''A Ticklish Affair'', also known as ''Moon Walk'', is a 1963 film directed by

George Sidney George Sidney (October 4, 1916May 5, 2002) was an American film director and producer who worked primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His work includes cult classics '' Bye Bye Birdie'' (1963) and '' Viva Las Vegas'' (1964). With an extensive back ...

and starring

Shirley Jones Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an American actress and singer. In her six decades in show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films, such as ''Oklahoma! (film), Oklahoma!'' (1955), ''Carousel (fi ...

, Gig Young and

Red Buttons Red Buttons (born Aaron Chwatt; February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He won an Oscar and Golden Globe for '' Sayonara''. He was nominated for awards for his work such as ''Harlow'' (1965), '' They Shoot Ho ...

. The screenplay, by

Ruth Brooks Flippen Ruth Brooks Flippen (born Ruth Albertina Brooks; September 14, 1921 – July 9, 1981) was an American screenwriter and television writer. The story editor for one season and later a script consultant on the popular American situation comedy seri ...

, was based on a short story by Barbara Luther. The film was nominated for a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

in 1964.

Plot

Commander Key Weedon, a

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

with the U.S. Navy, is sent to investigate when an S.O.S. emergency signal is spotted in the San Diego area near NAS North Island. He discovers it is the doing of a six-year-old boy, Grover Martin, whose Uncle Simon, an airline pilot, gave the boy a blinker light as a gift. The child's mother, Amy, is an attractive widow, and Key develops an immediate interest in her. Her three sons also enjoy the attention Key gives all of them. Amy has a blind spot when it comes to naval officers, however, not wanting a permanent relationship with one because they are constantly on the move. She had been a military child herself, and missed not having permanent "roots". Sure enough, Key gets orders to go to Italy, so Amy refuses his marriage proposal, though they love each other. Uncle Simon has a new treat for Grover and his brothers. He ties them to helium weather balloons and flies them as one would a kite. Unfortunately, Grover unties his tether and he goes floating for miles over San Diego. Large-scale rescue operations are quickly organized by the Navy, and it turns out to be Key himself who lowers himself on a rope ladder from a Navy blimp to rescue the boy. A grateful Amy then decides that wherever he goes, Key is the man for her.

Cast

As appearing in ''A Ticklish Affair'', (main roles and screen credits identified):

Production

Originally titled ''Moon Walk'', the production was intended to be a vehicle for

Jean Simmons Jean Merilyn Simmons (31 January 1929 – 22 January 2010) was a British actress and singer. One of J. Arthur Rank's "well-spoken young starlets", she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in Britain during and after the ...

. Contract obligations, however, were at play and Shirley Jones ended up with the role. After an Academy-award winning performance in '' Elmer Gantry'' (1960), she was hoping to concentrate on serious roles, but instead Jones was assigned to comedies such as '' The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' (1963). Jones reluctantly fulfilled her contract despite her reluctance to take on "fluff" roles in a rom-com like ''A Ticklish Affair''. Despite the "screen chemistry" of the leads, critics did not consider the film interesting family fare. Principal photography for ''A Ticklish Affair'' took place in and around Naval Air Station North Island in

Coronado, California Coronado (Spanish language, Spanish for "Crowned") is a resort town, resort city in San Diego County, California, United States, across San Diego Bay from downtown San Diego. It was founded in the 1880s and incorporated in 1890. Its population ...

, with the U.S. Navy providing access to its naval resources. Former child star and actor, Lieutenant Commander Frank Coghlan, Jr., USN, who was also a serving U.S. naval officer and Naval Aviator, provided the armed forces liaison for the film. Filming at NAS North Island included scenes aboard the aircraft carrier ''USS Coral Sea'' and the use of operational aircraft and helicopters, even a U.S. Navy blimp.

Reception

''A Ticklish Affair'' was not well received by critics, who dismissed it as overly sentimental. Reviewer Colin Bennett of ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' called it, "the kind of glossy, sentimental family comedy which is made with the entire cooperation of the United States Navy. Characters and situations are from a well-tried formula ... The piece-de-resistance of this shatteringly wholesome affair is the rescue by the said navy of one small boy floating out to sea dangling from a cluster of balloons." Film historian Eric Monder was especially critical of Shirley Jones' performance, characterizing it as "simply dull." Jones soon left Hollywood behind to star in Broadway productions and later as the matron of television's '' The Partridge Family '' (1970–1974).

References

Notes Citations Bibliography * * * *

External links