1954 | PG | 1h 53m | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Some of the greatest romantic comedies were undoubtedly from the Golden Age of Hollywood (approximately 1934 to 1959). In many cases, part of the cinematic alchemy that made these films so successful was the natural chemistry and behind-the-scene comradery between their leading actors.
However, in other cases, off-screen friction between the lead actors of movies (and sometimes even the directors as well) have led to uninspired and even downright terrible performances. But sometimes, fate would have it that the talent on hand is so deft that you would never have known that was the case.
A perfect example is in 1954’s rom-com drama, “Sabrina,” helmed by legendary director Billy Wilder (who was also one of the writers). The film was the adaptation of a play titled, “Sabrina Fair,” in 1953.
“Sabrina” is an interesting twist on the Cinderella story. Even its opening narration sequence sounds fairytale-esqe: “Once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, some 30 miles from New York, there lived a small girl on a large estate. The estate was very large indeed and had many servants …”
The estate in question belongs to the Larrabees, a wealthy family that includes brothers Linus (Humphrey Bogart) and David (William Holden). The two siblings are polar opposites: While David is a free-wheeling playboy who likes to tool around in his fancy roadster and has been married and divorced three times, Linus is ambitious, somewhat cold, and is married to their family’s businesses.
Also living on the sprawling estate is Thomas Fairchild (John Williams), the Larrabee family’s chauffeur, and his young daughter, the titular Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn).
Sabrina is an awkward girl who liked to gawk at David from afar to the extent that, when she spies him flirting with other women, she becomes both jealous and saddened. Not only is she somewhat of a tomboy, but the class difference between the Larrabees and her father would never permit any sort of union between her and David. Besides, David barely even notices Sabrina when he stumbles across her on the property.
A widower, Thomas wants Sabrina to have more realistic aspirations and sends her off to an excellent cooking school in Paris to become a cook just like his late wife. There, she meets a well-off older gentleman named Baron St. Fontanel (Marcel Dalio), who is brushing up on some cooking recipes. St. Fontanel notices Sabrina’s dour demeanor and inspires her to live life more fully and blossom into an elegant woman.
By the time Sabrina returns to Long Island, she is the picture of poise and sophistication. In a hilarious scene, when David spies her waiting for her father at the local train station, he almost breaks his neck staring at her as his car’s tires screech to a halt. He is immediately smitten by her but doesn’t realize it’s the same young girl he used to ignore, and invites her to a Larrabee family party.
Behind the Scenes
Like the aforementioned “Holiday,” much of the humor in this film is of the more subtle variety, with a few exceptions here and there. It also touches on matters that deal with class and forbidden love.However, there were some fiery fractures going on behind the scenes. Bogart and Holden didn’t care for each other at all and, while Bogart also disliked Hepburn, Holden was mad about her. Bogart was also angry at Wilder for being the director’s second choice for his role; Cary Grant was Wilder’s first choice but Grant turned down the part.
Having watched the film before even knowing about all of this ill-will going on off-screen, I found it fascinating that it seemed like such a smooth production. Both the romantic chemistry and comedic timing also seem very natural.
But, in the end, I realized that, between the acting chops of these phenomenally talented leads, as well as the incredible guidance by one of filmdom’s greatest directors, “Sabrina” was destined for not only critical praise but financial success.
