THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT (1966)

I have no idea what possessed me to watch this, as I'm not really a Doris Day fan and I haven't had much luck with 60's spy spoofs, but this wound up being surprisingly enjoyable in fits and starts, even if it doesn't all work together very well. Day is a PR woman at an aerospace research corporation who gets tangled up (literally, by getting caught in a fishing line) with scientist Rod Taylor, who is working on a super-secret gizmo (called Gismo). They fall in love just as Day falls under suspicion of being a Russian spy (she makes strange daily calls to Vladimir, who is actually her dog--long story, never mind). The uneven first half develops as a screwballish romantic comedy which might have worked better with Rock Hudson instead of the fairly wooden Taylor. The last half picks up as the movie turns into a slapstick spy chase.

Day is fine, but the supporting cast (mostly made up of TV players) is largely what makes this worth watching. Dick Martin is Taylor's associate and friend, and he's every bit as good as Tony Randall was in the Day/Hudson movies--Martin should have made an extra career (after comedian and TV director) as a comic second banana in movies . Arthur Godfrey, in one of his very few movie roles, is quite credible as Day's father, who runs a glass bottom boat business--I don't understand the movie's title as the boat plays only a minuscule role in the proceedings. George Tobias and Alice Pearce, Mr. & Mrs. Kravitz of TV's "Bewitched," play similar parts here. Other TV stalwarts include Edward Andrews, John McGiver, Dom DeLuise, and Ellen Corby, but Paul Lynde steals the movie with a hilarious drag turn toward the end (which also includes a cameo by Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo); the second-best scene has Dick Martin, Edward Andrews, and a big champagne bottle in bed together. There is also a mildly amusing Jetsons-type kitchen scene and an overlong speedboat escapade. The title song, set to the old folk song "Mockingbird," is catchy, and Day even sings a verse of "Que Sera Sera." It's no classic, but it is more watchable than MODESTY BLAISE. I doubt there's a big demand for this on DVD, but it really should be seen letterboxed, as it's shown on Turner Classic Movies. [TCM]