Ask anyone about Doris Day's best leading man, and they’ll usually shout "Rock Hudson!" before you can even finish the sentence. It makes sense. They did three movies together, they were best friends, and Pillow Talk is basically the blueprint for every rom-com that came after it. But honestly? If you look at the actual chemistry on screen, doris day movies with james garner might actually have the edge. There is something grittier, funnier, and a little more "real" about the two films they made together.
They only did two. Just two! Both came out in 1963, a year when Day was arguably the biggest star on the planet. James Garner was the "new guy" in her orbit, coming off the massive success of Maverick. He brought a sarcastic, slightly exasperated masculine energy that perfectly balanced Doris’s sunny but often chaotic characters.
The Accidental Rib Break and Other Set Secrets
You can't talk about these two without mentioning that James Garner actually broke Doris Day's ribs. Seriously. It happened on the set of Move Over, Darling.
They were filming a scene where Garner’s character has to physically pull Doris away from Polly Bergen. He was a big guy—strapping, really—and in the heat of the moment, he gripped her too hard. He heard a "pop" but didn't think much of it because Doris, being the absolute professional she was, didn't say a word. She finished the scene. She finished the day. It wasn't until the next morning that he found out he’d actually fractured two of her ribs.
That kind of toughness defines their partnership. While the Rock Hudson movies felt like beautiful, glossy fantasies, the Garner films felt like they were about people who actually liked to scrap.
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Why The Thrill of It All Still Works
Released in the summer of '63, The Thrill of It All is a sharp satire on Madison Avenue and the burgeoning TV culture. Doris plays Beverly Boyer, a happy housewife who accidentally becomes the face of "Happy Soap" after telling a story at a dinner party.
James Garner plays her husband, an obstetrician named Gerald. He’s not exactly thrilled that his wife is suddenly making ten times his salary by selling soap on television.
- The Sinking Car: One of the most famous scenes involves a swimming pool being built in the driveway. Garner, distracted and annoyed, drives right into it.
- The Scripting: It was written by Carl Reiner. You can feel his fingerprints everywhere—the dialogue is fast, biting, and avoids the "cutesy" traps of other 60s comedies.
- The Dynamic: Unlike the "will-they-won't-they" tension of Pillow Talk, this is a movie about a married couple trying to navigate ego and career. It feels surprisingly modern.
Move Over, Darling: The Movie Marilyn Monroe Never Finished
The backstory of Move Over, Darling is almost as famous as the movie itself. Originally, this was a project titled Something's Got to Give starring Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin. After Monroe's tragic death, the studio (20th Century Fox) was in a massive financial hole. They were basically banking on Doris Day to save the studio from the Cleopatra debt.
She did.
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The plot is a classic "Enoch Arden" story: Ellen (Day) is lost at sea for five years. She finally gets rescued and returns home only to find her husband, Nick (Garner), has just had her declared legally dead and remarried a woman named Bianca (Polly Bergen).
The comedy here is top-tier slapstick. There is a scene where Doris goes through a car wash in a convertible with the top down that remains one of the funniest things she ever filmed. The chemistry with Garner in this movie is electric because he plays the "straight man" to her frantic energy. He looks like a man who is genuinely about to have a nervous breakdown, which is exactly what the role required.
A Box Office Powerhouse
People forget how much money these films made.
- Move Over, Darling was one of the biggest hits of 1964 (it was released right at the end of '63).
- The Thrill of It All was the 16th highest-grossing film of its year.
- Adjusted for inflation, both of these films would be $200 million+ blockbusters today.
Beyond the Screen: A Lifelong Friendship
James Garner once said in his memoir, The Garner Files, that Doris was one of the few people in Hollywood who was exactly who she seemed to be. They stayed in touch for decades. When Garner was aging and his health began to decline in the 2010s, rumors circulated that Doris called him every single week to check in.
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They had a shorthand. On set, they didn't need much direction because they both understood the "rhythm" of a joke. Garner had that Western, dry wit, and Day had the big-band singer's sense of timing. When you watch doris day movies with james garner today, you aren't just watching two actors; you're watching a masterclass in comedic partnership.
Where to Watch Them Today
If you want to catch these classics, you usually have to look toward Turner Classic Movies (TCM) or specialized streaming rentals.
- The Thrill of It All: Best for when you want a smart, satirical look at the 1960s "Mad Men" era.
- Move Over, Darling: Best for pure, chaotic slapstick and a great supporting performance by Thelma Ritter.
If you’ve already seen the Hudson trilogy (Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, Send Me No Flowers), these two films are the logical next step. They offer a slightly more "grown-up" version of the Doris Day persona. She wasn't just the virgin or the girl next door anymore; with Garner, she was a woman holding her own against a very strong-willed man.
To dive deeper into this era of cinema, look for the 1940 film My Favorite Wife. It stars Cary Grant and Irene Dunne and uses the exact same plot as Move Over, Darling. Comparing the two is a great way to see how the comedic styles changed from the "Screwball" era of the 40s to the "Glossy" era of the 60s. You'll likely find that Garner and Day brought a physical intensity that the original version didn't quite have.
Go find a copy of The Thrill of It All first. The scene with the soap suds filling the house is worth the price of admission alone. It’s a reminder of why these two were the kings of the box office before the gritty 70s changed Hollywood forever.