Never on Sunday (1960)
"Pote tin Kyriaki" (original title)

An American scholar in Greece sets about improving a prostitute he's infatuated with.

Director:

Jules Dassin

Writer:

Jules Dassin

Stars:

Melina Mercouri, Jules Dassin, Giorgos Foundas

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melina Mercouri	...	Ilya
Jules Dassin	...	Homer Thrace
Giorgos Foundas	...	Tonio
Titos Vandis	...	Jorgo
Mitsos Ligizos	...	The Captain (as Mitsos Lygizos)
Despo Diamantidou	...	Despo
Dimos Starenios	...	Poubelle
Dimitris Papamichael	...	A Sailor (as Dimitri Papamichael)
Alexis Solomos	...	Noface
Thanasis Vengos	...	(as Thanassis Veggos)
Faidon Georgitsis	...	Sailor
Nikos Fermas	...	Waiter
Artemis Matsas
Koula Agagiotou
Panos Karavousanos

Storyline

Illia is Piraeus's most popular person: an energetic prostitute, full of life and good humor. Every day, she swims at the pier, entertaining the dock hands. Sundays she has an open house with food, drink and song. Homer Thrace, an amateur philosopher from Middletown, Conn., arrives in town to find out why Greece has fallen from ancient greatness. He decides Illia is a symbol of that fall, so he sets out to study and to save her. Unknown to Illia, he gets the money for the books and all else he gives her from Mr. No Face, the local vice boss who wants Illia retired because her independence gives other whores ideas. Whose spirit is stronger: Homer's classical ideal or Illia's?

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | greece | jealousy | party | henchman | 

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Taglines:

The Happy Street-Walker of Piraeus...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

Greece USA

Language:

English Greek Russian

Release Date:

1 October 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Never on Sunday

Filming Locations:

Piraeus, Greece

Box Office

Budget:

$151,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lopert Pictures Corporation, Melinafilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Features first song ("Never On Sunday") from a foreign-made movie to win an Oscar.

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Quotes

Homer: It's extraordinary! Where do you learn all those languages?
Illya: In bed.

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Connections

Referenced in That Girl: The Mating Game (1967)

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Soundtracks

"Ein Schiff wird kommen"
Music Manos Hatzidakis
Lyrics by Fini Busch
Sung by Melina Mercouri

User Reviews

Melina Mercuri makes this film a joy to watch

I haven't seen "Never on Sunday" in ages but I remember it as a really wonderful comedy. This was the very first time I saw Melina Mercuri -- and it's she and the Greek musical sound track that made it so pleasurable. The story doesn't matter really: It's enough to know that Mercuri plays a prostitute with a gift for joy and denial of harsh realities. If I remember correctly, she has a way of rewriting Greek tragedies in her head so that, at the end, "everyone goes to the seashore." I imagine that the film isn't as vivid as it was in its day because while the scenery was beautiful the photography was not special. You might not like Jules Dassin as Mercuri's foil -- he acted in as well as wrote and directed the film -- but see it for Mercuri. She played roles of greater significance in films that were perhaps more artful. But she is luminous and funny and sweet and gorgeous in this picture.