The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) User Reviews

frothy '60s comedy

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 14 August 2005]

What a warm, wonderful actress Doris Day is, what a knockout, what a screen presence. And just think, at the age of 42 (ancient by Hollywood standards in 1966) she was playing a desirable woman lusted after by several men. Glass Bottom Boat is a very '60s comedy in look and subject matter - the space age and spies. Taylor has invented a gizmo and when there's a leak from his project team, suspicion falls on Day, who works for the company and calls someone named Vladimir several times a day. Vladimir, however, is her dog, and she's calling him so he'll run around while the phone is ringing and get some exercise.

The film is loaded with space-age gadgets. Taylor's computerized, motorized kitchen is great, complete with a floor-cleaning robot - wonder if the inventors of today's robot vacuum saw this movie. He also pilots his boat via a remote - but as he points out during a scene where the boat runs amok with Day inside, that needs further work.

There's lots of slapstick and comedy support from Dom Deluise, Dick Martin, and Paul Lynde. Lynde, by the way, looked great in drag, and has some great delivery in his scenes. Some of the scenes, especially those of Deluise, had an improv feel. The late Eric Fleming, Clint Eastwood's boss on "Rawhide," plays a CIA man. This was his last film; he drowned shortly afterwards. Rod Taylor, who, by the way, is younger than Doris Day, is effective as Day's romantic interest. Of note, radio personality Arthur Godfrey plays Day's father. There's also an appearance by Robert Vaughan as an homage to his "Man from UNCLE" character.

Frothy fun, and Doris Day is always a delight.

Vladimir, Answer the Phone

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 24 May 2007]

Just think that if Doris Day had not for some reason named her dog, Vladimir there might have been no plot at all for this Frank Tashlin comedy.

That might have been bad because this was the best of Doris Day's films in the late sixties as she was beginning a downward drop in her box office appeal. The Glass Bottom Boat was the second film she did with Rod Taylor as co-star and the first of two she did with Frank Tashlin as director. And this one was the best product in both associations.

Doris works in public relations at a space lab in California where scientist Rod Taylor is developing new stuff for the Defense Department and NASA. She also doubles and helps her dad Arthur Godfrey on his glass bottom boat tourist vehicle. One of the things I like best about The Glass Bottom Boat is Doris sings again on screen, once in a nice duet with Arthur Godfrey on his ever present ukulele. She also sings her most famous song, Que Sera Sera once again for a new generations of film fans.

One thing about Doris's later films, she always had excellent supporting casts and this one is loaded with some very funny people like, Edward Andrews, John McGiver, Paul Lynde, Dom DeLuise, Dick Martin, George Tobias, and Alice Pearce. They all fill roles that you would expect from them.

The Glass Bottom Boat has Rod Taylor concerned with plant security in regard to his top secret work. An overzealous security guard played by Paul Lynde overhears Doris call her dog on the phone. What she does is that in order to give the pooch some exercise during the day she calls her own number, counts the rings and then says something to the unanswered phone. It's for the dog to get exercise because he runs around like a maniac when the phone rings.

From that we deduce that Doris is a Soviet spy and the real CIA in the person of Eric Fleming is called in. This was Fleming's last big screen appearance before he was drowned on location in Peru. A very sad end to a career that might have been the equal of his Rawhide co-star, Clint Eastwood.

Seeing Paul Lynde in drag, questioning an inept spy played by Dom DeLuise is worth seeing this film alone.

The mermaid

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 4 April 2006]

Frank Tashlin directed this sunny comedy that relies heavily on Doris Day, an actress who was at the height of her popularity back when this film was done. "The Glass Bottom Boat" is a fun comedy that mixes science with espionage and mistaken identities that produced a funny movie, even when watched today.

Doris Day in her heyday couldn't do anything wrong, in spite of the silly premises of what was written for her. In this comedy is Jennifer Nelson, a widow, who works in the aerospace industry. The genius scientist, Bruce Templeton, likes what he sees and proceeds to pursue Jennifer, but things get complicated because it appears Mrs. Nelson is a Soviet spy.

The film's pace never lets up. Doris Day is wonderful as the naive, but resourceful woman who can charm us with one of her wonderful smiles. Rod Taylor is the hunky Bruce Templeton who sees in Jennifer not only a beautiful lady, but the right one for him.

The supporting cast in this movie is full of familiar faces. Paul Linde provides one of the best laughs in the movie when, as a security guard, and suspecting Jennifer of the worst, dresses in drag and follows her to the ladies' room. Arthur Godfrey is Jennifer's father. John McGiver, Edward Anderson, Dick Martin, Dom DeLuise, Eric Fleming, Alice Pearce and George Tobias contribute to make this a fun movie. The cameo by Robert Vaughn is a surprise.

The film will not disappoint fans of Doris Day.

Supporting cast highlight Tashlin spy spoof

[SanDiego · 18 September 2002]

Director Frank Tashlin tries to do for Doris Day what he did for Lucille Ball (Miss Grant Takes Richmond), Bob Hope (Son of Paleface), and Jerry Lewis (Who's Minding the Store, many others) casting her in a comedy full of cartoonish color, gadgets, and slapstick. Not surprisingly Tashlin started as a director of Warner Brothers cartoons, moved into live action as a gag writer and became one of the most stylish directors of comedies. In many of his films Tashlin's world is full of out-of-control vacuum cleaners, remote control appliances, and a struggle to cope with the fast pace of modern civilization. In The Glass Bottom Boat (the title is misleading, the Catalina Island attraction is around just for the opening number) Tashlin pokes fun at the spy genre (most notably The Man From U.N.C.L.E. which was a popular TV show at the time). Rod Taylor is Day's romantic interest and the intellectual and corporate head of an aerospace corporation. He lives in a dream house with resort-style guest rooms, a futuristic kitchen, and a foyer that seems to go on forever. Doris Day plays an employee at his company who is mistaken for a spy by everyone but Taylor. Actually she is a widow who lives with her dog (he has a Russian name which adds to the confusion of her being a spy), some fish, and mockingbirds. The mockingbirds are tied into the title song which is sung to the tune of "Mockingbird." (At least one professional critic missed the purpose of the Mockingbird song that's why I'm bringing it up.) Taylor and Day have pretty good chemistry but the story is more about the chase so we don't see much romance. Instead Tashlin prefers to tie the story together with slapstick scenes such as Hi-Fi installer Dom DeLuise and Day getting their feet stuck in a trash can, Day being chased by a robotic floor sweeper, and Day in a runaway (remote control) speed boat. These are signature pieces for Tashlin and he does a good job with them but Doris Day seems a bit out of place. Slapstick requires the actor to fill in the time with quick broad expressions and physicality. We think of a physical actress like Lucille Ball trapped in a glass shower filled with water and drawing laughs from her expressions and cries. In a similar scene with an automatic floor sweeper Doris Day just seems to be there letting the antics on stage play itself out. In another scene she's virtually hanging on in an out-of-control speed boat. We can imagine Jerry Lewis changing expressions every half second and flipping on his back every two. Tashlin's skill makes the scenes funny, but they are not as hilarious as when cast with a physical clown. Day does a lot better in the quieter romantic comedy scenes and is given incredible support by a never-ending list of character actors who steal each and every one of their scenes. Among the best are Paul Lynde as a security chief who dons poor disguises and Dick Martin as Rod Taylor's "good-time" partner. Paul Lynde is joined by fellow Bewitched alumni George Tobias and Alice Pearce, virtually replaying the neighbors of that TV show Mr. and Mrs. Kravitz, this time as Doris Day's neighbors, and watch for Robert Vaughn in a quick cameo as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. himself. Add to this a rare supporting role by Arthur Godrey (with his trademark ukulele) as Doris Day's dad (they sing a duet), 60's comedy "stuffy character" actors Edward Andrews and John McGiver, and a pre-Walton's Ellen Corby as Rod Taylor's maid. Most films from this era can look really outdated but the sets here still look retro-cool. For breezy 60's fun the film is worth a look and despite a slow start seems to get better and better all the way to the end as the supporting characters come together and start interacting with each other, not just with Day. If only the entire film had the energy of the finale there might have been some much needed belly laughs generated.

Worth Seeing, At Least Once

[grandpagbm · 6/10 · 3 November 2008]

This is a silly farce, even a little over the top for a typical Doris Day comedy. But, there are some things worth noting. The support cast of comedians who were popular at the time is outstanding -- John McGiver, Paul Lynde, Dom DeLuise, and Dick Martin (from the extremely popular TV comedy series Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In). Eric Fleming is a surprise supporting actor; he was famous from the TV western series Rawhide, which also starred Clint Eastwood. Arthur Godfrey is also a surprise. This is the only movie I recall seeing him in, but I remember him from his popular radio and TV shows of many years before this film was made. Finally, I enjoy the nostalgia provided by hilarious references to the space race, space age automation, and Cold War spies. Doris Day plays her typical beautiful madcap woman who, of course, falls in love and gets married at the end of the film. I will watch it again, in spite of the crazy slapstick antics and ridiculous script.

Happy Memories, Happy Movie

[westegg · 7/10 · 27 July 2007]

I saw this film when I was ten years old, during its initial release. A typical family night out at the movies. For some reason this otherwise ephemeral event has stayed with me as a freeze frame of the more pleasant, uncomplicated memories of that era.

I bought the DVD after not seeing the film since that long ago 1966 night--incidentally, I vividly recall the huge waves of laughter from the audience during several scenes; anyone who dismisses this film as a fiasco or whatever obviously didn't experience a very happy crowd seeking some light entertainment. On seeing the DVD, I was impressed by the sharp editing (I'm an editor--believe me, the timing of various sight gags etc. are very well done), creative use of colors and consistently high level of comedic performances. The naysayers who have posted otherwise don't know from squat. Overall, a totally innocuous movie that has retained a nice reputation as a still enjoyable memento of the mid-'6os.

Not as funny through adult eyes

[mimance · 6/10 · 14 May 2009]

I loved this movie when I saw it as a 13 year old. But seeing it as an adult, I was disappointed at how lame it is. The supporting cast is terrific - Lynde, Martin, DeLuise, McGiver and the great Alice Pearce - but the story and main characters just don't have anything to offer to someone beyond adolescence. And so little of the story actually happens aboard the titular Boat! It seems like more of an excuse to sell a hit song. I always enjoyed Doris Day movies as a kid, also. But now I realize how mediocre they were. I guess Pillow Talk was the best and actually in a class by itself. It would have been interesting to see The Graduate with her as Mrs. Robinson, but she was too protective of her virginal image to appear in such a racy role.

Bottoms Up for Nice Femme Fatale - Ditzy Day

[Bogmeister · 6/10 · 31 August 2007]

MASTER PLAN: steal the new gravity formula. This would appear to be another in a long line of films spoofing the James Bond spy craze of the sixties, specifying the female perspective ("Modesty Blaise"; "Fathom"), but is more like just another in a long line of successful Doris Day comedies. Ms. Day was usually partnered with the likes of Rock Hudson or James Garner, leading men specializing in light comedy. In this case, her partner is Rod Taylor, who had just starred as "The Liquidator" the year before. Here, he's a very successful aeronautics engineer who has just invented a new formula for duplicating gravity while one flits about in outer space. Naturally, enemy agents would love to get their hands on this formula. Day's character, a widow, divides her time between a tour guide job at NASA, taking college courses and helping her dad by pretending to be a mermaid whenever he conducts one of his sightseeing tours from his glass bottom boat (hence, the title; yet, this boat plays no part in the plot except in the very beginning of the movie). Her dad is played by then-famous TV/Radio personality Godfrey, who didn't really star in films until then. Taylor accidentally snags Day when he goes fishing and she becomes bottomless, quite a suggestive scenario for those days, especially in Day comedies. Day continues her adorably furious posturing, setting up the requisite sexual tension between the two leads.

The two leads slowly but surely hook up, in standard sappy, if silly, romance clichés, despite Day's preposterous predilection for clumsiness - she's a walking disaster area, very similar to some female characters in a couple of Matt Helm films and even the Bond films themselves. Taylor's character represents modern technology and progress; he's one of those guys who will be responsible for all of us getting around in flying cars at some point in the future. There are a few amusing scenes in Taylor's very modern house, where he shows off some gadgets to Day in his kitchen; I suppose it's a sad comment on how far we've progressed in the past 40 years that some of these still look very advanced. The whole spy angle really kicks in during the last third, during Taylor's house party, when all his compatriots are convinced that Day is a foreign spy. Seems she's been making weird phone calls to some guy named Vladimir and running off some numbers. Of course, the audience knows who Vladimir really is and this sets up the characters proceeding on a false assumption, which we get to snicker at. There's also the matter of who the real spy is. We've seen this before, many times, but the actors make it entertaining; Lynde is goofy as the head of security and Dick Martin is especially funny as Taylor's buddy. Dom DeLuise shows up in an early role, playing off of Day in some crude slapstick; he's better in his last scenes. Day & Taylor make a pretty good match, breezing through the romantic stuff. It's also interesting to see actor Fleming, who had just finished his long-running role on TV's "Rawhide" and died soon after this in a drowning mishap. Heroine:7 Villain:7 Male Fatales:7 Henchmen:5 Fights:4 Stunts/Chases:6 Gadgets:6 Auto:6 Locations:6 Pace:6 overall:6

A pleasure for fans of Alice Pearce, Paul Lynde, Edward Andrews, et al

[Andrew_Eskridge · 8/10 · 27 January 2003]

This fast and wild James Bond spoof is not the usual Doris Day bedroom comedy of the 60s. It's different in that it has a bevy of talented comic actors in supporting roles, who all have their moments to shine.

Paul Lynde in drag is sublime. He looks spectacular in a red bouffant wig and aqua satin gown, and looks even more glamorous than Doris. They have a "powder room" scene together that is hilarious slapstick.

Alice Pearce recreates her Gladys Kravitz-type character from "Bewitched" and is wonderful as usual. It's her last movie role, unfortunately, as she died too young.

A young Dom DeLuise has a couple of funny scenes that he does mostly in pantomime. Dick Martin shows up with good reaction takes, and the great character actor Edward Andrews is in fine blustering form.

The stars, Doris and Rod Taylor, are quite appealing, although looking a bit too mature for their fluffy romance.

Glass Bottom Boat- The Deep Blue Sea, The Deep Blue Sea ***

[edwagreen · 7/10 · 7 February 2010]

Funny Doris Day vehicle made memorable with Rod Taylor as her co-star and a terrific ensemble of supporting players-Dick Martin, Dom De Luise, Eric Fleiming, Ed Andrews and Miss Alice Pearce along with Ellen Corby.

This is essentially a spy caper and Doris is the prime suspect. The only one who believes her innocence is her boss and new lover, Rod Taylor.

My only objection to the movie was the casting of Arthur Godfrey as her father. Godfrey belonged in the same league as Mel Gibson, and they certainly could have gotten a person to play the father role.

Day is really original here as she assumes the role of a "klutzy" woman caught up in mayhem. The scenes in the kitchen of the future, on board a motorboat and others are uproarious in laughter.

Sadly, the film marked the end of cancer stricken Alice Pearce, who died shortly after making the film, as well as the tragic passing of villain Eric Fleming in a drowning accident off Peru shortly after the film. This film showed the technological advances that were to come years later. They certainly used these advances to their benefit to poke fun of the society that would make them.

Hot Doris Day, lukewarm film

[gridoon2024 · 5/10 · 4 May 2019]

Doris Day is uncommonly sexy in this film (that white dress is....wow!), but the script is weak: it takes over an hour for some sort of plot to start forming, and even then, instead of keeping us in doubt, the writers tell us everything (except the identity of the real spy....but who cares?), and we are left waiting for the characters to catch up. The picture is peppy, but unfunny. ** out of 4.

Lots of fun, and Doris Day, too!

[Marta · 10/10 · 9 January 1999]

I've always loved this film; it's one of Doris' best and has a great opening song and sequence. Doris plays a widow who works at NASA. Rod Taylor plays a physicist who falls in love with her, and tries to get her to fall in love with him. Arthur Godfrey plays Doris' father, who runs a glass-bottom boat in Catalina. Some of the idiots at NASA decide that Doris is a spy, and there's lots of chases and red herrings as Paul Lynde (a security guard), Dick Martin (Rod's business partner), and Edward Andrews (playing a General), all try to unmask her. Doris decides to beat them at their own game when she overhears a phone conversation, and outspy's everyone. Paul Lynde gets to dress in a blue satin formal, and Rod finds Dick Martin and Edward Andrews in bed together! The whole thing is a real hoot, and you'll love those late 60's fashions and hairdo's.

It's all a lot of harmless fun, and look quick for Robert Vaughn during the party scene!

Goofy parody.

[fletch5 · 7/10 · 13 January 2001]

"The Glass Bottom Boat" is a goofy, alternately vivid and tiresome mixture of romantic comedy and spy parody. There are loads of (uneven) gags that keep the pace going, but the whole thing goes on for too long. Cartoonish sets and a bunch of colourful supporting characters are an interesting add. Some of the film's funniest parts are the Mata Hari fantasy, the robot kitchen, and the party towards the end.

Mindless romantic comedy played out by two adults who should know better!

[movieman-200 · 4/10 · 15 June 2005]

Yet another entry into the mindlessly stupid romantic comedy that began to take over films during the 1950s and dominated film culture throughout the 60s, The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) concerns itself with a bit of cold war humor dipped in fourteen carrot satire. It stars Doris Day as a glamorous 'chicken of the sea'. Swathed in mermaid garb and dropped off the coast of Catalina Island, Jen meets Bruce Templeton (Rod Taylor) after his fish hook accidentally reels in Jen's bathing suit without Jen in it. This initial cute meet leads to an unexpected but predictable discovery that Bruce is a big fish at the research establishment where Jen works – how original.

Smitten with his discovery, Bruce decides to hire Jennifer under the false assumption that he desires her literary wit – and not just her – to help pen his life story. But there are stormy seas ahead when a close friend, General Wallace Bleeker (Edward Andrews) believes that Jennifer is actually a Russian spy. To this end a hilarious stake out begins with the likes of Homer Cripps (Paul Lynde) and Julius Pritter (Dom DeLuise).

Director Frank Tashlin is at times clearly grasping for things to say, while the tongue in cheek screenplay by Everett Freeman founders periodically in going for the wink-wink, nudge-nudge that is overplayed and over-stays its hand. What is remarkable about The Glass Bottom Boat is the genuine romantic chemistry between Rod Taylor and Doris Day. Their marvelous pairing keeps the comedy afloat and the romance alive in what is otherwise a very generic and one gag wonder doing its best not to drown.

The anamorphic transfer from Warner Bros. is a real treat. Colors are rich and vibrant. Blacks are deep and solid. Whites are clean. Shadow and contrast levels are, for the most part, bang on. There is some minor fading to consider and the overall dated characteristic, but neither should distract from your appreciation of this film. Dialogue is decidedly forward sounding with no spread across the channels. Some vintage short subjects round out this presentation's extra features.

Interesting trivia re: film

[jackelou · 18 May 2001]

This film is classic late 50's 60's mainstream humor. I happened to be in Catalina during part of the filming, and Arthur Godfrey, always gregarious, commented, barring cameos, it was his first full film role. I don't know if correct, but it was his comment. Great Paul Linde and other comedic talent here.

light fun and forgettable

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 30 March 2021]

Jennifer Nelson (Doris Day) is a mermaid swimmer off Catalina Island. Sports fisherman Bruce Templeton (Rod Taylor) hooks her mermaid suit and leaves her without a bottom. Bruce leads a leading gravity space research team. Jennifer is a new tour guide at the research lab. Some suspect that she may be a Russian spy as Templeton puts her to work under him.

This should start by explaining why she's in a mermaid suit. It should take its time introducing her with the glass bottom tour. In fact, she should do more mermaid swimming. I do like their meet cute. Doris Day is undeniably adorable and she has good comedic skills. She is able to put it to good use here. She may be in her 40's but this is more like a flustered twenty-something character. She also sings Que Sera, Sera along with other songs. On the other hand, Rod Taylor is not really comedic in nature. His character needs to do more and he needs to have more fun. All in all, it's a light-weight slapstick rom-com. It's light fun and forgettable.

The party scene

[jfsch · 7/10 · 19 April 2021]

A most predictable early 60's movie stuck in 1950's fluff. Harmless fun with Hollywood production, Ms. Day has this shtick down pat. She's perky and feisty and sweet and innocent and gee it must be exhausting to be America's oldest divorcée virgin. But Dom DeLuise, Paul Lynne, Dick Martin , and John McGiver supply the laughs that really make it work. Rod Taylor hits his marks and gets out of the way. Arthur Godfrey has no reason to be here. And sadly this is Eric Fleming's last movie before is tragic death in Peru.

Entertaining screwball comedy

[toadwriter · 6/10 · 25 January 2024]

This review is really a reminder to myself in case I ever am faced with watching this again and forgot what I thought of it.

This movie stars Doris Day and Rod Taylor. This is a screwball comedy. RomCom. Doris works as a tour guide - or something - at a NASA plant. Rod is a big whig that apparently run things at NASA, which I believe makes him her boss. That's not necessarily relevant except that they meet when she's going to swim under a glass bottom boat as a mermaid and she gets caught on his fishing line.

They bump into each other when her heels get stuck in some dust dump. He likes her, he offends her. And so the story goes. There's corny comedy like when some maintenance guy gets his foot stuck in the trash, which has a cake in it, and they both end up a mess. It's odd, over-the-top, but that's this movie.

There's the scene with the runaway boat that rod's controlling from a remote control probably miles away. Much of the scene looks really fake, but it is what it is.

This movie feels like they're trying to do what was done in arsenic and old lace, but it's not as good.

Still, I am a fan of Doris and her temperament sometimes lends to dry humor, so it's entertaining to me.

I didn't care for the singing scenes, but there wasn't that much and that's good, because it's not a musical.

Doris is taken for a spy, and that's when the movie turns a bit. Doris overhears Rod saying that she's too dumb to be a spy.

In the end, they get married and that's weird, because it's like his whole thing was an act, she's beneath him, she hears him acting all condescending, calling her dumb, yet after all the corny spy stuff subsides, the movie abruptly ends with them married and zipping away in a boat.

Overall, this movie wasn't as good as I was led to believe. During SummerUnderTheStars, TCM talked about what a great film this was. I think Doris did a fine acting job and I like the chemistry with Rod, but this movie is lost in a corny story and strange attempts at humor.

There are better movies to watch, but if I'm in the mood for a Doris movie, I might pick this or watch her sing It's Magic in Romance on the High Seas.

The Silly Sixties

[atlasmb · 6/10 · 20 September 2023]

This comedy from the sixties wallows in the cartoonish style that was common to many films of that era. The comic style is silly and filled with slapstick and what one might describe as the most lowbrow variety of humor. Doris Day makes up for some of that with her genuinely lovable characterization.

The plot is designed for gags. Don't expect much in the way of a meaningful romance or real suspense, despite a main plot that involves espionage. Doris gets to sing a few songs, including "Que Sera Sera" (again), but some of the song performances feel like the actors were singing on their own time, and someone decided to splice them in.

Some viewers may enjoy the raft of TV actors throughout the cast, including George Tobias and Alice Pearce, who play a married couple living next door to Doris, just like they live next door to Elizabeth Montgomery in "Bewitched" during the same period.

I consider Doris to be the best part of this film. Dom DeLuise also has some good scenes.

After you see this film, you may ask "Why the title?" I can only say that there were many better titles. You may also ask why the film ends as it does, because it ends with a whimper.

The BEST of the DD films of the 60s!

[lgrace · 9/10 · 12 August 2004]

Simply the best of the Doris Day comedies of the 60s. Rod Taylor is handsome and romantic, Paul Lynde and Dom DeLuise are riotously funny as spies gone goofy. Lynde is especially effective in "in satin". Doris Day is, well, on top of her game as the charming, virtuous, innocent and freckle-faced heroine--but lookout when she gets her revenge! The finale is hilarious and even more risqué than was usual for the sex farces of the sixties.

Probably my favourite DD movie! I know the pairing with Rock Hudson is better known from the period, (Pillow Talk) but this one with Rod Taylor as her leading man has an extra edge of spoofy comedy that makes it stand out among the rest.

Lots of 60's Fun

[tlbedman · 7/10 · 8 April 2021]

Silly, but sometimes hilarious romantic comedy. Doris Day and Rod's Taylor are very good together. The cavalcade of 60s comedic character actors are like delicious, goofy, appetizers every other scene. A little too silly at times, but worth a watch.

Destiny of the Glass Bottom Boat

[wolfbw · 5/10 · 6 November 2006]

We visited Catalina 2 weeks ago. (Oct. 2006) The current Glass Bottom Boat operation claims that the actual glass bottom boat used in the movie is float in the harbor. In fact, they report to use the old boat in peak season.

This is contrary to the statement on the IMDb website which reports "Trivia" that the boat sank earlier in 2006 off the coast of LA. The IMDb story reports that the vessel was en-route to San Francisco to become a restaurant. The glass bottom boats are hardly big enough to be a restaurant. I suspect that someone confused the ferry boat or some other vessel with the actual Glass Bottom Boat.

My favourite Doris Day Film

[Hobbs-7 · 9/10 · 5 April 2001]

I was 17 when this film was released and having fallen in love with Doris Day when I was 11, I was first in the queue. It is a wonderful, wacky film of the mid sixties and Doris Day and Rod Taylor are perfectly matched. The story is a simple case of mistaken identity when Doris is mistaken for a spy at the space centre where she works and Rod Taylor is a scientist. The glass bottom boat of the title is run by her father and provides a seperate focus for the story. The title song and Que Sera Sera are beautifully performed and do not detract from the comedy element of the film. I am submitting this today as I have just seen the film again on TV and it has lost none of its charm.

The most dated Doris Day movie ever

[HotToastyRag · 1/10 · 3 February 2018]

Rod Taylor and Doris Day team up again after Do Not Disturb in another sixties, silly, stupid comedy. She made some very dated movies towards the end of her career, but this one might take the cake. Both Doris and Rod play scientists, and about half of the gags include futuristic gags that malfunction or seem to be outrageously riské. The twist that drives the plot is the is-she-or-isn't-she question Rod faces: Doris might be a Russian spy. No, you're not the only one who thinks the idea that Doris Day might be a scientist-and a spy-is ridiculous.

Using every trick in the book from pie-throwing to scantily-clad costumes, The Glass Bottom Boat tries very hard to entertain the audience, but unfortunately it fails miserably. It's the type of movie that someone who hates old movies will cite as his reason for despising the sixties and everything it stood for. Thankfully, there were actually some good movies to come out of the decade, but The Glass Bottom Boat isn't one of them.

Sweet 60s comedy

[arturus · 8/10 · 30 May 2007]

This picture wasn't thought to be much when it was released. Most people thought it was a silly sitcom style comedy not up to Day's earlier romantic comedies. Arthur Godfrey gave it some air play on his daytime radio show, with Day and Taylor as guests, but there wasn't much else as I remember. By this point in his career Godfrey had lost his star lustre of just ten years before and his network radio show on CBS was just about all that was left, so his appearance in a major Hollywood movie was a big deal for him.

The picture did get a Music Hall premiere run in New York, but as I say, most people just yawned.

Seen forty years later it has a lot going for it, especially compared to today's cinema "comedies": good writing, expert direction, good pacing and editing, colorful location shots of Catalina and vicinity, good playing by the leads, who look to be having fun, and really good support from that amazing cast of 60s character actors.

There is a surprising amount of frank sexuality in this picture for the time, without nudity or profanity (Doris' character is a widow so she plays her as sexually mature and sophisticated), Godfrey's character has a wife/girlfriend about whom he's absolutely crazy and shows it, often (!), and there's even a surprising gay subplot that's played for laughs of course, but not offensively so. There's even Paul Lynde in drag...priceless!

Forty years later, it still makes me laugh. You will too.