree dear every time I see it I do enjoy it very very MUCH

[Jas1]

Watched little snippets of this film last week - it really is a master class in subtle performing comedy- just wonderful - a top notch performance by our girl!

[Toby_Martin]

This was my very first Doris Day movie! I guess it was a great one to start with! Even named my dog after it, Daisy!

[Doris Martin]

Watched little snippets of this film last week - it really is a master class in subtle performing comedy- just wonderful - a top notch performance by our girl!

YES YES I love it

[Ania]

[Ania]

Ania

[webmaster]

Great selection of film stills, Ania - brings it all back - thank you.