This nifty 1959 romantic comedy that more or less cemented Rock Hudson’s screen image. Cast opposite Doris Day (in their first of three pairings), he plays a swinging songwriter forced to share a telephone line with our heroine. Its a fine gimmick for misunderstandings and forcing the opposite personalities together. This kind of sexless sex comedy, full of knowing innuendo, has been lampooned (See: Down With Love), but the displacement actually makes the dialogue better. (Day to Hudson: “This may come as a surprise to you, but there are some men who dont end every sentence with a proposition.”) The humor is polite, not innocent, and the film actually won an Oscar for its script, always a rare feat for comedies. Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter provide priceless support; as with Hudson, this movie also pretty much defined their careers. (NR) BRIAN MILLER
Feb. 12-14, 9 p.m.; Feb. 15-18, 7 & 9 p.m., 2010
