Cary Grant and Doris Day both became synonymous with the best of Hollywood romantic comedies. Rather surprisingly, their careers only intersected on screen once.

By the time their onscreen collaboration rolled around in 1962, Grant had a long-established image as a polished, sophisticated leading man. Day, meanwhile, had recently become one of Hollywood’s biggest box office stars — particularly through romantic comedies that centered on courtship, marriage, and sexual tension.

That Touch of Mink was the one film that was able to bring these two Hollywood icons together on the screen — for the first and last time. The result was a romantic comedy whose premise was unusually open about premarital sex for a mainstream Hollywood release of its era. While the film may seem extremely dated for modern audiences, for those who enjoy little time capsules, it’s intriguing, to say the least.

This article discusses the movie’s basic premise. However, major ending spoilers are avoided.

What Is That Touch of Mink About?

That Touch of Mink begins after an unemployed Cathy Timberlake (Day) is splashed with mud by a car owned by wealthy businessman Philip Shayne (Grant). Philip has his financial adviser, Roger (Gig Young), offer compensation for Cathy’s damaged clothes. Cathy initially plans to confront Philip, but things change when the meeting quickly develops into something far more personal.

The problem is that Cathy and Philip do not want the same kind of relationship. Cathy views romance as something that should ultimately lead to marriage. Meanwhile, Philip is interested in a relationship without all of that commitment. He’s a very “modern” man of the times.

This conflict drives the comedy in That Touch of Mink. Day plays the cautious working woman, while Grant steps comfortably into the role of the experienced bachelor. The film allowed both stars to work within the screen images audiences already knew — and loved.

That Touch of Mink Was Frank About Sex — Within Limits

The unusual part of That Touch of Mink isn’t simply the novelty of seeing Grant and Day together in their one and only film. The movie makes Philip’s desire for a sexual relationship outside of marriage an explicit part of its central conflict. That remains an interesting aspect of the film.

During the late 1950s, and particularly during the early 1960s, mainstream comedy was changing in the way it approached sex on the screen. Day’s films during this time were a part of a broader shift in Hollywood’s depiction of adult relationships. Suddenly, sex between unmarried adults could be acknowledged directly as the basis for comedy… even while these very movies still remained relatively cautious by modern standards.

Even though That Touch of Mink was pushing barriers for its time in mainstream Hollywood, it still faced pushback. The Catholic Legion of Decency gave the film a B classification, citing concerns about its treatment of illicit sex.

Cary Grant & Doris Day: Different Hollywood Eras

Philip Shayne fits squarely within Grant’s established screen persona. He is wealthy, self-assured, and elegantly dressed. He rarely seems unsettled by anything around him… and when he does, that is where the comedy lies.

Meanwhile, Cathy Timberlake comes from an entirely different strain of romantic comedy. She belongs within all of the glossy sex comedies that helped define Day’s career in the late 1950s and early 1960s. While Cathy is willing to challenge Philip, her uncertainty about his expectations is turned into physical comedy in That Touch of Mink.

Their relationship is deliberately unequal in several ways. Whereas Philip has experience, influence, and money, Cathy lacks all of these advantages. However, she still determines whether the romance can continue under the conditions Philip wants.

Some of That Touch of Mink’s sexual politics have dated, very clearly. Most particularly, the pressure Philip places on Cathy to adjust to his expectations is very much of its time, to say the least. Day’s performance, however, keeps her character from becoming unwatchable.

Did Cary Grant and Doris Day Get Along While Filming That Touch of Mink?

Day and Grant’s working relationship was no Hollywood romance. Day’s own memories of That Touch of Mink’s production do not point to a behind-the-scenes feud. However, they don’t hint that the two really hit it off. While Day recalled that Grant was courteous and highly professional, she also said he was unusually private and distant.

In Doris Day: Her Own Story, her 1976 autobiography, she said their working relationship was “amicable but devoid of give-and-take.”

That might be why these two huge Old Hollywood icons never became a recurring screen team. While their one collaboration was a major success, Day never starred with Grant again as she did with Rock Hudson and James Garner. 

It’s also worth noting that there was a limited amount of time for another collaboration between Grant and Day. After all, Grant was nearing the end of his long movie career. Following That Touch of Mink in 1962, he only appeared in three more films before retirement: Charade (1963), Father Goose (1964), and Walk, Don’t Run (1966). 

That Touch of Mink Was a Major Commercial Success

While modern audiences may think That Touch of Mink is rather dated today, audiences of 1962 responded strongly to the Grant-Day pairing.

The film posted record-setting early business at Radio City Music Hall. It also went on to rank among 1962’s biggest theatrical rentals. While the performance reinforced Day’s status as one of America’s leading box office attractions, it also gave Grant his biggest hit in years.

Awards recognition followed as well. That Touch of Mink won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture — Comedy. Grant also received a Golden Globe acting nomination for his work in the film!

Meanwhile, at the Academy Awards, the movie earned three nominations: original screenplay, color art direction, and sound.

Seen today by modern audiences, That Touch of Mink captures Hollywood at an awkward but revealing transitional moment. Mainstream Hollywood was willing to acknowledge sex directly, yet the story still operates within polished conventions. Some moral boundaries of an older style of movie studio comedy are still very much apparent.

This very tension — along with the fact that it remains the only movie that Cary Grant and Doris Day ever made together — is what makes That Touch of Mink more distinctive than it’s over polished surface may initially suggest.

The Latest Classic Hollywood News & Content

Hit the comments below with all your thoughts on Doris Day and Cary Grant’s one movie collaboration together! Do you love That Touch of Mink? What do you truly think of this film? Comment all your thoughts below!

Return to Soapy Tea daily for more classic Hollywood stories and content!

FEATURED IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/CANVA EDIT