Walk, Don't Run (film)

This article is about the film. For the hit music single, see Walk, Don't Run (instrumental). For the album by Joshua Breakstone, see Walk Don't Run (album).

Walk, Don't Run
DVD cover
Directed by	Charles Walters
Written by	Robert Russell Frank Ross
Screenplay by	Sol Saks Garson Kanin
Produced by	Sol C. Siegel
Starring	Cary Grant Samantha Eggar Jim Hutton
Cinematography	Harry Stradling Sr.
Edited by	Walter A. Thompson James D. Wells
Music by	Quincy Jones
Production company	Granley Company
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	June 29, 1966 (1966-06-29) (U.S.)
Running time	114 minutes
Language	English
Box office	$7,500,000

Walk, Don't Run is a 1966 Technicolor comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Cary Grant in his final film role, Samantha Eggar, and Jim Hutton. The film is a remake of the 1943 film The More the Merrier and is set during the Olympic Games.

Plot

In 1964 Tokyo, Sir William Rutland (Cary Grant) is an important British businessman, who arrives two days early and is greeted by the housing shortage caused by the 1964 Summer Olympics. While at the British Embassy seeking help, he notices an announcement of an available apartment and decides to check the place out. He finds himself at the residence of Christine Easton, who insists that it would be improper to take him in as a housemate; she had forgotten to advertise that she would prefer to rent to a woman. Easton eventually lets Rutland stay—half because she is persuaded it is her patriotic duty to take him in and half because of Rutland's own self-assured pushiness.

Rutland sublets half of his cramped space to American Olympic competitor Steve Davis. While Easton is less than thrilled with the arrangement, she has to put up with it, as she has already spent Rutland's share of the rent. Rutland sets about playing matchmaker for the two young people, in spite of their disparate personalities and Easton’s engagement to boringly dependable British diplomat, Julius P. Haversack.

Davis repeatedly refuses to reveal what sport he is competing in. Rutland meddles in the young couple's romantic troubles. To further his matchmaking, he even strips down to his boxer shorts and a T-shirt so he can pretend to be a competitor and talk to Davis during his event, the men's 50 kilometres walk, and try to heal the breach between the young lovers.

Cast

• Cary Grant as Sir William Rutland
• Samantha Eggar as Christine Easton
• Jim Hutton as Steve Davis
• John Standing as Julius P. Haversack
• Miiko Taka as Aiko Kurawa
• Ted Hartley as Yuri Andreyovitch
• Ben Astar as Dimitri
• George Takei as Police Captain
• Teru Shimada as Mr. Kurawa
• Lois Kiuchi as Mrs. Kurawa

Production

Grant retired from acting after this film and died in 1986.

Score

Main article: Walk, Don't Run (soundtrack)

The film's music was composed by Quincy Jones, with Peggy Lee contributing to the writing of the songs, "Stay with Me" and "Happy Feet". The score featured Toots Thielemans on harmonica and the trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison.

Reception

The film grossed $7,500,000 at the box office, earning $4.5 million in US theatrical rentals. It was the 23rd highest grossing film of 1966.

See also

• List of American films of 1966

Bibliography

• Reid, John Howard. "Walk, Don't Run." Reid's Film Index, no. 36 (1998): 178–181.

External links

• Walk, Don't Run at IMDb
• Walk, Don't Run at the TCM Movie Database
• Walk, Don't Run at AllMovie
• Walk, Don't Run at the American Film Institute Catalog
• Historic reviews, photo gallery at CaryGrant.net