Props to Ross Hunter for ensuring the Tammy series maintained continuity - this one picks up with Tammy still at college looking over the little old lady from the second film. Said old lady gets sick and so a handsome older doctor (Macdonald Carey) suggests she go to the hospital for an operation. This entails a move to Los Angeles where Tammy charms yet another grumpy old person, annoys some more stuck up bitches (nurses) who eventually sees what a sweetheart she is, encourages another aging woman devoted to her career to find love, is eyed by a lech (Adam West) and finds romance with a handsome young man (Peter Fona).
I normally like Dee but she's irritating for the most part as Tammy, mugging and overacting. In one or two places she pulls back on the hayseed and is a lot more effective.
Peter Fonda is very gawky and young as the doctor with whom she romances; it's not much of a love story - unlike Debbie Reynolds and Leslie Neilsen in the first movie there's no inherent conflict, he's just a anxious young man, not particularly handsome, who is into his career. He doesn't seem that smarter or more wordly than Tammy and they don't have much charisma. I wish more was made of the love triangle between Adam West, Fonda and Dee - but all that really happens is West makes some lecherous eyes at her and Dee figures out he's no good.
Also this is the third time Tammy has fallen in love and she's beginning to feel flippant - the second film they got away with John Gavin being her love interest because we'd think "oh well Leslie Nielsen was just a puppy love" but then when she bats her eyes at Fonda... how are we meant to think about Gavin? It's as if she's not capable of true love, she's just up for whatever handsome man she comes across when she moves to a new place. Which is an interesting character trait but tends to reduce the stakes of their romance.
They're still making jokes about Tammy's father being in gaol for moonshining; Tammy manages to turn around some bitchy nurses and make them feel ashamed of themselves with one (badly written) monologue. There is more religion in this one - Tammy quotes the Bible a lot, prays to God to help her old lady friend recover.
In fairness, the script has some bright lines and at least Tammy has a job, working hard at the hospital. Dee sings "Tammy's in Love".
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