Teacher's Pet (1958 film)

Infobox Film
name = Teacher's Pet


caption = French movie poster from 1958
director = George Seaton
producer = William Perlberg
George Seaton
writer = Fay Kanin
Michael Kanin
starring = Clark Gable
Doris Day
Gig Young
Mamie Van Doren
music = Roy Webb
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Paramount Pictures
released = April 1, 1958
runtime = 120 min
country = USA
language = English
budget =
amg_id = 1:48762
imdb_id = 0052278

"Teacher's Pet" is a 1958 romantic comedy film starring Clark Gable and Doris Day, directed by George Seaton and written by Fay Kanin and Michael Kanin.

Characters

The main characters include:
*James Gannon (Clark Gable) - 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.
*Erica Stone (Doris Day) - journalism instructor at a local university whom Gannon falls in love with.
*Dr. Hugo Pine (Gig Young) - a worldly and attractive psychologist who has "more degrees than a thermometer" and Gannon's (perceived) rival for Stone's affections.

Plot

Stone asks Gannon to speak before a night-school college journalism class. He turns down the invitation, writing a nasty letter to the instructor stating his viewpoint, but is ordered to go before the class by his editor-in-chief. He finds the attractive Stone teaching the class. Before he is able to introduce himself and apologise for the letter, Erica reads it aloud and mocks Gannon before the class.

Humiliated, he decides to join the class to show her up, posing as a wallpaper salesman named Jim Gallagher. Erica is quite taken by this charming man, whom she unwittingly finds exceptional for a novice journalist. Gannon continues his ruse as he becoms quite enchanted with Erica, and has to fend off Dr. Pine, as well as his own girlfriend, a nightclub singer (Mamie van Doren). When Erica discovers Gannon's deception, she immediately calls their relationship off, but convinced by Dr. Pine, she gives Gannon another chance.

By the end of the film, both Jim and Erica have come to understand, and partially adopt, the other's point of view.

Trivia

Cary Grant and James Stewart both turned down the role of James Gannon because they knew they were too old for the part. Incidentally, Grant would go on to star with Doris Day in That Touch of Mink in 1962.

Awards and nominations

*Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (nomination) - Gig Young
*Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (nomination) - Fay Kanin and Michael Kanin

External links

*imdb title | id=0052278 | title=Teacher's Pet
*amg title | id=1:48762 | title=Teacher's Pet