''With Six You Get Eggroll'' is a 1968 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

Howard Morris Howard Jerome Morris (September 4, 1919 – May 21, 2005) was an American actor, comedian, and director. He was best known for his role in ''The Andy Griffith Show'' as Ernest T. Bass, and as "Uncle Goopy" in a celebrated comedy sketch on Sid Cae ...

and starring

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 ...

Brian Keith Brian Keith (born Robert Alba Keith, November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997) was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family film '' The Parent T ...

Barbara Hershey Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including weste ...

George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercul ...

, and

Pat Carroll Patricia Ann Carroll (May 5, 1927 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress and comedian. She was known for voicing Ursula in ''The Little Mermaid'' and for appearances in CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show'', ABC's ''Laverne & Shirley'', and NBC' ...

. It was the first film that was produced by the

CBS Television Network CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

's film unit,

Cinema Center Films Cinema Center Films (CCF) was the theatrical film production company of the CBS Television Network from 1967 to 1972. Its films were distributed by National General Pictures. The production unit was located at CBS Studio Center in the Studio City ...

, and Day's final film performance. The title of the movie comes from a scene where the family goes out for

Chinese food Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many ...

, and one of the kids notices that because they are a large group, they get something extra: "With six you get eggroll!"

Plot

Abby McClure (Doris Day) is a widow with three sons who runs the lumberyard that her husband owned. Her matchmaking sister Maxine (Pat Carroll) tricks her into calling widower Jake Iverson (Brian Keith) and inviting him to the business dinner party Abby is having that night. Not interested in the trouble his sexy, adultery-minded neighbor Cleo (Elaine Devry) is trying to get him into, Jake arrives at Abby's and is bored by all of the matchmaking dialogue. Jake makes up an excuse to leave, but later runs into Abby at an all-night supermarket. Embarrassed by being caught in a fib, Jake meets Abby at a local drive-in run by the wise-cracking Herbie (George Carlin) and the two stay out until 2 a.m. A romance develops, much to the chagrin of Jake's teenage daughter Stacey (Barbara Hershey) and Abby's three sons, Flip, Mitch and Jason (John Findlater, Jimmy Bracken, and Richard Steele). The children make certain that neither Jake nor Abby can be comfortable at the other's home, so the pair wind up more than once at the drive-in, before finally falling in love. Fed up with the situation, they elope, not telling their children that they have married until the next day when the children discover them in bed together. From then on, Abby's sons fight with Iverson's daughter Stacey; while Flip and Stacey both are hostile to the idea of a step-parent; and even Abby's sheepdog and Jake's poodle are incompatible. Neither's house is large enough for the family of six—not including Abby's live-in maid, Molly (

Alice Ghostley Alice Margaret Ghostley (August 14, 1923 – September 21, 2007) was a Tony Award-winning American actress and singer on stage, film and television. She was best known for her roles as bumbling witch Esmeralda (1969–70; 1972) on '' Bewitched' ...

)--so they borrow a camper and use it as a bedroom while they move into Abby's house and eventually put Jake's up for sale. The morning after a bedtime argument, Abby drives off in the camper in a rage; Jake is dumped out clad only in boxers and clutching a teddy bear. After running through the neighborhood, he gets Herbie to lend him some clothes and drive him back to his house. Once Abby discovers what has happened, she returns only to find Jake gone. She is joined by a band of hippies she meets when she reaches the drive-in. When the camper collides with a livestock truck carrying chickens, Abby and the hippies are arrested. Hearing of the accident, Jake and the children rush to her rescue, colliding with the same chicken truck. The angry driver assaults Jake and the children (and pets) unite in his defense. At the station-house the parents and children are joyfully reconciled, and the family finally buys a huge two-story house big enough for a family of six, a maid, and two dogs.

Cast

McClure family

as Abby McClure * John Findlater as Flip McClure * Richard Steele as Jason McClure * Jimmy Bracken as Mitch McClure *

as Maxine Scott, Abby's sister *

Herb Voland Herbert Maurice Voland (October 2, 1918 – April 26, 1981) was an American actor, best known for his various roles on the sitcom ''Bewitched'', as General Crandell Clayton on the sitcom ''M*A*S*H'' during seasons one and two, and the film ''Air ...

as Harry Scott, Abby's brother-in-law

Iverson family

as Jake Iverson *

as Stacey Iverson

Others

as Herbie Fleck *

as Abby's maid, Molly *

Jamie Farr Jamie Farr (born Jameel Joseph Farah; July 1, 1934) is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing the cross-dressing Corporal turned Sergeant Maxwell Q. Klinger in the CBS television sitcom ''M*A*S*H''. He was inducted to ...

as Jo Jo *

William Christopher William Christopher (October 20, 1932 December 31, 2016) was an American actor and comedian, best known for playing Private Lester Hummel on ''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' from 1965 to 1968 and Father John Mulcahy on the television series ''M*A*S*H ...

as Zip-Cloud *

Elaine Devry Elaine Devry (born Thelma Elaine Mahnken) is an American actress. Early life Devry was born Thelma Elaine Mahnken to Fred P. and Hortense Mahnken in Compton, California, where she was raised. Her brother, Jeff, was three years her senior. She b ...

as Cleo Ruskin, Jake's next-door neighbor *

Milton Frome Milton Frome (February 24, 1909 – March 21, 1989) was an American character actor. Career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Frome landed his first acting job in the short subject ''Daredevil O'Dare'' in 1934. He did not act again until 1939 ...

as Bud Young *

Jackie Joseph Jackie Joseph (born November 7, 1933) is an American actress and writer. She is best known for her role as Jackie Parker on ''The Doris Day Show'' (1971–1973) and Audrey in ''The Little Shop of Horrors'' (1960), as well as a supporting role in ...

as Georgia Watson *

Victor Tayback Victor E. Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990) was an American actor. He is known for his role as Mel Sharples in the film '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974) and the television series '' Alice'' (1976–1985). The latter earned him ...

as truck driver *

Allan Melvin Allan John Melvin (February 18, 1923 – January 17, 2008) was an American actor and impressionist, who was cast in hundreds of television episodes from the 1950s to the early 1990s, often appearing in recurring roles on various series. Some of th ...

as Police Desk Sergeant *

The Grass Roots The Grass Roots are an American rock band that charted frequently between 1965 and 1975. The band was originally the creation of Lou Adler and songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri. In their career, they achieved two gold albums, two ...

as themselves

Production notes

It was the first film made by the newly formed

, a subdivision of CBS network.

Supporting cast

The cast includes several actors in small parts (some uncredited) who are much better known for other performances, such as

Ken Osmond Kenneth Charles Osmond (June 7, 1943May 18, 2020) was an American actor and police officer. Beginning a career as a child actor at the age of four, Osmond played the role of Eddie Haskell on the late 1950s to early 1960s television situation come ...

Vic Tayback Victor E. Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990) was an American actor. He is known for his role as Mel Sharples in the film '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974) and the television series '' Alice'' (1976–1985). The latter earned him ...

Peter Leeds Peter Leeds (May 30, 1917 – November 12, 1996) was an American actor who appeared on television more than 8,000 times and also had many film, Broadway, and radio credits. The majority of his work took place in the 1950s and 1960s. Working ...

Maudie Prickett Maudie Prickett (born Maudie Marie Doyle; October 25, 1914 – April 14, 1976) was an American character actress who performed in over 300 stage, film, and television productions during a career that spanned nearly four decades. Death In ...

and

Creed Bratton Creed Bratton (born William Charles Schneider, February 8, 1943) is an American actor, singer and musician. A former member of the rock band the Grass Roots, he is best known for playing a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom ''T ...

(part of the singing group

). Many of them (as well as Day herself, in ''

The Doris Day Show ''The Doris Day Show'' is an American sitcom which was originally broadcast on CBS from September 1968 until March 1973, remaining on the air for five seasons and 128 episodes. The series is remembered for its multiple format and cast change ...

'') later turned up in TV sitcoms: Farr and Christopher in ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

'', Tayback and Melvin in '' Alice'', Carlin in ''

The George Carlin Show ''The George Carlin Show'' is an American sitcom that aired Sunday at 9:30 pm on the Fox network from January 1994 to July 1995. It was created jointly by Sam Simon and the show's namesake, comedian George Carlin. Synopsis The action was center ...

'' and Bratton in ''

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series of ...

''. (Keith was starring in ''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempte ...

'' at the time, while Osmond had played the iconic

Eddie Haskell Edward Clark Haskell (also referred to as Edward W. Haskell) is a fictional character on the American television sitcom '' Leave It to Beaver'', which ran on CBS from October 4, 1957, to 1958 and on ABC from 1958 to 1963. He was played by Ken O ...

in '' Leave It to Beaver''.)

Blended family premise

The film was released only four months after United Artists' '' Yours, Mine and Ours''. While both films have the same premise—that of a widow and a widower marrying each other and creating a blended family— the United Artists film was based on a true story and was a huge commercial success (if not critical) becoming the 11th highest-grossing film of the year. Although there are similarities between this film, ''Yours, Mine and Ours'' and the later ABC television show ''

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, after ...

'' that premiered in 1969, the original pilot script for ''The Brady Bunch'' predated the scripts for both of these films.

Film locations

Most of the film's exterior locations were within a five-mile radius of each other:

Studio City/Valley Village

Ye Olde Drive Inn

The location used for Herbie Fleck's "Ye Olde Drive Inn" was a drive-in on Ventura Place, near

CBS Studio Center Radford Studio Center, alternatively CBS Studio Center, is a television and film studio located in the Studio City district of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. The lot has 18 sound stages from , of office space, and 223 dressing rooms. T ...

around the intersection of

Ventura Boulevard Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east–west thoroughfares in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Ventura Boulevard is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley as it was originally a part o ...

and

Laurel Canyon Boulevard Laurel Canyon Boulevard is a major street in the city of Los Angeles. It starts off at Polk Street in Sylmar in the northern San Fernando Valley near the junction of the San Diego ( Interstate 405) and the Golden State (I-5)) freeways. Laurel Ca ...

. The site is now a sporting goods store.

School scenes

School scenes were filmed at Ulysses S. Grant High School in

Valley Village Valley Village is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, located within the San Fernando Valley. History Founding According to Elke Garman, co-president of the Valley Village Homeowners Association in 1991, the history of Valley Village wen ...

(at the time

Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, t ...

), California.

Toluca Lake

Both of the houses seen in the film are within a block of each other in the suburb of

Toluca Lake Toluca Lake is an affluent neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley northwest of downtown. The name is also given to a private natural lake fed by wells and maintained by neighboring property owner ...

, which straddles the borders of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and Burbank in the

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...

. The neighborhood that Abby drives the camper truck through is the northern part of Toluca Lake, specifically Kling Street between Arcola Avenue and Cahuenga Avenue.

McClure house

The exterior shots for Abby McClure's late-1930s

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

home were filmed at 4248 Clybourn Avenue; the same house number is also used in the film. The interiors are soundstage sets that bear no resemblance to the house's actual interior. A studio replica of the street-facing façade was also used for some night shots—discernible by the differences in the tree in the front yard—specifically for the scene with rain. A still photograph of the house across the street (4245 Clybourn Avenue) can be seen earlier in the same sequence where Jake arrives on the porch of the McClure house. The homes to the right have all had major remodelings, as well as the McClure house, which is almost unrecognizable as the same house today. However, the fire hydrant at the sidewalk, the covered driveway and the front yard tree all remain as of October 2013.

Iverson house

The exterior shots for Jake Iverson's 1929

Mission Revival The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century ...

home were shot at 10011 Tikita Place. All of the exterior night shots were filmed at this location. The interiors—as well as the backyard—are also soundstage sets that bear no resemblance to the house's actual interior and backyard. The house to the left of the Iverson house has undergone major remodeling, whereas the Iverson house still looked very similar to its appearance in this film until about 2014. As of September 2015, the Iverson house was completely demolished and replaced with a faux-traditional home.

Iverson-McClure house

The film's final punchline—a large two-story early-1950s

Colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

house shown briefly at the end with a "Sold" sign on it and a front pathway flanked by the McClures' sheepdog and the Iversons' poodle—is also in Toluca Lake, at 10463 Kling Street.

Police chase scene

The late 1930s two-story Colonial house with the circle driveway that the police chase drives through is at 10501 Kling Street (to the immediate left of the above-mentioned Iverson-McClure house at 10463 Kling).

Music

The film's score was composed and conducted by CBS Television and Columbia Records staff arranger/composer Robert Mersey. While Day provided a vocal performance either onscreen, in voice-over or over the credits in all of her movies since 1958's ''

The Tunnel of Love ''The Tunnel of Love'' is a 1958 romantic comedy film directed by Gene Kelly and starring Doris Day and Richard Widmark. The film follows a married suburban couple who, for reasons unknown, are unable to conceive a child and soon endure endless ...

'', this is one of only three films not to feature a vocal by Day (the others being 1967's ''

The Ballad of Josie ''The Ballad of Josie'' is a 1967 Technicolor American comedy Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring Doris Day, Peter Graves, and George Kennedy. It humorously tackles 1960s themes of feminism in a traditional Western settin ...

'' and 1968's '' Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?''). A male chorus is heard singing an

easy-listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

piece called "You Make Me Think About You" in one sequence, but no vocals are heard by Day. A 45RPM single featuring a vocal by

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

and arranged and conducted by Robert Mersey was released by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. The single peaked at 35 on ''Billboard''s Easy Listening Chart.

Release

Box office

After its release, the film went on to gross $10,095,200 at the box office according to ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' and the box office website The Numbers, making it one of the top ten moneymaking films of Day's 39-film career. ''Variety'' said it earned $4.5 million in theatrical rentals in the US and Canada.

Critical

Upon its theatrical release,

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote: "The latest chapter in the continuing adventures of the Widow Day… was produced by Cinema Center Films, a subsidiary of the Columbia Broadcasting System… I kept wondering how the characters played by Miss Day lose their husbands. Cancer? Suicide? Auto accident? There's never any hint. There are, however, some hints of the very real comic talent that has, over the years, become hermetically sealed inside a lacquered personality."Movie Review: ''With Six You Get Eggroll''
by Vincent Canby, ''

'', October 10, 1968.

Home media

The film was released by

CBS DVD CBS Home Entertainment (formerly CBS Video Enterprises, Inc., MGM/CBS Home Video, CBS/Fox Video and CBS Video, currently branded as CBS DVD for DVD releases and CBS Blu-ray for Blu-ray releases) is a home entertainment company owned by Paramoun ...

through

Paramount Home Entertainment Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, and originally Paramount Home Video) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global. The division oversees PPC's home entertainme ...

on May 3, 2005, as a Region 1 DVD, in widescreen format. The film is available at

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

References

External links

* * {{tcmdb title, 22012 1968 films 1968 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films Films about families Films directed by Howard Morris Cinema Center Films films 1960s English-language films 1960s American films