Darling, Stay at Home
     
     
Director: Wong Tin-lam
Year:  1968
Rating: 6.0

Brought to you in Cathay Scope!

This is an old fashioned comedy from Cathay Studios in Hong Kong. Cathay was the main Mandarin speaking rival to Shaw Brothers in the late 1950s to the mid 1960's until their founder died in a plane crash and they lost their focus. Cathay had always targeted the growing middle class in Hong Kong with their comedies and dramas and survived on having a few very popular actresses on their roster. This film is getting near their end as a viable production house but it feels like it belongs comfortably with their earlier films with its gentle comedy portraying a very middle class couple with solid production values. Still it basically takes place in a few interior sets so not ambitious by any means.




When I call it old fashioned that is from today's perspective of course - perhaps not at the time as it feels like it could have been one of those 1960's Doris Day vehicles possibly with Jack Lemon as her husband. One reason I expect that it fits into their earlier films is that it was directed by Wong Tin-lam who had directed some of their early classics such as The Wild, Wild Rose, The Greatest Civil War on Earth, The Greatest Love Affair on Earth and The Greatest Wedding on Earth. He is also known as the father of Wong Jing and as an actor later on in small but memorable roles such as in The Mission.  The comedy here is very low-key, rather sweet and at times amusing in a wry smile sort of way.





Ruijuan (Betty Loh-tih, a huge star at the time, but she was to take her life in this same year - very tragic) is the perfect house wife. By the time she wakes her husband (Chang Yang) in the morning for work she is immaculately attired and made up, has the warm water running, breakfast on the table, the newspaper open and the coffee poured with two sugars. Ah, the good old days! Except she isn't satisfied with her role at all. She wants to go to work. But Weiming absolutely refuses and makes clear that his opinion of women's ability is up there with a set of bowling pins. But her cute neighbor (Maggie Li) and her mother (Wang Lai) have an idea which on the face of it is ridiculous and on the back of it too. Ruijuan disguises herself as another woman with a mole and wig and goes to her new job at Weiming's place of work (inside the Peninsula Hotel!).




You can guess what is coming next - lots and lots of changes of identity, a bevy of tape players at home with her voice on them and her neighbor ready to answer the phone if her husband calls. Weiming's assistant (Tin Ching) falls for the new identity and Weiming falls for her as well - creating complications - if this was the real world. But this is Cathay World where happy endings are almost always assured. Loh-tih had been a huge star at Shaw Brothers with Love Eterne, The Enchanting Shadow, Dancing Millionairess and Dream of the Red Chamber. But like a few other actresses of that period she committed suicide. Not a happy ending for her.



I have had the poster of this film for years and I finally watched it!