Poster

Good Neighbor Sam ()


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To help his divorced neighbor claim a substantial inheritance, a family man poses as her husband. The ruse spills over into his career in advertising, and his recent promotion relies on his wholesome and moral appearance.

Director:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination.
  • See more »
Reviews:

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Cast verified as complete

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Sam Bissell
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Janet Lagerlof
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Minerva Bissell
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Howard Ebbets (as Michael Connors)
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Mr. Burke
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Reinhold Shiffner
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Earl
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Hotel Prostitute
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Irene
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Jack Bailey
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Edna Bailey
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Phil Reisner
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Sonny Blatchford (as Tris Coffin)
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Larry Boling
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Miss Halverson
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Millard Mellner
The Hi-Los ...
The Hi-Lo's (as The Hi-Lo's)
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Simon Nurdlinger
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Alban ...
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
Sheldon Allman ...
Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Tom Anthony ...
Assistant Director (uncredited)
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Mrs. Nurdlinger (uncredited)
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Policeman (uncredited)
Brandon Beach ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Nurdlinger Servant (uncredited)
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Receptionist (uncredited)
Paul Bradley ...
Advertising Agency Executive (uncredited)
Jan Brooks ...
Gloria (uncredited)
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Hausner - 1st Lawyer (uncredited)
Andrew Buck ...
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
Clark Burroughs ...
The Hi-Lo's - Hertz Commercial (uncredited)
Peter Camlin ...
French Waiter (uncredited)
Jan Citron ...
Tricyclist Opening Credits (uncredited)
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Fran (uncredited)
Vicki Cos ...
Jenna Bissell (uncredited)
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Drunk (uncredited)
Barbara Eaton ...
Hooker (uncredited)
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Mrs. Burke (uncredited)
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Judge (uncredited)
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Mr. Vernier (uncredited)
Harry Hines ...
Old Man in Window (uncredited)
Idell James ...
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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Denise Bissell (uncredited)
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Nurdlinger Servant (uncredited)
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Dave - Hertz Commercial Actor (uncredited)
Hilda Kirby ...
Derelict (uncredited)
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Richard Taragon (uncredited)
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Drunk (uncredited)
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Guest (uncredited)
Bob Morse ...
The Hi-Lo's - Hertz Commercial (uncredited)
Lucy Moyer ...
Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
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Marsha (uncredited)
Sherry O'Neil ...
Hooker (uncredited)
Morry Ogden ...
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
Joe Palma ...
Joe the Mailman (uncredited)
Pat Patterson ...
Foot Policeman (uncredited)
Paul Power ...
Advertising Agency Executive (uncredited)
Gene Puerling ...
The Hi-Lo's - Hertz Commercial (uncredited)
Harry Ray ...
Harry the Milkman (uncredited)
Tony Regan ...
Advertising Agency Executive (uncredited)
Walter Rode ...
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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Truck Driver (uncredited)
Dee Sharon ...
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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Hooker (uncredited)
Don Shelton ...
The Hi-Lo's - Hertz Commercial (uncredited)
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Advertising Agency Executive (uncredited)
Hommy Stewart ...
Painter (uncredited)
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TV Director (uncredited)
Hal Taggart ...
McVale (uncredited)
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Wyeth - 2nd Lawyer (uncredited)
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Mr. Anderson - Attorney (uncredited)
Zanouba ...
Belly Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by

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David Swift

Written by

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James Fritzell ... (screenplay) &
Everett Greenbaum ... (screenplay) &
David Swift ... (screenplay)
 
Jack Finney ... (novel)

Produced by

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Marvin Miller ... associate producer
David Swift ... producer

Music by

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Frank De Vol ... (as DeVol)

Cinematography by

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Burnett Guffey ... director of photography

Editing by

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Charles Nelson

Editorial Department

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Ralph James Hall ... assistant editor (uncredited)

Production Design by

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Dale Hennesy

Set Decoration by

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Ray Moyer

Costume Design by

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Micheline
Jacqueline Moreau ... (as Jacqueline)

Makeup Department

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Ben Lane ... makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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R. Robert Rosenbaum ... assistant director

Sound Department

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James Z. Flaster ... sound
Charles J. Rice ... sound supervisor

Stunts

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Morry Ogden ... stunts
Linda Carroll ... stunt double: Romy Schneider (uncredited)
Harvey Parry ... stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Robert Fuca ... set costumer (uncredited)

Music Department

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Ethmer Roten ... musician: flute (uncredited)
Albert Woodbury ... orchestrator (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Jean-Étienne Siry ... poster designer (uncredited)
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Sam Bissel is a wholesome family man with a loving wife, Min, and two loving daughters. They lead a happy suburban life. The only part of Sam's life that he is not happy about is his job as a lowly cog in the art department of the advertising firm of Burke & Hare. Sam's professional life takes a major turn when he is made executive of the Nurdlinger Dairy account. Simon Nurdlinger is a wholesome family man who wants a wholesome family man with wholesome family ideals heading his account, Sam the only one in Burke & Hare that fits the bill. Sam's home life also takes a major turn when Min's college friend, Janet Lagerlof, moves in next door. Janet stands to inherit $15 million from her grandfather's estate, but the will has a clause that she must be happily married to inherit the money. Janet is technically divorced from Howard Ebbets, and states that getting back with Howard is not worth $15 million. But when Jack Bailey and Irene Krump - two of Janet's relatives who would like to find any excuse to contest the will - come by for an unexpected visit, Janet impetuously introduces Sam as her husband, Howard. Things get more complicated for Sam when he is later forced to introduce Janet as Mrs. Bissel to both Burke and Nurdlinger. Sam and by association Min go along with the ruse, and for their troubles Janet offers to give them $1 million of her inheritance. After that, further complications occur: Janet notices a private investigator snooping around the neighborhood, the P.I. hired by Janet's relatives; Howard, Janet's ex-husband comes back wanting to reconcile with her; and without Sam's knowledge, the Nurdlinger creative includes billboards featuring a wholesome couple espousing the goodness of Nurdlinger milk, that wholesome couple being Sam and Janet as Mr. & Mrs. Sam Bissel. They just have to continue dealing with these complications until the legal hearing. But Min may just have had enough of this plan before they get the money. Written by Huggo

Plot Keywords
Taglines Slam! Bam! Here comes Sam!...Caught in the Middle of a Two-Woman Jam! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Prête-moi ton mari (France)
  • Préstame a tu marido (Spain)
  • Préstame tu marido (Spain)
  • Vuoroin vieraissa (Finland)
  • Bunul meu vecin Sam (Romania)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 130 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia According to Robert Osborne on TCM, this was a film that Jack Lemmon didn't really want to do, but by doing it he fulfilled a contract with Columbia. And, like the previous year's Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963), it stupefied Lemmon that they were both very successful films. See more »
Goofs The Bissell's kitchen wall telephone moves from being mounted on the outside surface of the post to the kitchen side of the post. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon (1988). See more »
Soundtracks Let Hertz Put You in the Driver's Seat See more »
Quotes Hertz Commercial Man: [after finally being lowered into convertible] Man, that's *real* coffee!
[in tears]
Hertz Commercial Man: Oh, noooo!
See more »

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