Review of Teacher's Pet

Without question one of the wittiest comedies of the 1950s,"Teacher's Pet" pairs two consummate professionals in the lead roles,gives them a lot of very funny lines and all we have to do is sit back in our favourite chair with a cup of hot chocolate and wriggle our toes into the carpet.It's as warm and comforting as being back in the womb.With every appearance of relish Mr C.Gable plays a character left over from the 1930s,the cynical newsman with the soft centre and Miss D.Day the amazingly prescient character of a college professor - a smart,independent and confident woman who wouldn't be out of place in 21st Century Hollywood. With his lopsided smile and his faux modest manner as a new student in her journalism class Mr Gable impresses Miss Day no end,but he has a hidden agenda. Certainly there are no surprises in the plot development,but its very familiarity adds to its charm. To my mind of all the Doris Day two - handers "Teacher's Pet" is the cleverest and the one with most charm.Even without the benefit of hindsight she and Rock Hudson were not a match made in heaven and certainly there was no screen chemistry between them.Mr Gable makes him seem like a petulant 16 year old. When his career is discussed "Teacher's Pet" rarely gets a mention. This is a great injustice because he glides through it with his charm and charisma intact and one of his best leading ladies on his arm. And I suspect he had a lot of fun making it.