Sabrina (1954)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Samuel A. Taylor (play)
Billy Wilder (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

October 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

. . . the chauffeur's daughter who learned her stuff in Paris!

Plot:

A playboy becomes interested in the daughter of his family's chauffeur. But it's his more serious brother who would be the better man for her.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Chauffeur | Playboy | Beautiful Woman | Ocean Liner

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Linus Larrabee
Audrey Hepburn	...	Sabrina Fairchild
William Holden	...	David Larrabee
Walter Hampden	...	Oliver Larrabee
John Williams	...	Thomas Fairchild
Martha Hyer	...	Elizabeth Tyson
Joan Vohs	...	Gretchen Van Horn
Marcel Dalio	...	Baron St. Fontanel
Marcel Hillaire	...	The Professor
Nella Walker	...	Maude Larrabee
Francis X. Bushman	...	Mr. Tyson
Ellen Corby	...	Miss McCardle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Ahdar	...	Ship's Steward (uncredited)
Raymond Bailey	...	Member of the Board (uncredited)
Marjorie Bennett	...	Margaret - Cook (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Party / Dance Extra (uncredited)
Colin Campbell	...	Board Member (uncredited)
Harvey B. Dunn	...	Party Guest with Tray (uncredited)
Fritz Ford	...	Dance Partner (uncredited)
Otto Forrest	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Gardener-Caretaker (uncredited)
Rand Harper	...	Man (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Charles Harvey	...	Drink Spiller (uncredited)
Paul Harvey	...	Dr. Calaway (uncredited)
Nancy Kulp	...	Jenny - Maid (uncredited)
Kay E. Kuter	...	Servant - Houseman (uncredited)
Bill Neff	...	Man with Linus Larrabee (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Charles - Butler (uncredited)
Gregory Ratoff	...	Man with David Larrabee (uncredited)
Kay Riehl	...	Mrs. Tyson (uncredited)
Marion Ross	...	Spiller's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Board Member (uncredited)

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Writing credits
Samuel A. Taylor		(play "Sabrina Fair") (as Samuel Taylor)
Billy Wilder		(screenplay) &
Samuel A. Taylor		(screenplay) (as Samuel Taylor) &
Ernest Lehman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Billy Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
Friedrich Hollaender		(as Frederick Hollander)

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(as Charles Lang Jr.)

Film Editing by
Arthur P. Schmidt		(as Arthur Schmidt)

Art Direction by
Hal Pereira
Walter H. Tyler		(as Walter Tyler)

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Edith Head
Hubert de Givenchy		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Vera Peterson	....	hair stylist
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles C. Coleman	....	assistant director (as C.C. Coleman Jr.)

Art Department
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cope	....	sound recordist
Harold Lewis	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	costume supervisor
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Doane Harrison	....	editorial advisor

Music Department
Friedrich Hollaender	....	music adaptor (as Frederick Hollander)
Van Cleave	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Eugene Loring	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Film Prestige (2004) (Russia) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount-Films (1955) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1996) (Finland) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment Finland (2001) (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1970) (1972) (2004) (2005) (2010) (Finland) (TV)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1983) (Finland) (TV)
• TV3 (1989) (1990) (Finland) (TV)
• Nelonen (2002) (2009) (Finland) (TV)
• AFEX (1954) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

South Korea:12 | USA:Unrated | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Spain:13 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #16882, General Audience) | West Germany:12 (bw) | Australia:PG (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Like Sunset Blvd. (1950), this film started production without a finished script. Ernest Lehman worked himself to exhaustion working on the script with Billy Wilder during production. One day, when Lehman did not have an extra copy of a scene rewrite to give to Humphrey Bogart, Bogart exploded. Wilder told his crew they would not film another foot of film until Bogart apologized to Lehman. Bogart invited Lehman to his dressing room and shooting eventually continued.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the boardroom scene at the end, when Linus is standing in front of the window, Harborside Terminal in Jersey City is visible. Once he leaves the room, this very large building disappears from the background.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sabrina Fairchild:[voiceover] Once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, some thirty miles from New York, there lived a small girl on a large estate. The estate was very large indeed, and had many servants. There were gardeners to take care of the gardens, and a tree surgeon on a retainer...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: Episode #26.156" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Boola Boola

Deeeeeeelightful!

The master of many genres, Billy Wilder, does his magic here with this delightful comedy. Although maybe not one of his best, it still holds up after over 50 years.

There has been a lot said about the casting of Bogart as Linus, the stuffy businessman and I disagree with most of it. I think that Bogart is perfect for the part of the seemingly humourless, financial wizard older brother. Granted, he is not the prettiest actor....never was.....he's a generation older than Audrey Hepburn.....and reportedly hated the movie and his co-stars. All that aside, he rose to the occasion and his playing of the role is subtle. Seeing him come to the realization that he is falling in love with Sabrina is so well done that it sneaks up on you.

Audrey Hepburn is just magical, as she always was.....there is nothing more to say about her....words fail me.

William Holden is surprisingly good in a comic role but why the blonde hair?

He's breezy, unreliable and thoroughly likable and it becomes obvious that Sabrina is much too good for him. However incongruous it may seem, she belongs with Bogart.

The support in this film is top notch.....John Williams....what a great British character; Walter Hampden is a scream as the drinking, cigar smoking father who just wants an olive for his martini. Look for Nancy Kulp as one of the service staff before her days as Jane Hathaway on Beverly Hillbillys.

This is a wonderful film........watch it, you won't regret it!