A Parisian policeman gives up everything for the love of a free-living sex worker.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Irma La Douce: Shirley MacLaine
- Nestor Patou: Jack Lemmon
- Moustache: Lou Jacobi
- Hippolyte: Bruce Yarnell
- Inspector Lefevre: Herschel Bernardi
- Lolita: Hope Holiday
- Amazon Annie: Joan Shawlee
- Kiki: Grace Lee Whitney
- Andre: Paul Dubov
- Concierge: Howard McNear
- Police Sergeant: Cliff Osmond
- Jojo: Diki Lerner
- Casablanca Charlie: Herb Jones
- Zebra Twin: Ruth Earl
- Zebra Twin: Jane Earl
- Suzette Wong: Tura Satana
- Customer #1: Lou Krugman
- Texan Customer: James Brown
- Tattooed Sailor: Bill Bixby
- Customer #2: John Alvin
- Poule with Balcony: Susan Woods
- Mimi the MauMau: De De Young
- Carmen: Sheryl Deauville
- Officer Dupont: Billy Beck
- Jack: Jack Sahakian
- Soldier with Radio (uncredited): James Caan
Film Crew:
- Casting: Lynn Stalmaster
- Producer: Billy Wilder
- Producer: I. A. L. Diamond
- Producer: Doane Harrison
- Director of Photography: Joseph LaShelle
- Editor: Daniel Mandell
- Art Direction: Alexandre Trauner
- Costume Design: Orry-Kelly
- Original Music Composer: André Previn
- Producer: Edward L. Alperson
- Author: Alexandre Breffort
Movie Reviews:
- John Chard: One of Wilder’s most divisive film’s amongst his fans.
Adapted from Alexandre Breffort’s stage musical, Irma la Douce in film form turns into something of a roller-coaster ride. Even allowing for the absence of the songs (a major gripe with purists), the film is far too bloated to really achieve the heights of being a great comedy classic. If it had been condensed to perhaps a 100 minute film then I think it could have achieved the splendour that some sequences hint at. As it is though, there is still much to enjoy, and nobody should be under the impression that this film isn’t funny, because it is, but just how long can you stretch the joke Mr Wilder?
I think the chief thing that sticks out is just how did Wilder get such an overtly sexual farce past the censors? He pushes the boundary more than usual with this one, and I honestly would be surprised if he himself wasn’t surprised to get away with so much cheeky sexual shenanigans. The sets are fabulous from Alexandre Trauner, and Andre Previn’s score is perfect and in tune with the Parisian heart of the film, but the lead actors here are oddly not firing on all cylinders.
Jack Lemmon’s hopeless romantic Nestor is the core humour character. A character who becomes jealous of himself! His transformation into an English fop is hilarious at first, but on, and on, and on it goes till the joke becomes a heavy weight on the film’s shoulders. Lemmon is fine, he’s just the victim of over ambition from Wilder. Shirley MacLaine is the title character and it doesn’t quite come off, sure she gives it gusto and she looks fabulous (as always), but the role cried out for a more cosmopolitan actress, and this again comes down to Wilder losing site of things with this particular project.
It’s a safe recommend for Lemmon fans, but for Wilder worshippers such as me the problems are evident in spite the film being his highest grossing film of the decade. A cautionary 7/10.
- John Chard: One of Wilder’s most divisive film’s amongst his fans.
Adapted from Alexandre Breffort’s stage musical, Irma la Douce in film form turns into something of a roller-coaster ride. Even allowing for the absence of the songs (a major gripe with purists), the film is far too bloated to really achieve the heights of being a great comedy classic. If it had been condensed to perhaps a 100 minute film then I think it could have achieved the splendour that some sequences hint at. As it is though, there is still much to enjoy, and nobody should be under the impression that this film isn’t funny, because it is, but just how long can you stretch the joke Mr Wilder?
I think the chief thing that sticks out is just how did Wilder get such an overtly sexual farce past the censors? He pushes the boundary more than usual with this one, and I honestly would be surprised if he himself wasn’t surprised to get away with so much cheeky sexual shenanigans. The sets are fabulous from Alexandre Trauner, and Andre Previn’s score is perfect and in tune with the Parisian heart of the film, but the lead actors here are oddly not firing on all cylinders.
Jack Lemmon’s hopeless romantic Nestor is the core humour character. A character who becomes jealous of himself! His transformation into an English fop is hilarious at first, but on, and on, and on it goes till the joke becomes a heavy weight on the film’s shoulders. Lemmon is fine, he’s just the victim of over ambition from Wilder. Shirley MacLaine is the title character and it doesn’t quite come off, sure she gives it gusto and she looks fabulous (as always), but the role cried out for a more cosmopolitan actress, and this again comes down to Wilder losing site of things with this particular project.
It’s a safe recommend for Lemmon fans, but for Wilder worshippers such as me the problems are evident in spite the film being his highest grossing film of the decade. A cautionary 7/10.