UA (Panama and Frank Production)
In this comedy, directed and co-written by Melvin Frank, Bob Hope and Lucille Ball play a married couple, but not to each other, who decide to have an affair.
Despite the stars’ individual popularity, on screen and off, the film was not successful: It’s too verbose, lacking much charm, and suffering from no chemistry between the two leads, as one might expect.
Oscar Alert
Oscar Nominations: 5
Story and Screenplay (Original): Norman Panama and Melvyn Frank
Cinematography (b/w): Charles B. Lang
Art-Direction-Set Decoration (b/w): Joseph McMillan Johnson and Kenneth A. Reid; Ross Dowd
Costume Design (b/w): Edith Head and Edward Stevenson
Song: “The Facts of Life,” music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Oscar Awards: 1
Costume Design
Oscar Context
In 1960, the Story Oscar went to Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond for “The Apartment”; the Cinematography Oscar to Freddie Francis for ”Sons and Lovers”; the Art Direction to “The Apartment”; and the Song Award to Manos Hadjidakis for “Never on Sunday.”
