User reviews

I also saw this movie as a child, and fell in love with it. I particularly liked the wacky gadgets Sam would build, and the theme song (by Frank De Vol) is very catchy. One time when it was on TV, I was able to make an audio tape of it on this crummy little portable real-to-real tape recorder my dad gave me. I played it so much that I was able to memorize whole lines of dialog - "you can't alter a man's death-bed request with a lot of childish spying and gossip. Now obviously this man and woman are husband and wife, Mr and Mrs Howard Ebbets, and as such, I set the distribution of the Lagerlof will for 9am tomorrow morning. Now good day..."

It's nice to see Mike Connors in a pre-Mannix role, and you can never get enough of Louis Nye. Edward G Robinson does a good job of playing the wealthy dairyman, Mr Nurdlinger. Plus his participation gives the whole production a needed bit of weight. This is the kind of movie they're talking about when they say - "they don't make 'em like that anymore." And I say, it's our loss.

Jack Lemmon stands at the top of his profession when it comes to comedy. No other actor has his sense of timing or expressive manners to offer competition to the master. "Good Neighbor Sam" is Lemmon at his best. Playing the average guy next door who gets into all kinds of problems through mostly no fault of his own. Everyone will enjoy this movie and the other Lemmon films similar to it. I rated this a 7.

"Good Neighbor Sam" is a 1964 film starring Jack Lemmon, Dorothy Provine, Romy Schneider, Edward G. Robinson, and Mike Connors.

Lemmon plays ad man Sam Bissell, married to the lovely Min (Provine). Min's best friend Janet (Schneider) comes to live in the area after her divorce, but she soon finds out she has a problem.

Her grandfather has left her his estate, but on meeting with the lawyer, she finds out that she's supposed to be in a good marriage to Howard (Connors), her ex-husband.

When her cousins, who want the $15 million she inherited, come to visit, Sam happens to be in her house, which is next door. Janet introduces him as her husband.

At work, Sam gets a big promotion when the product's president wants a wholesome individual with good values to head up his account. Between that and a detective in a truck spying on both houses, Sam and Janet have to continue to pretend they're married, to Min's aggravation. Then Howard appears.

Cute comedy that is overly long and a little frantic. The premise is simple but on the flimsy side and doesn't quite come off as intended - a Rock Hudson/Doris Day type comedy. It lacks the gloss and snap of the Hudson/Day films.

Nevertheless, the performances are good. Provine, with her good figure and quirky voice, is lovely as the sometimes frustrated Min, and Romy Schneider, a huge star in Europe, is beautiful and vivacious as Janet.

Sam is the type of role Lemmon could play with one hand tied behind his back. I don't imagine it was much of a challenge.

The good supporting cast includes Edward Andrews, Louis Nye, Robert Q. Lewis, Anne Seymour, and Charles Lane (who died in 2007 at the age of 102 and worked to the end).

Given the presence of "Mad Men," "Good Neighbor Sam" begs comparison between the way the advertising world is presented in both vehicles. Guess what - it's about the same! The Robinson character quotes the Bible and considers most of the people he deals with as cheating husbands with no moral values.

It was fun for me to see Provine, whom I interviewed, Nye, and Robert Q. Lewis (whom I saw on stage in The Odd Couple), none of whom I'd seen in a film for a while. Nice memories and a mildly entertaining film.

The first time I saw this movie, I was floored by this funny, sexy romp. My God, Jack Lemmon even used the word "hell!". Oh, did I mention that I was 9 years old at the time! Upon seeing it again, many years later, I was glad to see it "held up" better than I thought it would. It's "plenty" dated (so what???). The silliness and familiar faces make it worthwhile.

The theme song is memorable (you'll know it when you hear it). Jack Lemmon's eccentricity at home, is in great contrast to his constant fight to appear normal in his advertising agency persona. The advertising "game" was used as the backdrop of many movies of the 1960's, whether comedy or drama. There is a running gag througout this movie, spoofing the filming of a popular Hertz Car Rental commercial. It's very funny. I was also pleased to see Edward G. Robinson make an appearance in a "light" role.

Not a GREAT movie, but if you enjoy Jack Lemmon versus the world type comedies, you'll enjoy this one too.....

"Good Neighbor Sam" bombed big time when it was released in 1964. At the time I thought, "What a shame. This is Jack Lemmon's best comedic acting in years, and this is a pleasant movie."

Looking at it now, I understand why "Good Neighbor Sam" was a failure. For one thing, it's way overplotted (there's enough subplots for THREE sparkling comedies). It's played at the sitcom level and runs over two hours. The "domestic violence" subplot is disturbing, even for the times. However, it is still funny, beautifully cast (especially Lemmon, Dorothy Provine, Romy Schneider and Edward G. Robinson) and mostly gentle satire (the Hertz commercial retakes are a hoot). Best of all, the "billboard defacing," which happens near the end of the movie is the funniest sequence of all, meaning "Good Neighbor Sam" NEVER lets up.

Special note should be taken of Frank DeVol's music (the recurring theme is a classic). I recommend this one highly

The film begins well with its depiction of 1960s suburbia, the introduction of the Bissell family (including the ducks), the amusing jibes at the advertising industry (including the inaccurate but hilarious depiction of the filming of a Hertz car rental commercial), provides some great performances from all the principals, and from a great supporting cast, such as Edward Andrews, R.Q. Jones, and Neil Hamilton. It has a smart, yet affectionate quality to it. But as the film chugs along, it seems to run out of steam, as the gags keep repeating themselves, and it begins to seem more like a less successful imitation of the popular Doris Day/Rock Hudson romantic comedies of the time, and one can begin to understand why Lemmon didn't put this one in the top drawer of his memories.

When Good Neighbor Sam was released in 1964 Jack Lemmon was being taken seriously as a dramatic actor as well as a light comic actor as witnessed by the rave reviews he got for The Apartment and Days of Wine and Roses. While Good Neighbor Sam doesn't stack up against those two films in Lemmon's career, it's still an amusing and pleasing romp.

Have you ever noticed how many films like Good Neighbor Sam start out with a mistaken impression? Through a lie told by Romy Schneider who is the good neighbor that Sam has, people in her life and in his get the impression that they are married. He's married to Dorothy Provine and she's married to Michael Connors. And both for their own reasons have to keep the deception up. All the situations the principal players get into stem from the original white lie.

It would be so much easier if everyone told the truth from the gitgo, but then we wouldn't have a movie.

Lots of familiar names pop up here in support. Edward Andrews as the unctuous boss of the advertising agency Lemmon works for, Louis Nye as the creative private detective who gets it wrong, and last but not definitely not least Edward G. Robinson as the puritanical dairy king.

Minor league Lemmon, but still fun. And as another reviewer says, that theme is unforgettable. You'll have it in your brain for days.

GOOD NEIGHBOR SAM was one of three films from the middle 1960s that Jack Lemmon detested. After making THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES and THE APARTMENT Lemmon felt he was finally being recognized as a fine dramatic actor, and suddenly he was in this film, UNDER THE YUM YUM TREE, and HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE. He felt that these were minor films, and always disliked making them.

In the case of UNDER THE YUM YUM TREE, one can sympathize with Lemmon's feelings. He never played a more detestable character in any of his films than in YUM YUM TREE where he was a total letch. But he was in top comic form, supported by good casts and good scripts in SAM and WIFE. They were not great movies, but both were entertaining.

The plot of GOOD NEIGHBOR SAM is an old one: a family friend is in a tight spot and needs to borrow the spouse of his/her closest friend to get out of it. Another example of this is GUEST WIFE, where Don Ameche borrows Dick Foran's wife (Claudette Colbert). There the complication is that Ameche's boss (Charles Dingle) believes Ameche's wife is an amazing, supporting woman in her "husband's" remarkable career as a correspondent in Asia. Here Romy Schneider borrows Dorothy Provine's husband (Lemmon) to pretend that she is happily together with her husband to claim a $15,000,000.00 estate. But her husband (Mike Connors) shows up, and to save the situation pretends he is Provine's husband. This leads to complications of mutual jealousies between Connors and Lemmon, as well as problems concerning a multi-million dollar ad campaign Lemmon is handling on behalf of dairy farm millionaire (and total prude) Edward G. Robinson.

The film has many nice spots in it, especially for Robert Q. Lewis, as a friend and fellow employee of Lemmon who is nearly driven nuts by watching the odd goings on between Lemmon - Provine - Schneider - Connors. Also the ultimate private detective, Louis Nye, who has some great (and for 1964 really advanced) devices for his business. My favorite bits are now a trifle dated - the running gag about the old Hertz Rent-A-Car ads ("Let Hertz Put You In The Driver Seat"). A wonderful chase, involving painting and billboards, raps the film up very nicely. Lemmon was wrong - not in the same category as SAVE THE TIGER, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, or THE APARTMENT, but a worthy, entertaining film.

The plot of Good Neighbor Sam is a bit complicated, but it's quite funny. Jack Lemmon stars as a happily married man who would like to get ahead in his advertising firm but has never gotten the breaks. When his opportunity finally arrives, it's at a very inconvenient time. He lands a huge dairy account because the firm knows he's a respectable family man and the head of the company (Edward G. Robinson) wants to work with someone he can trust. At the same time, his neighbor (Romy Schneider) gets a letter saying she's to inherit millions if she can prove she's still married to her ex-husband. Romy suggests, or does she slyly con Jack and his wife (Dorothy Provine) into suggesting, that Jack move into her place for a little while and pretend to be her husband. It'll be just until the insurance inspector checks them out, and she'll split the money for their trouble.

As Jack lives a double life at home, he tries not to let anyone at work find out about it. It's funny, frisky, and full of sixties sex jokes. Yes, it gets a little silly at times, but that's to be expected given the time period. If you're a Jack fan, definitely check it out. It's a great choice to balance out a heavy drama of his if you're having a marathon. And Dorothy is as cute as it gets - giving a valiant effort to replace Doris Day!

Jack Lemmon is one of my favorite actors & I love all his movies. I just want to warn people that this one is by far the worst one. I only laughed one time when Jack was driving a private investigator home & the investigator's door opened & he almost fell out. I thought there would be super funny scenes of him running back and forth between the two houses but there wasn't. I wish I would of skipped this one. It was a waste of money.

I saw this movie back in 1964 when it first came out. Although I was 9 at the time, this movie is one of my all time greats. Why? Great plot, absolute entertainment, no violence, classic spoof and shtick, spy props, the amazing back yard invention, back scene production of the "Let Hertz put you in the driver's seat", (do you remember the TV ad?), John Q. Lewis and the gorgeous Dorothy Provine, one of my all time greats.

This is so full of fun humor. There should be a remake with Steve Martin and Carmen Electra.

One more important aspect is the sixties clothes, cars, homes, furnishings, and style. This is pure entertainment.

Directed by David Swift whose direction is anything but, Good Neighbor Sam is a dud with a contrived and belabored plot that allows for plenty of product placement and the result is mildly amusing at best. Talented Jack Lemon is tiresome as he was in Under the Yum, Yum Tree, Irma la Douce, Luv, The Odd Couple, and How to Murder Your Wife. Good Neighbor Sam is strictly for his fans. Dorothy Provine, the poor man's Doris Day, and lovely Romy Schneider are wasted. An over-extended sitcom loaded with product placement that somehow made it to the big screen where it must have seen empty and endless. Skip it!

If you're looking for laughs served up by experts, "Good Neighbor Sam" is just the ticket. Misadventure ensues when the business world and mixed-up home life of a hapless chap collide.

Jack Lemmon was the best at this type of thing and plays it for all it's worth. There's an hysterical bit by Louis Nye and the fabulous Hi Lo's appear in a recurring gag. DeVol's music adds to the fun.

Mike Connors is wonderful. He more than holds his own in the comedy department with the fabulous Jack. Good looking and funny - could have been another Cary Grant if the right parts had come along. Two lovely gals, Dorothy Provine and Romy Scheider, provide charming support. Enjoy.

Producer-director David Swift also co-adapted Jack Finney's novel about a suburban divorcée outside San Francisco who involves her neighbors in a hare-brained scheme to win an inheritance worth $15M: she has to be happily married in order to receive the settlement, requiring the husband next door to pose as her spouse. Trouble looms when spies set up camp across the street and the woman's ex-husband suddenly turns up wanting her back. Although far too long at 2hrs-10mns, Swift takes a remarkably cogent approach to the slapstick scenario, and the grounded, terrific players keep things colorful while skillfully averting 'wackiness'. Jack Lemmon's advertising executive (with natty spectacles) is a wonderfully low-keyed schnook, and the star's comic confusion never boils over into bellowing territory. As Jack's wife, Dorothy Provine is the perfect match for this Lemmon characterization (she's a good sport throughout). Edward G. Robinson's role as a dairy magnate is tiresome (he's like a guest extra in a TV sitcom), and the material slips into contrivances at about the halfway mark. Still, this script, while overworked by its three writers, has some surprises: it shows a keen ear for dialogue and comes up with a handful of bright ideas, although some judicious editing was certainly called for. **1/2 from ****

Another Jack Lemmon comedy of the 60's, in which he is having to pretend he is actually married to his wife's (Dorothy Provine) best friend and neighbor, sexy Romy Schneider, so she can cash in on a $15 M inheritance. Predictable, but if you watched TV and movies from this era, a memorable cast. Mike Connors, "Mannix" plays Romy's estranged husband. Louie Nye is a private eye. Also along are Neil Hamilton- Batman's Commisioner Gordon and perpetual elderly grumps Charles Lane and Edward Andrews. And if you can remember the "Fun Girls" from "Andy Griffith Show" well... Joyce Jameson is a sexy hooker. Even EG Robinson has a small part, guess he needed the money.

A few words about the female leads. Romy Schneider sadly died at age 44, heart attack. The previous year her son had been killed in an accident. Dorothy Provine retired from acting a few years later, not sure why she didn't make it bigger. Talented singer and dancer, beautiful and sexy. As another IMDB reviewer wrote "the poor man's Doris Day"

I could describe the plot of the movie but i never like doing that since everyone already does it. Jack lemmon is good as usual and its nice to edward g. robinson in a role like this. Romy schneider is gorgeous in this movie. The movie starts out good but towards the end it just feels like it goes overboard with the sort of slapstick comedy.

Jack Lemmon was groomed at Columbia and what a run Lemmon had... working as co star to glamor girls Rita Hayworth, Doris Day and Kim Novak in a series of great films. Jack Lemmon was also loaned out to WB for his Oscar winning Mr. Roberts working with Henry Fonda, William Powell and directed by John Ford, and loaned out to UA for Billy Wilder's comedic masterpiece Some Like It Hot with the peerless Marilyn Monroe, and Joe E Brown. (All four: Wilder, Monroe, Brown and Lemmon ought to have won Oscars).

Good Neighbor Sam was one of if not the last film Jack Lemmon made at Columbia Pictures, and it is a riotous film co starring Romy Schneider, Mike Connors, Edward G Robinson and the dazzling Dorothy Provine (on loan from Ms Provine's studio Warner Bros). Dorothy Provine should have been a major movie star.

David Swift who directed Pollyanna with Jane Wyman, a film that made Hayley Mills a star and other fine films such as Mr. Lemmon's Under The Yum Yum Tree directs here and creates a lot of fun. The cast is superb.

This is a laugh out loud funny film, and one of Jack Lemmon's true gems.

One of a number of light comedies Lemmon appeared in during the mid 60s. He's great as Mr. Ordinary white collar worker. The movie starts fine with a gently satrical approach to the 9-5 office routine and taking particular jabs at the advertising industry. However with the arrival of Mike Connors as Romy Schneider's ex husband, things take a turn to French bedroom farce. In this case the bedrooms are separated by a lawn and take place in two different houses. This becomes quickly tiresome and I basically wanted things to wrap up. The entire cast is excellent however. Romy Schneider proving she could play comedy, Eddy G. Robinson always solid, and the very likeable Dorothy Provine who is a sort of sexier earthier version of Doris Day.

I grew up in the 50's & 60's so this is what I call a comfort film. Aside from the plot, I get a kick from watching the morning scene of everyone waking up in the upper class 1960's suburbs, the office scenes, the morning commute, the after work cocktails, the clothes. Remember the business hat? Everyone wore one with their business suit until Jack Kennedy hit the scene bare-headed. Kind of like Clark Gable taking off his shirt and not wearing a T Shirt. I've always felt that the scene where Sam Bissell does the double-take on the car full of commuters next to his car and sees sheep was an innocent preview of the coming unrest of "The 60's". So while it's a great comedy with great actors/acting I watch it to take me back to a time when there was no globalization and no competition for the US. Everyone was making "good money" and there were no threats, no negativity. Several of the films from approximately 1958-1965 were like this - I've always felt the 60's officially began between that period after Kennedy was shot and the Beatles landed in NYC (which is the starter's gun). Certainly How To Murder Your Wife is a close second, YUM YUM Tree, some of Doris Day's movies, Ride The Wild Surf (best fiction Surfer Movie ever made). What a great time to grow up. So don't be a Nurdlinger - watch this movie. Hope this adds an enjoyable note when you watch this movie.

An excellent example of the Idiot Plot, a term popularized by Roger Ebert although not coined by him. In other words, the story is driven by characters that somehow all manage to avoid simple and obvious actions that would clear up the whole farce in about ten seconds.

The story makes no sense. We got told very early in the story that the neighbor is still married by California law and, her lawyers assure her, there should be no problem in qualifying for her inheritance. The characters then engage in a two-hour screwball exercise designed to avoid a legal jeopardy we all know doesn't exist and continue to do so even when the estranged husband shows up, keenly interested in rekindling the relationship.

What should have been a breezy and chaste wife-swapping farce drags on for two hours plus, with laughs few and far between. It perks up slightly when Michael Connors enters the picture as the erstwhile husband, but the movie is a simply a painful and tedious slog.

Lemmon is his typical brilliant everyman and Romy Schneider is a delight whenever she is on screen. There's also the pleasure of the early 60s fashions, San Francisco setting and West Coast architecture.

But far from the mildly fond memory I'd carried since seeing Good Neighbor Sam on TV in the 70s, this one is unfunny and dumb. Lemmon reportedly didn't like the film either when it was released, face it, the man had taste.