Doris Day made "Move Over Darling" as big favor to 20th Century Fox and as a chance to finish her contractual commitment with the company. 20th was in financial trouble with Elizabeth Taylor holding up production of "Cleopatra" in Rome and practically breaking the studio financially with delays, illness, etc. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe couldn't get it together to film "Somethin's Gotta Give." She was late, couldn't remember lines, wasn't showing up for work...a real mess. After Monroe's death, Doris was asked to step in. She was box office bonanza and DEPENDABLE. Plus, she was the #1 ranked star in films.I didn't like Irene Dunne's version, I certainly thought that Marilyn Monroe's was inept and Doris Day's version was overblown.Among the three actresses/stars, Doris Day, of course was the best performer, but she was directed haphazardly in "Move Over Darling." If you compare her performance to Monroe's, you'll see a stark difference. Whereas Marilyn looked and acted drugged, Day was alert but following bad direction by Michael Gordon. On the DVD release of MOD, there is an extra feature "Doris vs Marilyn." Day wins.Tony Randall ("Let's Make Love") was once asked about appearing with both Marilyn and Doris. On Marilyn he said, "she had no talent at all! If you were standing off camera watching her do a scene, you'd shake your head and say, 'no, she'll never get by. But, the next day when you saw the rushes -- MAGIC on the screen! There was something she had going on with the camera. Hard to explain." On Doris Day ("Pillow Talk" "Lover Come Back" "Send Me No Flowers"): "Brilliant! One of the best actresses on the screen. She, herself, doesn't know how great she is. A natural." To me, it was painful watching Monroe in this role. I saw the outtakes and it was obvious that the rumors were true. Marilyn couldn't remember her lines, she was nervous and unsure...a total disaster. The only time she looked comfortable was when she was nude, swimming in the pool. In contrast, Day was the total professional. She showed up on time, knew her lines and finished the picture on time. "Move Over Darling" was a huge hit at the box office because all of Doris' pictures were at the time. I didn't like all of the picture, only parts. I thought Day was wonderful in the department store scene with Don Knotts and great with the slapstick through the car wash. She was also good in her scenes with Thelma Ritter. The rest was garbage.Monroe was even bad in the department store scene with Wally Cox. You could see how Cox was struggling...she was giving him NOTHING. Actors need feedback. If they don't get it from the other actor, their performance suffers. It must have been HELL acting with Monroe.

this movie is enchanting.Marilyn Monroe was more beautiful than in any other film.Soundtrack was good.Frank Sinatra was definitely good singer.actors were pretty good.it was without a doubt Marilyn's last word.this film was antiquated.no doubt this movie was viewable,but not something special.it was unfinished business, then it could been great.i completely understand why some guys here don't like this movie it's very antiquated,but it was a little bit disappointment,but not bad.Marilyn Monroe definitely awesome actress i like her film "Some Like It Hot" i recommend to watch it only to fans "Something's Got to Give".it's not good movie,but not bad too.

What a wonderful treat to watch this little gem of unfinished footage of a stunningly beautiful Monroe, looking a little out of sorts (according to "The Final Days" account - she was quite ill at the time) but quite in control of her faculties and looking quite stunning and very very thin! All of her scene's with Martin, Charisse, the children and the dog are excellent and it's hard to imagine the behind-the-scene's tensions that were actually going on. An enormous tragedy that the film wasn't finished so that Monroe would move onto meatier roles like she'd envisioned for herself. Just weeks before her suspicious death, she had signed an agreement to return to the set to finish the picture and had a three picture deal ahead of her - making suicide highly unlikely.But back to the film: Dean Martin, handsome and charming as always, sparring excellently with her and appearing the true professional he reportedly was on set.I wish so much that this was easier to get, but finally getting a copy of this was a dream come true for I'd read so much on the making of this film.For any doubters that Miss Monroe couldn't act, check this out and appreciate the 37 minutes of 'treasure'. I gave this 10/10.

Unlike others reviewing this film I don't see Marilyn looking "out of it". As a matter of fact I think she is radiant and in better (physical) shape than her prior 3 films. Especially better than "Let's Make Love" where she is pushing the line between voluptuous and fat. That performance, which was also directed by George Cukor, was known to have been extremely sloppy and sporadic ultimately requiring the editors to piece takes together from short segments. In this incomplete film she seems to have made a concerted effort to not only lose weight, but to tone up as she was known to do in her younger days (living on Catalina Island while married to Jim Daugherty) where people were surprised to see a girl doing exercises and lifting small weights. To be realistic Marilyn's magic screen presence took a large amount of skill, desire and patience from those around her especially her director and co-stars. Less so in her early days, but by the mid fifties she had become insecure from too much drinking mixed with pharmaceuticals and too much ill applied Freudian psychiatry. Actors with self-discipline found her infuriating. As a member of the audience I don't think I'm alone in saying it was well worth it. With a decent script such as "Some Like It Hot" the fans found her better and better as she progressed from The Seven Year Itch to The Misfits. However difficult the creative process may have been. Fox sacrificed a good and possibly great film to instead support the bloated antics of Taylor and Burton that were bleeding the studio's shareholders for a rather muddled epic, "Cleopatra".