''Teacher's Pet'' is a 1958 American
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
film directed by
George Seaton
George Seaton (April 17, 1911 – July 28, 1979) was an American screenwriter, playwright, film director and producer, and theatre director.
Life and career Early life
Seaton was born George Edward Stenius in South Bend, Indiana, of Swedish des ...
, and starring
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
,
Doris Day
Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...
,
Gig Young
Gig Young (born Byron Elsworth Barr; November 4, 1913 – October 19, 1978) was an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in ''Come Fill the Cup'' (1952) and '' Teacher's Pet'' ...
, and
Mamie Van Doren
Mamie Van Doren (born Joan Lucille Olander; February 6, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and sex symbol. She is perhaps best known for the rock 'n' roll, juvenile delinquency exploitation film ''Untamed Youth'' (1957).
Early life
Van Do ...
.
Plot
Journalism instructor Erica Stone asks journalist James Gannon to speak to her
night school
A night school is an adult learning school that holds classes in the evening or at night to accommodate people who work during the day. A community college or university may hold night school classes that admit undergraduates.
Italy
The Scuola ...
class. He turns down the invitation via a nasty letter to her. His managing editor, however, orders him to accept the assignment. He arrives late to find Stone reading aloud his letter and mocking him in front of her class.
Humiliated, he decides to join the class as a student in order to show up Stone and poses as a
wallpaper
Wallpaper is a material used in interior decoration to decorate the interior walls of domestic and public buildings. It is usually sold in rolls and is applied onto a wall using wallpaper paste. Wallpapers can come plain as "lining paper" (so t ...
salesman. The instructor is somewhat intrigued by this charming older man, whom she finds an exceptional student. Gannon continues his ruse and becomes attracted to Stone. He finds he has to contend with Dr. Pine, as well as his own girlfriend, Peggy DeFore, a
nightclub singer
A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...
. When Stone discovers Gannon's deception, she immediately calls off their relationship. Dr. Pine convinces her to give Gannon another chance.
In the end, Jim and Erica have come to understand, and partially adopt, the other's point of view.
Cast
*
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
as James Gannon – city editor for a large metropolitan newspaper, with no education past the 8th grade, who is convinced that formal education is "a waste of time" for anyone who would like to get into the newspaper business and that experience in the workplace is the key to success
*
Doris Day
Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...
as Erica Stone – journalism instructor at a local university with whom Gannon falls in love
*
Gig Young
Gig Young (born Byron Elsworth Barr; November 4, 1913 – October 19, 1978) was an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in ''Come Fill the Cup'' (1952) and '' Teacher's Pet'' ...
as Dr. Hugo Pine – a worldly and attractive psychologist who has "more degrees than a thermometer", and Gannon's (perceived) rival for Stone's affections
*
Mamie Van Doren
Mamie Van Doren (born Joan Lucille Olander; February 6, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and sex symbol. She is perhaps best known for the rock 'n' roll, juvenile delinquency exploitation film ''Untamed Youth'' (1957).
Early life
Van Do ...
as Peggy DeFore – nightclub singer and Gannon's girlfriend
*
Nick Adams as Barney Kovac – copy boy at Gannon's paper who idolizes him.
*
Peter Baldwin as Harold Miller, cub reporter
*
Marion Ross
Marion Ross (born Marian Ellen Ross; October 25, 1928) is a American former actress. Her best-known role is that of Marion Cunningham on the ABC television sitcom ''Happy Days'', on which she starred from 1974 to 1984 and for which she receive ...
as Katy Fuller, Stone's secretary
*
Charles Lane as Roy, assistant city editor
*
Army Archerd
Armand Andre Archerd (January 13, 1922 – September 8, 2009) was an American columnist for ''Variety'' for over fifty years before retiring his "Just for Variety" column in September 2005. In November 2005, Archerd began blogging for ''Variety'' ...
as Himself
Release
The film opened in the United States on March 19, 1958 and finished fifth at the US box office in its opening week.
Awards and nominations
See also
* List of American films of 1958
A list of American films released in 1958. The musical romantic comedy film '' Gigi'' won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
A-B
C-F
G-K
L-R
S-Z
See also
* 1958 in the United States
References
External links
1958 filmsat the Inte ...
References
External links
*
*
*
{{George Seaton
1958 films
American romantic comedy films
American black-and-white films
Paramount Pictures films
Films scored by Roy Webb
Films directed by George Seaton
Films about journalists
Films about educators
Films set in universities and colleges
Films produced by William Perlberg
Films produced by George Seaton
1950s English-language films
1950s American films