By the time cameras started rolling on That Touch of Mink, Hollywood had figured out the perfect formula for the romantic comedy genre – take a relatively simple story (the more modern the better, but caution should be taken when it comes to references, since nothing ages more poorly than being overly tied to a particular era, especially since this genre had seen many earlier works surge in popularity), cast charismatic actors that can handle anything thrown at them, and add healthy doses of love and comedy, and you have a winning combination that takes much more work to fail than it did to succeed. Written by Stanley Shapiro and Nate Monaster and directed by Delbert Mann in a rare broadly comedic endeavour (perhaps his previous collaboration with one of this film’s stars in Lover Come Back convinced him to try more lighthearted fare after nearly a decade of more sobering stories), the film is a charming story of two individuals from opposite sides of the proverbial tracks instantly falling in love after encountering each other by chance, and then gradually understanding the reasons for their mutual attraction, as well as the challenges that come when they decide to consolidate those feelings into something slightly more serious. It’s a tremendously fun film with many moments of genuine charm, and even though it embodies the spirit of convention, and follows the rules so closely that it becomes outright predictable, That Touch of Mink is still a resounding success in terms of offering both insightful commentary and worthwhile entertainment, which is always a useful set of qualities that any film would be pleased to exhibit, especially one that casts as wide a net as this one, which seemed to be the intention entirely, and the primary reason for the admiration this film has received over the years.

A discussion on That Touch of Mink isn’t likely to yield too much impact when it comes to socio-cultural commentary or any real deeper meaning that circulates this film, since it is essentially non-existent, the film seemingly trading in all sense of complexity to meet the sprawling and weirdly extensive set of standards expected from a conventional romantic comedy, and where even the slightest step out of line could be fatal (or at least impede on the holistic impact this film has, which is very important in terms of maintaining a consistent tone and keeping us engaged with what we are seeing on screen), which impels everyone involved to make sure that they are adhering to the strict conventions that ultimately surround this film and define its identity. There are a couple of moments where it does feel like That Touch of Mink is rather progressive, such as through the mentions of the feminist movement, and the fact that it very explicitly uses homosexuality as a plot point (albeit in a very minor, incidental form, and where it is essentially a punchline – we have to remember that this film is a product of its time, and should be assessed accordingly) does show some forward-thinking, especially since neither of these subjects is portrayed negatively. However, these are all tenuous, since the overall narrative thrust of this film is to follow the growing relationship between these two individuals, and very little else matters, since there’s not much that can be said about an already relatively paltry narrative. It knows what it intends to be, and doesn’t need to waste too much time proving itself otherwise, which may be a merit or a flaw, depending on the individual viewer’s interpretation and willingness to leap onto this film’s wavelength.

For a film like That Touch of Mink, it seems surprising that they put a decent amount of effort into the story being told since one could easily argue that the presence of Cary Grant and Doris Day was more than enough to sell the film on its own, to the point where the narrative could have been entirely non-existent and we’d still be thoroughly charmed. This is a film almost entirely built on the central duo and their well-regarded magnetic charm and genuine talent, which we’ve seen represented in many other films, this one just being an opportunity for these very intriguing actors to work together (since they had surprising never collaborated before, despite being amongst the biggest stars of the 1950s – and they also shared the distinction of being actors who decided in the 1960s to step away from Hollywood, entering into well-deserved retirement, in which they remained for years), in a genre that they had both mastered, to the point where they could have essentially play these roles without any effort – although they do commit to the roles enough to make it at least mostly worth their time. Undeniably, That Touch of Mink depends on Grant and Day as marquee names, and does its best to not waste their talents, even if some of the material with which they were working did feel like it was intentionally trying to not challenge them, in fears that they would turn down the roles if they were too far out of their wheelhouse (although neither were known to be hesitant about stepping out of their comfort zone in other films), and because the film quite simply would not have worked without their fantastic performances, which are appropriately seen as the main attraction, even if they aren’t particularly noteworthy in the sense that they feel like they are being given anything that interesting or valuable to do with these characters.

If there is anything to criticize about That Touch of Mink, it would probably be that this is a film that plays by the rules so well, that it can sometimes become slightly tedious. It is undoubtedly a very charming and undeniably well-made film, but it sometimes lacks a spark that many prior romantic comedies were built on, their popularity comes from the fact that these were often unexpected successes that utilized their inherent charm to draw viewers in and capture their attention, one of the most valuable commodities that a film can harness, especially one that was usually targeted to a much broader audience. This film hits all the right notes, and does so in the correct order and with the appropriate amount of intensity – but it becomes almost too formulaic, to the point where anyone with even the slightest experience in this genre will be able to predict exactly where it is heading, long before it even begins its journey to that particular narrative point. This film represents nearly every quirk, quality and quandary that drove the genre, which is both a strength and shortcoming, since we’re dealing with something so consistent with our expectations, it leaves very little room for surprise, which is not always the wisest choice, especially when working in a genre known for its simplicity, which allows a significant amount of space to experiment, should there be a desire to do so. It just becomes too engaged with following those conventions to ever really make too much of an impact, and while there are certainly far more heinous acts that this film could have committed, it ultimately doesn’t make too much of a difference, since it never aimed to be anything particularly noteworthy, outside of a charming romantic comedy, and it does succeed, just not in a necessarily exciting way.

At some point, even those of us who love a particular genre have to take a few steps back to fully comprehend whether or not a particular work is actually deserving of our time, or if it is just going through the motions. As entertaining as it may be, That Touch of Mink isn’t anything special, and its entire method of exploring certain issues while being relatively conventional doesn’t ultimately have the impact that we hoped it would, since so much of what this film says and does can be seen from miles away. Perhaps the best approach to a film like this is to know what to expect – a by-the-numbers romantic comedy that has an abundance of charm, which takes the place of actually interesting plot developments or the element of surprise, which are not in any way compulsory or even all that important to the identity of such a film, but does help it stand out. It gets to a point where That Touch of Mink almost feels like yet another anonymous entry into a genre that was far too saturated, and while it is not a bad film by any means (if anything, it is defined by its exceptional and definitive competence as a romantic comedy), it just fails to stir any real emotion. There are a few memorable jokes (such as Grant’s wisecrack about Joe’s Motel sounding “like a place where you bring your lightbulbs”), and the romance is very solid and worthy of the swoons it inspires – but outside of these elements, the film feels flat and relatively uninspired. It doesn’t lack depth, but it requires a lot more work to feel like it earns our time. Ultimately, it is a well-made but passionless romantic comedy that serves its purpose and nothing else, and we can’t fault anyone involved for taking the easier route – we just have to wonder why this had to be applied to absolutely every aspect of the filmmaking, with everything seemingly following the same formula, and ultimately leading to a solid but dull entry into a genre that neither benefited nor was harmed by the presence of this film, which is a pleasant but listless affair, and not one that any of us are likely to remember.