Under the Yum-Yum Tree 1963

Hogan [Jack Lemmon] is a lecherous landlord and a swinging bachelor who treats his California apartment block as a private stage for seduction. He ogles and tries to charm his female tenants, turning the building into a bold, self-contained temple of temptation: blood-red walls, African sculptures, a well-stocked cocktail bar, a switch-operated fireplace, and mechanized violins that glide into music at the touch of a button. He moves through the space in a scarlet cardigan with matching socks and a devilish smirk, presenting himself as a confident, often self-deluded host of hedonistic pleasures. As the independently wealthy owner, he rents rooms only to gorgeous single women for a modest $75 a month, while an older married couple—handyman Murphy [Paul Lynde] and his maid Dorcas—keep Hogan’s operation running with a practiced, theatrical efficiency.

Irene, a recently divorced tenant, has just ended a relationship with Hogan and is moving out with the help of a friend Charles. The vacancy is quickly filled by her niece Robin [Carol Lynley] Austin, a bright, capable young woman who brings new energy to the building. Robin’s presence is soon complicated by a short-tempered, frustrated, bumbling boyfriend, David Manning [Dean Jones], who moves in with her under the guise of a platonically arranged test of compatibility.

Hogan, ever eager for another beautiful tenant to charm, is initially delighted by Robin’s arrival, even as he remains oblivious to the fact that David will be sharing the space. He uses every trick in his playbook to keep the line between romance and trespass blurred, trying to prevent David and Robin from moving toward anything more than a social rapport. The tension thickens as Irene, having grown wary of Hogan’s rampant promiscuity, resolves to shield her niece from being pulled into Hogan’s orbit.

The confrontation escalates when Irene confronts Hogan at his barber, exposing the far more naked truth behind his charm: a pattern of manipulation and scheming that few of his tenants truly escape. Hogan responds with a blend of defensiveness and comic self-delusion, insisting on his own cleverness even as the situation spirals toward an inevitable reckoning. In this delicate balancing act of desire, control, and consequence, the film threads humor with a wary, observational tone, keeping the focus on how each character navigates loyalty, temptation, and personal boundaries within a single, carefully curated California residence.