Taglines: …just SEND me!
Send Me No Flowers movie storyline. At one of his many visits to his doctor, hypochondriac George Kimball mistakes a dying man’s diagnosis for his own and believes he only has about two more weeks to live. Wanting to take care of his wife Judy, he doesn’t tell her and tries to find her a new husband. When he finally does tell her, she quickly finds out he’s not dying at all (while he doesn’t) and she believes it’s just a lame excuse to hide an affair, so she decides to leave him.
Send Me No Flowers is a 1964 American comedy film directed by Norman Jewison and starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randall. After Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back, it is the third and final film in which Hudson, Day and Randall starred together. The screenplay by Julius J. Epstein is based on the play by Norman Barasch and Carroll Moore, which had a brief run on Broadway in 1960. The title tune was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach.
About the Story
George Kimball (Rock Hudson), a hypochondriac, lives with his wife Judy (Doris Day) in the suburbs. Judy learns from the milkman that their neighbors, the Bullards, are getting a divorce, and shares the news with George.
Over lunch, George is appalled as a bachelor acquaintance, Winston Burr (Hal March), gleefully describes how he contacts women who are getting divorced and pretends to console them, hoping to seduce them while they are vulnerable.
George visits his doctor after experiencing chest pains. He overhears his doctor, Ralph Morrissey (Edward Andrews), discussing a patient who has just a few weeks to live. George assumes that Morrissey is talking about him and is distraught. On the train home he tells his friend, Arnold Nash (Tony Randall), that he will die soon. He has decided not to tell Judy, knowing it will upset her. Arnold solemnly assures George that he will deliver the eulogy at his funeral.
That night, George dreams about Judy marrying Vito, an irresponsible young deliveryman more interested in her inheritance than love. He visits a funeral home operated by Mr. Akins (Paul Lynde) to buy a burial plot. He decides to find Judy a new husband and asks Arnold to help him.
On a golf outing, Judy’s golf cart malfunctions and she is saved by her old college beau Bert Power (Clint Walker), now a Texas oil baron. George agrees with Arnold that Bert would be a great husband for Judy. During an evening out, George forces Judy to dance and talk with Bert. When George runs into the newly divorced Linda Bullard (Patricia Barry), who is there with Winston, he takes her to the coat room and warns her about Winston’s intentions. She thanks him and kisses him in gratitude. When Judy sees them, she storms out, thinking that he is pushing her to spend time with Bert so that he can have an affair with Linda. George then tells Judy that he is dying.
Upset, Judy insists that George use a wheelchair. But when she sees Dr. Morrissey and he tells her that George is fine, she thinks George is lying to wriggle out of the consequences of his affair. She rolls him out of the house and locks him out, announcing her intention to divorce him.
George spends the night at Arnold’s house, during which time George’s various demands and idiosyncrasies cause Arnold to strike, one by one, many of the complimentary remarks about George he had planned on making in his eulogy. George, in desperation, asks Arnold for advice on how to stop Judy from leaving him. Arnold insists that George, although he is innocent, must pretend to confess to Judy that he has had an affair, assure her it is over, and beg for forgiveness.
Send Me No Flowers (1964)
Directed by: Norman Jewison
Starring: Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, Paul Lynde, Hal March, Edward Andrews, Patricia Barry, Clive Clerk, Aline Towne, Helene Winston, Christine Nelson, Maureen Janzen
Screenplay by: Julius J. Epstein
Cinematography by: Daniel L. Fapp
Film Editing by: J. Terry Williams
Costume Design by: Jean Louis
Art Direction by: Robert Clatworthy, Alexander Golitzen
Music by: Frank De Vol
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Universal Studios
Release Date: October 14, 1964
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