The Grass Is Greener (1960)

Victor and Hillary are down on their luck to the point that they allow tourists to take guided tours of their castle. But Charles Delacro, a millionaire oil tycoon, visits, and takes a ... See full summary »

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Hugh Williams (screenplay), Margaret Vyner (screenplay),

Stars:

Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Cary Grant	...	Victor Rhyall, Earl
Deborah Kerr	...	Lady Hilary Rhyall
Robert Mitchum	...	Charles Delacro
Jean Simmons	...	Hattie Durant
Moray Watson	...	Trevor Sellers, the Butler

Storyline

Victor and Hillary are down on their luck to the point that they allow tourists to take guided tours of their castle. But Charles Delacro, a millionaire oil tycoon, visits, and takes a liking to more than the house. Soon, Hattie Durant gets involved and they have a good old fashioned love triangle.

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Plot Keywords:

oil tycoon | millionaire | cheating on husband | dissatisfaction | mink coat | 

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Taglines:

Variety is the spice of life!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1961 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Ailleurs l'herbe est plus verte

Filming Locations:

Lacock Abbey, Lacock, Wiltshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Grandon Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 80 min (VHS)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cary Grant refused to wear a smoking jacket for one scene, believing that if the audience saw him dressed that way they would immediately lose sympathy with his character. The director later said that a type of old-fashioned comedy died that day.

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Quotes

Trevor Sellers, the Butler: I wonder if I might have a word with you Mylord.
Victor Rhyall, Earl: So do I, so we're both probably right. Now what's the matter, Sellers?
Trevor Sellers, the Butler: As I told you Mylord, I haven't any work to do.
Victor Rhyall, Earl: What about your novel, why aren't you working at that?
Trevor Sellers, the Butler: I'm stuck badly. Nearly tore the whole thing up last night.
Victor Rhyall, Earl: Oh now now, you mustn't do that! What's the trouble?
Trevor Sellers, the Butler: Almost certainly the basic trouble is myself. I'm fundamentally happy and contented. That's bad enough of course. But on top of that, I'm normal. And that's fatal.
Victor Rhyall, Earl:
Trevor Sellers, the Butler:
Victor Rhyall, Earl:
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Babies, some of them naked, on a lawn, are shown as if they were the cast and crew. For example, as the camera crew's names are shown, the babies are seen trying to work a camera; the "editor" is a baby tugging on a film strip, and so on.

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Connections

References South Pacific (1958)

User Reviews

Bright, funny adult comedy set among the titled class in England

The cast is obviously the star of this film, with headliners Grant, Kerr, Mitchum and Simmons each doing a fabulous job in a movie that depends very heavily on intelligent, witty dialogue strewn with double-entendres. The subject is adultery, and whether one (Grant) should make a public fuss when his wife (Kerr) is being swept off her feet by a rich American (Mitchum). Mix in a beautiful, if somewhat dotty, friend (Simmons) who makes sly observances throughout. Although set in England of the late 50s, the film doesn't show much countryside and occasionally feels a bit claustrophobic as the action takes place on a very few sets. The film feels like it has stage origins, and it plays much like Neil Simon's better film adaptations (e.g. California Suite, Barefoot in the Park). If you are a fan of any of these stars, this movie will entertain you.