Review of If a Man Answers (1962) by Jonny P — 15 Nov 2013

"If a Man Answers" is a classic story with witty dialogue and lots of humor... but the story is much better suited for the stage as this movie does not do it justice. The acting is fine and the script is great, but the addition of fog horn sound effects, narration over unnecessary cartoon depictions, and other annoying elements kill the comedy.

This film screams "overly-cheesy 1960's comedy" and, in spite of great performances by Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin, it is tough to enjoy the story at times. The twists (particularly the book and the arrival of Robert Swan) are deliciously clever and, while the story does not go where you expect, it finds the perfect ending.

For a comedy, the characters are rather deep and the situations really strike a chord with relationship conflicts that we have all faced. I believe that it is easy to enjoy this story because we can all relate to it in one way or another.

I absolutely recommend seeing "If a Man Answers"... on stage rather than on the screen.