# Good Neighbor Sam

Good Neighbor Sam is a 1964 American Eastman Color screwball comedy film co-written and directed by David Swift, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Jack Finney. It stars Jack Lemmon, Romy Schneider, Dorothy Provine, Michael Connors, Edward Andrews, Louis Nye, Robert Q. Lewis and Edward G. Robinson.
The screenplay was the motion picture debut of James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, who had written many American television sitcoms including The Andy Griffith Show and Mister Peepers (created by David Swift). Greenbaum also created the mobile sculpture featured in the film.

## Plot

Sam Bissell is a hard worker but his career in the windowless art department of a San Francisco advertising agency is going nowhere. He has two young daughters and a loving wife, Min.
An extremely important client, Simon Nurdlinger, is considering taking his business elsewhere when he believes there are no "family men" working at Sam's agency. Sam's boss, Mr. Burke, introduces the client to Sam. The client is delighted by Sam and agrees to do business with him and the agency. Promoted to account executive, Sam feels his career is now on the way up and he goes home to celebrate with his wife. There, he meets his wife's longtime friend and their new next-door neighbor, Janet, and they all have dinner together to celebrate his promotion and Janet's new home. Sam gets drunk and tumbles down the grand carpeted staircase of the Fairmont Hotel, knocking down a waiter carrying trays of meals.
Janet, a beautiful woman, is recently divorced from her husband Howard and is happier than ever. She has also come into a large inheritance from her grandfather, which carries the stipulation that she must still be married to Howard in order to receive the inheritance. State law dictates that a divorce is not final until a year from final settlement. Since only six months have passed, Janet decides to hide the divorce from her cousins Irene and Jack who stand to inherit if Janet is disqualified.
With Howard unavailable, Sam is pressed to impersonate him when Irene and Jack arrive for a surprise visit. Having never met Howard, Irene and Jack seem convinced, but hire a private investigator who begins watching the couple with a telescopic surveillance camera hidden in a phony workmen's truck nearby. Janet and Sam (with Min's complicity) are forced to continue the charade for several days, with Sam cohabiting with and being driven to work by Janet, and sneaking in to occasionally visit Min through the backyard, or hidden in a laundry basket. When caught pretending by Mr. Burke and Mr. Nurdlinger, Sam and Janet are forced into a double charade where Janet pretends to be Min. The situation begins to unravel when Howard re-enters the picture. Sam panics after noticing new advertising billboards around the city showing his face with Janet's, and so paints clown faces on them late the last night before the attorney is to give Howard and Janet their inheritance.

## Cast

* Jack Lemmon as Sam Bissell
* Romy Schneider as Janet Lagerlof
* Dorothy Provine as Minerva Bissell
* Michael Connors as Howard Ebbets
* Edward Andrews as Mr. Burke
* Louis Nye as Reinhold Shiffner
* Robert Q. Lewis as Earl
* Joyce Jameson as girl
* Anne Seymour as Irene
* Charles Lane as Jack Bailey
* Linda Watkins as Edna
* Peter Hobbs as Phil Reisner
* Tris Coffin as Sonny Blatchford
* Neil Hamilton as Larry Boling
* Riza Royce as Miss Halverson
* William Forrest as Millard Mellner
* The Hi-Lo's as themselves
* Edward G. Robinson as Simon Nurdlinger
In addition, in her last film role, Bess Flowers has an uncredited appearance as Mrs. Burke.

## Production

The film, set in San Francisco, makes use of obligatory exterior shots, including a long montage of scenes of Sam driving his car all over the city, up and down hills, as well as the curvy block of Lombard Street, as so many directors love to portray. The remainder was shot in the Los Angeles area, on location (including the Bradbury Building, as the Homer hotel near the end of the film) and at the studio.
Bernie Kopell and Barbara Bouchet have uncredited roles, as does the director Swift.

## Reception

The film grossed $9,072,726 at the box office, earning $5.3 million in rentals.