It Happened to Jane

[Lauren Benjamin]

Thanks, Howard, for your report. Lucky you - out there in the Valley. I loved L.A. and loved the Valley, too.
Had tons of fun on Lankershim Blvd back in the day.

Lauren

[Peter Flapper]

Hi Howard,

This I found about the program you've mentioned:
http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/i ... em=R:12236

SUNDAY EVENING WITH MITCH MILLER {INCOMPLETE PROGRAM} {DANNY THOMAS, ALFRED NEWMAN, JACK LEMMON, DORIS DAY} (RADIO)

Summary

One in this series in which host Mitch Miller engages a small group of celebrities in conversation in a restaurant or party setting. On this program, Miller's guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel are actress and singer Doris Day, actor Jack Lemmon, comedian Danny Thomas, and conductor Alfred Newman. The group discusses the following topics, among others: Danny Thomas's radio show; how comedy shows manage to stay successful throughout their run; Alfred Newman's early years as a musician; Jack Lemmon's stage debut and his parents' attitude towards his acting; Thomas's work as a candy butcher; the car accident that turned Doris Day from a dancer into a singer; Day's experiences with Les Brown's band; Thomas's work on the amateur radio program the "Happy Hour Club"; Lemmon's experiences at Harvard University; Alfred Newman's perspective on background music in movies; the filming of Lemmon's and Day's new movie "It Happened to Jane"; Lemmon's interest in music; Day's first encounter with Thomas; Lemmon's hectic schedule which includes working in the television and the film industry at the same time; the St. Jude Foundation; and Day's transition from singer to actress.

Also, Miller plays recordings of Doris Day singing "Everybody Loves a Lover," Jack Lemmon singing "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," and "Through a Long and Sleepless Night" conducted by Alfred Newman. Includes commercials. The opening segment of this program is missing. This represents the best copy of this program currently available to the Paley Center.

Details
NETWORK: CBS Radio
DATE: August 10, 1958 Sunday
RUNNING TIME: 0:43:57
COLOR/B&W:
CATALOG ID: R:12236
GENRE: Radio - Talk/Interviews
SUBJECT HEADING: Actors
SERIES RUN: CBS - Radio series, 1955-1960

[Johnny]

Two alternate titles proposed for It Happened To Jane were:

!. Twinkle and Shine
2, That Jane From Maine
After viewing It Happened To Jane again, here are some additional titles we thought may be an improvement in selling the film (maybe not).
1. Sam, Love and Old 97
2. Osgood vs. Malone
3. When Harry Met Jane - Do you think there would have been When Harry Met Sally 30 years later?
4. Love Off The Rails
5. The Cape Anne Caper
6. Fire When Ready (line from the film)
7.Trouble On The Tracks
8.Sam, Jane and Meanie Man
9.Ready, Aim, Fire
10. Love and Lobster "Tales"
11. Just Business!
12. Jane, Sam, Harry and Old 97

It was a fun experience.

[howard]

"Sam, Jane and Meanie Man," I got a good laugh out of that one ... thanks. Another title that had been bandied about was "The Wreck of the Old 97."

[webmaster]

I like:
Love Off The Rails
Fire When Ready (line from the film)
Trouble On The Tracks

I thought of:
The Runaway Train
The Trouble with Jane
The Maine Event

But perhaps the problem was the script? Some reviews said Doris and Jack were great but the film had no surprises and perhaps the subject matter didn't have enough relevance to a lot of people?

Anyway here's a trailer from when it was called Twinkle and Shine:

[Johnny]

Thanks Brian for the Twinkle and Shine Trailer. I much prefer this title to It Happened To Jane. it certainly captures and describes the spirit and fun of the film.

[Jas1]

Re alternative titles- like "Love off the rails."

Really LOVE- "The Maine Event".

[Tybear2015]

I love this movie. Of course i love all Doris Day movies. But what i like about this movie is Doris is a single mom running a business and i think women can relate to Jane. I love that Jane fights for her business which isnt easy going up against a powerful business man and Jane proves herself to be a very smart and savvy business woman. I think this movie is excellent.

Tybear

[ray]

Have a hankering to watch It Happened To Jane again. How can you go wrong with Doris and Jack Lemmon? They make a heartwarming team and you root that they wake up and realize they should be together. Everyone comments they should have worked together again including themselves. Fun to watch the old TV programs such as I've Got A Secret and see Jane in New York fighting her battle for her hometown business. I read a few funny tidbits on the internet saying Doris did an interview saying she didn't much care for lobsters with their beady eyes and there were too many in the film! But she did love the area where it was filmed. The Maine Event would have been a much better title as Bryan suggested. another wrote that Jane kicked the car meter so it would expire and not have to pay a parking fee. So much for Jane's moral code!!LOL But the scenery and the old time train ride makes it a total feel good movie. And that's what it is all about. Makes you feel those long lost never ending summers back in the day. Marty at this time was doing more movie choice mistakes like The Tunnel Of Love but Jane should have been a big hit. Doris at times seemed overwired but that's Doris and she makes overwired even look good! Jack Lemmon always had high praise for Doris and he was so right. His comments has made Doris very happy and proud.

[Johnny]

We watched this film on the weekend, and made the observations that it is a really good and enjoyable film that did not get the real recognition and praise it deserved. Jack Lemmon was really a pleasure to watch as a character that was grounded and a great supporter for Jane. This film is loaded with charm. Doris is well suited to this role that seems to be consistent with her personality in real life. The film has a real vibrancy and the cinematography is beautiful. It was mentioned in the discussion that of all Doris' films, this one seems to be mentioned among the least.

Information on Front of the DVD Jacket Cover:

The Romantic Comedy Classic That Goes Straight To The Heart

On the Back Jacket Cover:

In the classic romantic comedy, Jane Osgood (Doris Day), a single mom with two children, is in the live lobster business. But when her first big order for the Marshall Town Country Club turns up dead through no fault of her own, it kills her chances for a successful season. Discovering budget cuts at the railroad are to blame, she turns to George Denham, (Jack Lemmon) her longtime admirer and attorney, to seek compensation from the railroad's tyrannical owner, Harry Foster Malone, (Ernie Kovacs).
Jane wins in her local court house, but Malone agrees to pay only for the lobsters, not damages. She refuses his offer on principle and the battle is on. The press has a field day with this modern David and Goliath story, and the whole country turns to Cape Anne, Maine, to watch as one woman stand up to the "Meanest Mn In The World". It could happen to anyone, but, It Happened To Jane.

Notes:
It was filmed on location in Chester Connecticut which stood in for Cape Anne, Maine. It started filming in spring and continued onto summer.
Jack Lemmon and Doris Day worked really well together and became friends.

[paul]

Johnny - It is a delightful film and gives Miss Day a chance to do all of the things she does so well. She plays a mother in a most believable manner, is a career woman - and you really believe that she could indeed run her business. She also gets to play comedy, handle more dramatic scenes with honesty and genuine feeling. She also gets to sing a bit and has a wonderful chemistry with Jack. It's fast paced, beautifully filmed on location, and has a sharp script and good direction. It should have been a huge hit at the box-office.

I showed this to my class as part of the Doris Day presentation and to a person, they loved it. Several said it was now one of their favorite Doris Day films and there was a huge round of applause at the film's conclusion.

To everyone I have spoken over the years, the single reason I've heard more than anything else, was the lousy title. It says NOTHING about the content of the film and does not pique the interest of a possible viewer. Likewise, the subsequent title, "Twinkle and Shine" was even worse and under that title the film did even worse.

The original title, "That Jane from Maine" didn't exactly resonate either.

One would have thought that somebody at Columbia Pictures could have come up with something more clever or more invoking the really good film they had.

There is not a false note in Doris Day's performance - its a gem. "It Happened to Jane" is a film I never tire of watching and never tire of introducing to an unsuspecting audience.

[howard]

I love it too, Paul. I think the chemistry between DD and Lemmon is great, and they make a most believable couple. There's not a dull moment in the film, and I never tire of it! And, Ernie Kovacs is wonderful.

[Musiclover]

Ditto on all points, Howard. I really think Kovacs deserved an Oscar nomination.

[Johnny]

I wonder if It Happened To Jane which was released in June 1959 had followed Pillow Talk releaaed in October 1959,would it have been more popular with audiences?
Would the Tunnel of Love film released in November impacted It Happened To Jane?
Paul. Howard and Musiclover, I am in complete agreement with your comments. Thank you.
Paul, I wish I had been sitting in on that class.

[paul]

Johnny - I'll be teaching the class again this fall in New Hampshire. You are more than welcome to drop in for a session should you travel south!!

The studio tried reissuing "It Happened to Jane" after the huge success of "Pillow Talk" and Jack's success in "Some Like it Hot" but it did no business at all. I think it would have done better with a better title although I cannot for the life of me, think of one that might work and stir interest from the public. It is a beautifully made film and Jack, who sometimes could ham a bit or allow his comic angst to overcome his character, did not do any of that in "Jane". It was an exceptional pairing of two talents and it is a shame that they were never re-teamed. I think "Jane" is destined to be one of those films that people stumble upon and end up loving.

"The Tunnel of Love" and its disappointing performance at the box-office, after the very strong showing by "Teacher's Pet" may have hurt as well as the critical barbs tossed at it. As I also mentioned, the Catholic Legion of Decency loathed it and they still had power in those days.

In reality, "Tunnel" had only been a modest Broadway hit and soon after it started playing at virtually every summer theatre, much to the disappointment of those who saw it. As a result, people were not eagerly awaiting a film version. Had it been a beloved Broadway success story, there would have been keen anticipation for the film. I don't think anyone in the co-starring role would have brought in the public. It also looked like a filmed play and audiences at the time needed a better reason to leave their television sets and go to a movie. It's lack of expansiveness was certainly detrimental.

"Jane" with its stunning location work, should have been a smash. The reviews were very good overall but I really think its the title. When I mention the film to those unaware of it, the first question is, "What happened to Jane?" When I explain the story they then want to know, "why wasn't it called something to clarify either her tackling the railroad or what a feisty character she obviously is?"

No wonder Doris never made another film at Columbia. Clearly those who marketed the film didn't mention that the title was a drawback.

[Johnny]

Thank you Paul for your thoughtful insights on It Happened to Jane. I really enjoyed reading them.
There was an earlier conversation about the poor title for the film. There were many good titles suggested.
I did not know the film had been rereleased after Pillow Talk.
Thanks again.

[Johnny]

In Tom Santopietro's book Considering Doris Day, the following is written about Doris' co-star Jack Lemmon in It Happened To Jane: "It makes perfect sense to see Jack Lemmon as George in a red jacket and scout master outfit leading the Boy Scout troop to which Day's son belongs. Day and Lemmon have an inherent rapport with each other, and of all her costars, only James Garner and Rock Hudson matched the easy naturalism, Lemmon here achieved with Day".

Another interesting observation:

"This movie may start with the obligatory --and here rather insipid- title tune sung by Doris, but ater that, it takes off at a run and never stops. Or, more precisely, Doris Day takes off at a run. Day spends the first half hour of the movie running -- and truth to tell, she looks pretty damn fast. She chases after cars, children, costars, you name it. It is hard to imagine any other 1950's movie queen being this athletic. Elizabeth Taylor? Ava Gardiner? Susan Hayward? Literally impossible to picture. Even Katharine Hepburn at her free striding best never ran this much, or at least did so only on the tennis court, not all over town. What makes it all work is that Day appears entirely natural in these actions."

[Johnny]

It Happened To Jane

In Tom Santopietro's book Considering Doris Day, the following is written about Doris' co-star Jack Lemmon in It Happened To Jane: "It makes perfect sense to see Jack Lemmon as George in a red jacket and scout master outfit leading the Boy Scout troop to which Day's son belongs. Day and Lemmon have an inherent rapport with each other, and of all her costars, only James Garner and Rock Hudson matched the easy naturalism, Lemmon here achieved with Day".

Another interesting observation:

"This movie may start with the obligatory --and here rather insipid- title tune sung by Doris, but after that, it takes off at a run and never stops. Or, more precisely, Doris Day takes off at a run. Day spends the first half hour of the movie running -- and truth to tell, she looks pretty damn fast. She chases after cars, children, , you name it. It is hard to imagine any other 1950's movie queen being this athletic. Elizabeth Taylor? Ava Gardiner? Susan Hayward? Literally impossible to picture. Even Katharine afHepburn at her free striding best never ran this much, or at least did so only on the tennis court, not all over town. What makes it all work is that Day appears entirely natural in these actions."

[Johnny]

In The Doris Day Scrapbook by Alan Gelb, he writes the following on Doris' film, It Happened To Jane.

"It Happened To Jane may very well be the nicest and most original comedy Doris was ever to make. For once, she is playing a fully mature mother of two, and she's womanly and warm. The whole movie is warm and uncloyingly homey with that kind of " for the little people ", slant that marks the films of Frank Capra. Doris is pitted against the wealthy and corrupt --not so unlike the way in which Jean Arthur took on the establishment in films like Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and The Devil and Miss Jones.
Doris is good in this kind of role, and she has a topnotch cast to back her up. Jack Lemon was the best farceur since Cary Grant, and the chemistry between him and Doris together was natural and affecting. Lemon said of Doris in Doris Day, My Own Story, by A.E. Hotchner, that she was a " joy to work with", ...she's a presence; she radiates charisma."

The title, It Happened To Jane has been criticized as a drawback for the film's appeal. I wonder if the film had been called simply Jane, if it would have fared any better.

[Peter Flapper]

Hi Johnny,

This is a very enjoyable film. Love Jack Lemon and Doris together, wished they made more films, they have good chemistry. The children and the other cast is great. Love Mary Wickes... always!!!

Thank you for pointing this film out!

P

[Johnny]

This is a passage from the excellent book, Considering Doris Day, on the much underappreciated film It Happened To Jane starring Doris Day and Jack Lemmon.

" Of course, it is actually Doris/Jane who, shouting over the din of the locomotive, proposes to George/Lemmon; as with Gable in Teacher's Pet, Lemmon and Day are presented as equals. George may be an attorney and a newly town official, but Doris has overcome an entire corporation, regained a thriving business, and continued to raise two children, In roles like these, Doris really did personify the can-do , take charge attitude of post World War 2 America-- one never doubts that Doris Day could achieve any and all of her goals. When at the end of the film, Doris leads the entire town in running after evil mogul Malone, everyone knows she'll catch up to him and haul him back to justice one-two-three. At this point in her career, it's all part of Doris Day's appeal. She's charming, and so is the picture, and it's box office failure is hard to fathom".

Thinking of Doris in her first film, when we first see her she is looking in a travel shore window and confidently breezes into the shop asking about travel brochures. In her films, On Moonlight Bay and By The Light of The Silvery Moon, Calamity Jane, The Pajama Game. Teacher's Pet, Pillow Talk, Doris in her roles equals any male character. This strong sense of self, her beauty and charm appealed to both male and female fans. With few exceptions in her film career, did Doris seems like a victim.

With respect to It Happened To jane, it is a wonderful film for kids and adults. It should not be forgotten or overlooked. Anyone who is a Doris fan can visit film rating sites (like Rotten Tomatoes) to give a thumbs up rating with comments on It Happened To Jane. Take another look at this film to remind yourself of how enjoyable the performances and the story are.

I appreciate that the Doris Day Forum is another wonderful opportunity to comment on It Happened To Jane and sing its' praises.

[paul]

For a long time I have felt that Columbia should have called the movie something more catchy like "All Aboard!" They could have also said, "Climb aboard for laughs, for romance and for some unexpected surprises as Doris takes on the 'meanest man in the world"

Using art work that would have emphasized some of the natural beauty of the location as well as the train, Kovac's leering face, etc.

Someone dropped the ball and deprived a lot of people from spending a couple of hours with an amazing cast of characters and a story that has not aged one bit. It's as fresh today as it was 60 years ago!!

I shall now climb off of my soap box!!

P.S. I even wrote a catchy title tune titled, "All Aboard" that would have been perfect for Doris and would have utilized the train's whistle.

[Johnny]

I agree wholeheartedly the It Happened To Jane title undermined this joyous film.

I love the title All Aboard. I looked at earlier posts that suggested a long list of alternative titles. Jas suggested Love Off The Rails which I like. I also liked Trouble On The Tracks.

If you get a chance Paul, please post the lyrics to your song. Do you think It Happened To Jane could be remade now?

Thank you Paul. I always enjoy your posts.

[Johnny]

I discovered Another Old Movie Blog by Jaqueline T Lynch delightfully discussing Doris' film It Happened To Jane. Here are some of the highlights from the May 10- 2012 blog.

"It Happened to Jane"(1959) leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling about small towns, lobsters, and trains. The leads Doris Day and Jack Lemmon are delightful in their chemistry, their comedy, and their ability to convey poignancy in their seemingly hopeless financial - and romantic - situation. Ernie Kovacs gives a tour-de- force performance as a greedy railroad owner with the aplomb of Snidely Whiplash".

....

In Dan Widener's "Lemmon A Biography" (NY Macmillan Publishing Co. ,1975), Jack Lemmon is quoted as recalling "It Happened to Jane", as ...a charming picture made when you could still do charming films". (p162)

This comment boils down, I think, the essence of the appeal this movie has for viewers today. It seems to document a time for us when childhood summers were lush and long, and Norman Rockwell type towns were idealized.

It also documents for us, unwittingly, the beginning of the age when railroad companies began to cut down their service to force passengers away so they could eventually drop passenger service that was less profitable than carrying freight.
....

Mary Wickes has a too small role as the town switchboard operator and want- to- be
"newspaperman". I think my favourite line of hers is when she gets up in the middle of the night to answer a call on the switchboard with the greeting , "I'm warning you Stupid".

It's Jack frantic, and trying to reach Doris for the 100th. time.

.....

Doris Day thought that Chester was a "regular garden of Eden"- in an interview with Joe De Bona in the Bridgeport , Connecticut Sunday Herald of July 29, 1962- "although there were too many lobsters in the picture to suit me".

"I don't like lobsters much, and in that picture with Jack Lemmon and Ernie Kovacs, I was in the lobster business. When they- the lobsters- looked at me with those beady eyes! Ugh! But I sure am crazy about Connecticut"


It is a mystery to me why It Happened to Jane is rarely televised on TCM and other classic movie channels.

There is a production note on the Wikipedia page saying the producers had difficulty deciding on the film's title. It was initially called Miss Casey Jones and then That Jane From Maine. The film was re- released in 1961 with another title Twinkle and Shine. It was originally released on August 5- 1959.

[jmichael]

It's hard to pinpoint why it didn't fly at the box-office.

The title, the lack of effective studio promotion or maybe audiences were looking for something different from Doris at the time. After Tunnel Of Love and Teacher's Pet the year before, audiences might have preferred Doris in a dramatic or musical role. At the very least, this film is an amiable, Capraesque nod to speaking truth to power and fighting for what you believe in. It has a sweetness that captures the innocence of small-town America and it champions small, family owned businesses.

Perhaps the disappointing box-office receipts motivated Doris and Marty to tackle more urban, sophisticated comedies from then on. If true, then it's hard to complain about Jane's lackluster performance.

Michael