Imagine a garment factory with underpaid workers looking for a measley 7 1/2 cent an hour raise to bring their salary up to industry standards. The manager reports the raise has gone into effect, but pockets the money for himself. Is this a news report from a third world sweatshop or a Doris Day romantic comedy?
The latter... Doris Day is the labor representative in a pajama factory and John Raitt is the new superintendent brought in to resolve the labor situation. He is trying to get his hands on the books for the current manager, so he invites the manager's secretary, Gladys Hotchkiss, on a date to "Hernando's Hideaway." All of this is hush-hush since Raitt's and Day's characters have fallen in love and the secretary has her own boyfriend. Thus the dark lighting and surreptitious moves with dance steps a la Bob Fosse.
Carol Haney is Gladys Hotchkiss in the film and also played the role in the original 1954 Broadway musical, but her newbie understudy had a chance to take her place for several months. That launched the career of Shirley MacLaine!
Richard Bissett wrote the story "7 1/2 Cents" (while working as president of an Iowa pajama factory) and won a Tony for Best Musical. There really was a Hernando's Hideaway across the state border in Illinois. Richard Adler and Jerry Ross provided the score.
By the way, John Raitt is the father of Bonnie Raitt. Musical talent runs in the family!
