This week’s mystery movie was the 1963 Universal-International picture “For Love or Money,” with Kirk Douglas, Mitzi Gaynor, Gig Young, Thelma Ritter, Julie Newmar, William Bendix, Leslie Parrish, Richard Sargent, Elizabeth MacRae, William Windom, Willard Sage, Ina Victor, Amy Moore, Jose Gonzales Gonzales, Don Megowan, Billy Halop, Joey Faye, Theodore Marcuse, Frank Mahony.
Photographed by Clifford Stine, Eastman Color by Pathe.
Gowns designed by Jean Louis. Art direction by Alexander Golitzen and Malcolm Brown. Set decoration by Ruby Levitt, Sound by Waldon O. Watson and Corson Jowett. Jewels by David Webb.
Edited by Alma Macrorie, makeup by Bud Westmore, hairstyles by Larry Germain, unit production manager Lewis Leary, dialogue coach Michael Ross, titles by Pacific Title.
Associate director Joseph Kenny.
Music by De Vol, music supervision by Joseph Gershenson.
Written by Larry Markes and Michael Morris.
Produced by Robert Arthur.
Directed by Michael Gordon.
“For Love or Money” has never been commercially released. It aired once on TCM in 2014.
Here are the animated titles by Pacific Title.
I wanted to run a light, romantic comedy, so I dredged through the trades and “For Love or Money” got good reviews. “Dredged” was apparently the operative word.
Viewed in 2020, “For Love or Money” is horribly dated, with a contrived, painfully obvious script. We have three determined, trendy daughters (Mitzi Gaynor, Julie Newmar and Leslie Parrish) of a wealthy family and an iron-clad will, enforced by an equally determined mother (Thelma Ritter) who wants to dictate how they must marry, assisted by a clever attorney (Kirk Douglas). You can write the rest of the movie from there.
In her last feature film, Mitzi Gaynor has an utterly thankless role as the oldest and wisest of the three daughters and Douglas shows that his intensity for dramatic parts does not translate well to comedy. I assume this was intended as a knockoff of a Doris Day-Rock Hudson-Tony Randall comedy romp (note the presence of Michael Gordon as director) and it fails badly.
There is very gentle satire of the current trends of the 1960s: The angry abstract artist who tells the truth, dopey beatniks and current dance crazes (Kirk Douglas does the twist!). The art direction on “For Love or Money” is superb in capturing the color palette of the early 1960s: The kitchen, with harvest gold refrigerator, harvest gold walls and light green highlights looks fashionable and not like grandma’s ratty old canisters.
Film Bulletin (Aug. 5, 1963) said:
Another sophisticated romp from Universal fun rooms, this should be a crowd pleaser in the metropolitan and class markets. Kirk Douglas, Mitzi Gaynor and Gig young lead a first-rate cast through the papier-mache plot and barely, just barely, miss that extra bit of finesse that made producer Robert Arthur’s “That Touch of Mink” and director Michael Gordon’s “Pillow Talk” such bonanzas.
TV Radio Mirror (November 1963) said:
One of the funniest light comedies of the year. Kirk Douglas, departing from his usual role, proves an adept comedian as he plays a lawyer hired by wealthy Thelma Ritter (who looks great wrapped in money) to oversee the match-making of her three daughters. Many bright bits of funny business, an engaging cast and luxurious backgrounds make this a sure winner. The preview audience howled.
Writing in the New York Times (Aug. 8, 1963) Bosley Crowther did not approve of such goings-on:
Kirk Douglas might do better sticking to Westerns and rallying Roman slaves than to try to bull his way through the fragile crockery of Cary Grant-type comedy. At least if he’s going to breach such precincts, he should certainly get himself a better script than “For Love or Money,” which came to the Palace, the Trans-Lux 52nd Street and other theaters in this area yesterday.
In this serenely witless nonsense by Larry Markes and Michael Morris, our erstwhile Spartacus plays a lawyer who is hired by a rich widow to arrange suitable marriages for her three daughters. Since they are portrayed by Mitzi Gaynor, Julie Newmar and Leslie Parrish, they might better be left to fend for themselves. Certainly they could not have more annoyance nor end up worse than they do with Mr. Douglas’ help
For Monday, we have a mystery artist.
Update: This is Theodore Marcuse. Sadly, nobody fell into my Donald Pleasence trap.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery guest and TWO Back of the Head Guys!
Update: This is Vincent Townsend Jr., with Kirk Douglas and William Windom as Back of the Head Guys.
We also have this mystery gent. His companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear Friday.
Update: Here’s our leading man.
Update: This is Kirk Douglas and Billy Halop.
We also have this mystery woman. Her companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear Friday.
Update: And here’s our mystery woman’s mystery companion.
Update: This is Gig Young and Edy Williams.
Brain Trust roll call: Benito (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest) and Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this mystery gent.
Update: This is Don Megowan.
And we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Elizabeth MacRae.
Brain Trust roll call: Tucson Barbara (mystery movie, all mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery guests), Patrick (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery elevator operator), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Bob Hansen (mystery elevator operator), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), Richard Wegescheide (mystery movie and mystery elevator operator) and Megan and Thom (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery artist and Tuesday’s mystery elevator operator).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mystery woman who has a kitchen in full-bore harvest gold.
Update: This is Leslie Parrish.
And these two mystery guests.
Update: This is Thelma Ritter and William Bendix.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mysterious fitness trainer), Tucson Barbara (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mysterious fitness trainer), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sue Slutzky (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Megan and Thom (Wednesday’s mystery guests).
For Friday, we have this mystery gent.
Update: This is Willard Sage.
We also have this mystery gent, plus our non-mysterious leading man.
Update: This is William Windom and Kirk Douglas.
And we have this slightly peeved mystery gent in a surprisingly modern office.
Update: This is Richard “Dick” Sargent.
And a mystery woman and her not terribly mysterious male companion.
Update: This is Julie Newmar and Gig Young.
And here’s our mystery leading lady in her last film. The set design, costumes and hairstyles of our mystery movie scream early 1960s.
Update: And this is Mitzi Gaynor. What IS that thing on the wall?
Brain Trust roll call: Bruce (mystery movie and Thursday’s pair of mystery guests), Floyd Thursby (mystery movie and Thursday’s pair of mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (Thursday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery woman and Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Chrisbo (Thursday’s mystery gent), Funky PHD (mystery movie, Wednesday’s personal trainer, Thursday’s pair of mystery guests), Megan and Thom (Thursday’s mystery guests), Charles Kjelland (Thursday’s mystery gent), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Earl Boebert (Thursday’s mystery gent), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Thursday’s pair of mystery guests), Sue Slutzky (Thursday’s mystery guests), Gary (mystery movie and Thursday’s pair of mystery guests), David Inman (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests).
Note to Sylvia: That’s a great story!
ladailymirror.com 
Theodore Marcuse. I know him from STAR TREK s2 e7, Cats Paw. He did far more tv than movies, but in FOR LOVE OR MONEY 1963 he is credited as artist, so…
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Theodore Marcuse in For Love or Money.
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Theo Marcuse in FOR LOVE OR MONEY 1963.
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“For Love or Money”
Mon – Theodore Marcuse
Tues – Vince Townsend, Jr., Kirk Douglas, William Windom, Billy Halop, Edy Williams
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“For Love or Money” (1963)
Monday: Theodore Marcuse
Tuesday: Vince Townsend Jr.; Kirk Douglas, William Windom; Billy Halop; Edy Williams
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Vince Townsend, Jr., Kirk Douglas, William Windom, Billy Halop and Edy Williams.
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The Cobweb…just guess.
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Good guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Monday: Theodore Marcuse
Tuesday: Vince Townsend, Kirk Douglas, William Windom, Billy Hallop, Edy Williams
Expect to see Gig Young and Mitzi Gaynor later in the week.
For Love or Money from 1963
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Billy Halop and Susan Hart in Boys’ Night Out (1962)?
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On Monday, Steve Ballmer?
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A good guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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FOR LOVE OR MONEY. Theodore Marcuse Monday, Kirk Douglas and William Windom as BOTH guys, Billy Halop, and Edy Williams today.
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Tuesday’s elevator guy(?) with glasses is Billy Halop. Don’t know the movie!
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For Love or Money (1963) w/Kirk Douglas, Gig Young, Mitzi Gaynor, William Windom, Thelma Ritter, Billy Halop, Theodore Marcuse, Julie Newmar,…
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On Tuesday, I believe that’s a grown-up Billy Halop, in his usual post dead-end kid role as an elevator operator-when he’s not playing a cab driver instead. Since the movie is in color, I’ll then guess it is ‘For Love or Money’ with Kirk Douglas.
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This week’s movie is “For Love or Money.” Monday’s actor is Theodore Marcuse. For Tuesday the elevator operator is Billy Halop and the actress in the third scene is Claudia Brack.
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Don Megowan and Leslie Parrish.
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Wed – Don Megowan, Elizabeth MacRae
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Rod Cameron today?
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Interesting guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Don Megowan and ???
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Well, then it has to be For Love or Money (1963). And it looks like we have Don Megowan and Elizabeth MacRae for Wednesday.
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Don Megowan; Elizabeth MacRae
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Movie: For Love or Money
Monday: Theodore Marcuse
Tuesday: 1- Vince Townsend Jr. 2- Billy Halop, 3- Edy Williams
Wednesday: Don Megowan, Elizabeth MacRae
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A second guess at the Tuesday actress, Susana Contreras. For today, Don Megowan and Elizabeth MacRae.
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William Bendix and Thelma Ritter in “For Love or Money”.
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Thelma Ritter and William Bendix in “For Love Or Money.”
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Thurs – Leslie Parrish, Thelma Ritter, William Bendix
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For Love or Money ’63
Mon – Theodore Marcuse
Tues – I think the guard is Vince Townsend, but I’m only going by IMDb (I’ve not seen photos of Townsend, but per my father, Townsend’s father was married to my father’s aunt – so, he and my dad were step-cousins.). I’m going to guess that the BOTH guys are Kirk Douglas and William Wyndom. Elevator guy is Billy Halop. I think the lounging lady is Edy Williams and the cropped screen left guy she’s leaning on may be Gig Young.
Wed – Don Megowan and Elizabeth MacRae
Thur – Leslie Parrish. Thelma Ritter and William Bendix
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Elizabeth MacRae yesterday, Leslie Parrish and William bendix today.
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Leslie Parrish; Thelma Ritter, William Bendux
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Leslie Parrish; Thelma Ritter, William Bendix
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Leslie Parrish, Thelma Ritter, William Bendix
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William Bendix today?
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Hm Wednesday: Don Megowan and Leslie Parrish. Aha Thursday: Julie Newmar in the harvest gold kitchen, Thelma Ritter and William Bendix. Film: For Love or Money
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In the first scene today is Leslie Parrish and in the second scene are Thelma Ritter and William Bendix.
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William Bendix today
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Leslie Parrish, Thelma Ritter and William Bendix.
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William Bendix on Thursday. Boys’ Night Out?
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Is the actor playing the artist on Monday Werner Klemperer?
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An excellent guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Thelma Ritter and William Bendix in “For Love or Money”
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Thursday: Leslie Parrish, Thelma Ritter and William Bendix.
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Ritter and Bendix. Must be For Love or Money.
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Leslie Parrish, Thelma Ritter and William Bendix today, making this “For Love or Money.”
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Leslie Parrish, Thelma Ritter and William Bendix in For Love or Money (1963)
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How did I miss Thelma Ritter Thursday? Today Jose Gonzalez Gonzalez, William Windom and Kirk Douglas, Dick Sargent, Julie Newmar and Gig Young, and Mitzi Gaynor.
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Willard Sage, William Windom, Kirk Douglas, Dick Sargent, Julie Newmar, Gig Young, Mitzi Gaynor
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Friday – Willard Sage, William Wyndom & Kirk Douglas, Dick Sargent, Julie Newmar & Gig Young, Mitzi Gaynor
Looking forward to the breakdown on Saturday.
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Willard Sage; Charles Thompson, William Windom, Kirk Douglas; Dick Sargent; Julie Newmar, Gig Young; Mitzi Gaynor
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Willard Sage, Dick Sargent, Julie Newmar, Gig Young, Mitzi Gaynor AND MR. Kirk Douglas.
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Friday: Willard Sage, Kirk Douglas (don’t know the other guy), Dick Sargent, Julie Newmar, Gig Young, and Mitzi Gaynor.
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In addition to Theo Marcuse – Julie Newmar, Leslie Parrish, Willard Sage and William Windom also appeared in the original Star Trek series.
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