A diverting bedroom farce involving a cute meeting, mixed-up identities, dialog daring for the time, and Rockefeller Center.Jane Fonda, at her most succulent, bumps into Rod Taylor on a mid-town Manhattan bus, then again later, and then they get caught in a rainstorm and wind up at the apartment of Fonda's absent airline-pilot brother (Cliff Robertson). Taylor is, of necessity, attracted to Fonda but puzzled by her. She keeps insisting that her mother is also staying at the apartment -- a ploy to keep rapacious men at bay -- but Fonda and Taylor discover a black bra and negligee hanging in the closet. Mom's? No -- it belongs to roué Robertson's girl friend, whom he is at the moment chasing all over town.Jane is twenty-two years old and still, well, as she puts it, "a beginner." And her brother has insisted she stay that way. In fact, he swore to her earlier than he did not sleep with women. Now, having discovered the lingerie in the closet, Fonda decides that if it's good enough for Robertson, it's good enough for her, and she decides to seduce Taylor. It doesn't work -- because Taylor refuses to take advantage of a beginner. This, as an excuse, is akin to that used in earlier movies in which the heroine drinks too much because of her anxiety, passes out, and the hero refuses to molest her in this state.You following all this? Then it really gets twisted. Fonda's fiancé from Albany (Robert Culp) bursts in unexpectedly and mistakes Taylor for Fonda's brother. Then Robertson bursts in unexpectedly and is introduced to Culp as Taylor's co-pilot. Lots of moments that are both confusing and amusing. (If you liked "My Favorite Wife," you ought to like this. Taylor has the Cary Grant role, and he's quite good, with those upside-down ears.) Cute dialog too, with some dash for the period. When Fonda confronts Robertson with his lie under oath about never having slept with women, he pounces. "That's the loophole -- sleeping." The H-word occurs, and the V-word, and some other edgy phrases, the use of which is emphasized by the director through the use of sudden close up, indicating, "This is a shocking thing you're hearing." You get to see and hear quite a bit of Peter Nero, the Eddie Duchin of his day. You don't really get to see much of New York, though. Too bad, because in 1962, when this was shot, it had yet to deteriorate. People were clean, carefully groomed, and lived in stable neighborhoods. McSorley's Old Ale House was still exclusively male. Julius's, in the Village, was not yet completely gay, just partly gay. You could sleep in Washington Square if you didn't get caught.It all seems harmless now, and kind of fun.

Romantic comedies, new or old, when well-made, are always fun to watch. Philadelphia Story, What's Up Doc, Shakespeare in Love, Down With Love, About a Boy, Groundhog Day and many more are examples of movies that are worth watching over and over. I hadn't seen Sunday in New York in many years but found, after a recent viewing, that I rank this one pretty highly as well.It's 2008 now, which means this movie is 45 years old (and, interestingly, Fonda, Taylor, Robertson and Culp are all alive). Because most of the leads in Sunday in New York are played by familiar actors, this film offers a nice dose of curiosity as well. Each played their part memorably.I also think this would be worth consideration for a remake. We're having some fun speculating on who would be best to play each part.

Sunday New York is part romcom, part French Bedroom farce with the entire action taking place in just one day and the entire story being built around just four characters.Virginal Jane Fonda has run off to New York for the weekend, desperate to forget her failed engagement to a man who had piled on the pressures for her to go to bed with him. Half glad she had resisted and half sorry that she remains Virgo intacticus, she has reached a stage in her life where shes not to sure what she should do in regards to her sexual awareness.Rod Taylor is smooth talking journalist who is visiting New York for the day hoping to meet up with a hot date and to not put too finer point on it, get his leg over.Cliff Robertson plays Fondas hypocritical elder brother, who despite being virtuous and saintly on the subject of sex before marriage when providing advice and assurances to his sexually frustrated sister, is quite happy to conduct his own active sex life.Robert Culp is the spurned fiancé arriving in New York to reclaim Fonda as his future wife and to make amends for all his transgressions.When Fonda and Taylor meet on a crowded bus, they soon become pally enough to adjourn to her apartment after being soaked in the rain. When the talk turns to sex, Fonda ready to take the plunge just to get the moment over with and Taylor, purely for his own sexual fulfilment decide to give it a go.However when he discovers that this will be her first time, he decides against it, saying that it would be too much of a responsibility to take her virginity and that she should be having first time sex with a man whom she hadn't just met on a bus only an hour or so before.When clad in bathrobes, her fiancé decides to arrive on his surprise visit he naturally assumes that Taylor is her brother, and to avoid a good hearty smack in the mouth from Mr. Muscle and to avoid scotching Fonda's chance at future happiness, Taylor plays along.What happens then when the real brother arrives on the scene, and just how far can this deception expand and spiral until discovery becomes inevitable? Like many films of the era such as That Touch of Mink, Lover Come Back and the like, Sunday in New York deals with adult sexual subjects in a non offensive and dare I say family movie environment.It is entertaining, funny and enjoyable and although not the most well known of the 60's sex comedies it will certainly be able to hold it's own against its contemporaries.Although the four leads do exceptionally well and there is not a weak performance in the entire film, I'm sure if this project had landed in the laps of Doris Day, Cary Grant, Rock Hudson or James Garner it's popularity would have endured a lot more.

Jane Fonda (she's Eileen) goes to New York on Sunday to visit her brother Cliff Robertson (he's Adam). She thinks he is a virgin! He thinks she is a virgin! You'll guess one of them is right. ANYWAY, Ms. Fonda doesn't know whether she wants to be a virgin, or not - so, she seems (I guess) to go out to pick-up a man - enter Rod Taylor (he's Mike). Things get even more zany! Mild, dated situation comedy. The message may be: Stay virginal and be rewarded by true love with the man you pick up? Fonda, Taylor, and Robertson are trying. The focus is on Fonda and Taylor, who really do a fine job with these roles. They are very professional, and do (and, are directed to do) nice bits of characterization. The material isn't awful, it's just not quite a movie for all-time. ***** Sunday in New York (11/13/63) Peter Tewksbury ~ Jane Fonda, Rod Taylor, Cliff Robertson, Robert Culp