The Mating Game (1959)
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George Marshall directed this breezy romantic comedy starring Tony Randall and Debbie Reynolds. Randall plays Lorenzo Charlton, a stuffy tax investigator sent to the farm of Pop Larkin (Paul Douglas) and Ma Larkin (Una Merkel) to find out why they haven't been paying taxes. He discovers that the Larkins, instead of money, use a homegrown barter system. Their complex economic network causes Lorenzo to drink one home brew too many. Awakening from a hangover, he sees a vision of loveliness before him -- the Larkin's spunky daughter Mariette (Debbie Reynolds). Enraptured by Mariette, he decides to stick around and help the family out of their onerous tax burden. Further research reveals an ancestral claim dating to the Civil War -- in reality, the government owes the Larkins $14 million. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- Debbie Reynolds - Marietta Larkin
- Paul Douglas - Pop Larkin
- Una Merkel - Ma Larkin
- Philip Coolidge - Rev. Osgood
- Trevor Bardette - Chief Guthrie
- Rickey Murray - Lee Larkin
- William Smith - Barney
- Tony Randall - Lorenzo Charlton
- Fred Clark - Oliver Kelsey
- Philip Ober - Wendell Burnshaw
- Charles Lane - Bigelow
- Addison Powell - DeGroot
- Donald Losby - Grant Larkin
- Director(s):
- George Marshall
- Writer(s):
- William Roberts
- Producer(s):
- Philip Barry Jr.
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