Lover Come Back

Jerry Webster and Carol Templeton work for rival advertising agencies in New York and have sharply different ideas about how to win business. He charms clients with parties and attention, while she relies on careful, methodical work. Carol has never met Jerry but resents him for repeatedly taking clients from under her, and when she learns about a secret campaign for a mystery product called VIP, she sets out to get involved and turn the situation against him. The conflict between the two rivals unfolds as a romantic comedy.

Delbert Mann directed the film, which arrived in the middle of a run that included Marty, Separate Tables, That Touch of Mink and Dear Heart. Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning wrote the screenplay, and Shapiro produced with Martin Melcher. Rock Hudson plays Jerry opposite Doris Day as Carol, with Tony Randall, Edie Adams, Jack Oakie and Jack Kruschen in supporting roles.

Released in December 1961, the film took about 17 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.1 from roughly 9,600 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7 from 176 votes. A critics' rating of 6.5 from 11 reviews places it somewhat below the audience scores, suggesting a warmer response from viewers than from reviewers.