I watch this movie regularly and it never fails to bring pleasure and a smile. It is a comedy, not a Shakespearean drama, yet it seems I find fresh significance in some expression or phrase each time I watch.
Often, when watching a movie, I think how much better it would be with small script changes or a different cast - not so with this gem.
Hope Lange - beautiful and spoiled, but intelligent and innately wholesome. Glenn Ford - a ruggedly attractive foil for her, having already experienced life in the 'fast lane' he is not tempted by her riches, only her. Charles Boyer - the perfect cultured bon vivant who is still believable as a man of principles rather than just an 'opportunist'.
Telly Savalas and Ricardo Montalban probably have the two most challenging roles because they portray men that we could easily come to dislike and/or disrespect; yet each manages to fulfill the comedic requirements and complete the movie with our positive affection.
Even the lesser character roles are delightful. Ruth McDevitt the grandmother - just enough fussiness to be lovable, but a few glimpses of the strong, determined woman of her youth to make it acceptable that she be the instrument of successful resolution. Ulla Jacobsen as the private secretary to Charles Boyer - fiercely loyal, efficient, articulate, and most important, able to be desirably attractive without competing with Miss Lange. Laurence Hardy - Priory(chauffeur), Andre Luguet - Zoltan(chef), and John Wood - Soames(musician) all seem to provide exactly the right seasoning for their roles. I believe it would be a lesser production without any of them.
The music and cinematography are more than adequate with enough truly wonderful 'bits' to satisfy the most discriminating critic of comedy.
A thoroughly wonderful movie for the whole family, made in an age when coarse language, explicit sex, and violence were not 'de rigeur'. I only hope that this will be brought out in DVD format, since my VHS copy has almost expired!
Often, when watching a movie, I think how much better it would be with small script changes or a different cast - not so with this gem.
Hope Lange - beautiful and spoiled, but intelligent and innately wholesome. Glenn Ford - a ruggedly attractive foil for her, having already experienced life in the 'fast lane' he is not tempted by her riches, only her. Charles Boyer - the perfect cultured bon vivant who is still believable as a man of principles rather than just an 'opportunist'.
Telly Savalas and Ricardo Montalban probably have the two most challenging roles because they portray men that we could easily come to dislike and/or disrespect; yet each manages to fulfill the comedic requirements and complete the movie with our positive affection.
Even the lesser character roles are delightful. Ruth McDevitt the grandmother - just enough fussiness to be lovable, but a few glimpses of the strong, determined woman of her youth to make it acceptable that she be the instrument of successful resolution. Ulla Jacobsen as the private secretary to Charles Boyer - fiercely loyal, efficient, articulate, and most important, able to be desirably attractive without competing with Miss Lange. Laurence Hardy - Priory(chauffeur), Andre Luguet - Zoltan(chef), and John Wood - Soames(musician) all seem to provide exactly the right seasoning for their roles. I believe it would be a lesser production without any of them.
The music and cinematography are more than adequate with enough truly wonderful 'bits' to satisfy the most discriminating critic of comedy.
A thoroughly wonderful movie for the whole family, made in an age when coarse language, explicit sex, and violence were not 'de rigeur'. I only hope that this will be brought out in DVD format, since my VHS copy has almost expired!