Days of Wine and Roses (1962)

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writer:

J.P. Miller (written by)

Release Date:

26 December 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

This, in its own terrifying way, is a love story.

Plot:

An alcoholic falls in love with and gets married to a young woman, whom he systematically addicts to booze so they can share his "passion" together.

Plot Keywords:

Drinking | Public Relations | Alcoholic | Secretary | Share

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 9 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Jack Lemmon	...	Joe Clay
Lee Remick	...	Kirsten Arnesen Clay
Charles Bickford	...	Ellis Arnesen
Jack Klugman	...	Jim Hungerford
Alan Hewitt	...	Rad Leland
Tom Palmer	...	Ballefoy
Debbie Megowan	...	Debbie Clay
Maxine Stuart	...	Dottie
Jack Albertson	...	Trayner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carl Arnold	...	Loud Man (uncredited)
Roger Barrett	...	Abe (uncredited)
Russ Bender	...	(uncredited)
Mary Benoit	...	Tenant (uncredited)
Mel Blanc	...	Cartoons (voice) (uncredited)
Gail Bonney	...	Gladys (uncredited)
Lynn Borden	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	...	Boor (uncredited)
Jennifer Edwards	...	Debbie Clay at Age 5 (uncredited)
Ella Ethridge	...	Tenant (uncredited)
Lisa Guiraut	...	Belly Dancer (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Barbara Hines	...	Guest (uncredited)
Charlene Holt	...	Guest (uncredited)
Tai Yen Horowitz	...	(uncredited)
Jerry Jensen	...	Crewcut Man (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Rita Kenaston	...	Tenant (uncredited)
James Lanphier	...	Prince (uncredited)
Ken Lynch	...	Proprietor (uncredited)
John Bard Manulis	...	(uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Edward O'Brien	...	(uncredited)
Doye O'Dell	...	Charlie Deans (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Tenant (uncredited)
Al Paige	...	Tenant (uncredited)
Peggy Patten	...	(uncredited)
Jack Riley	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Tom Rosqui	...	Bettor (uncredited)
Myrna Ross	...	(uncredited)
Doc Scortt	...	Boor (uncredited)
Robert 'Buddy' Shaw	...	Tenant (uncredited)
Stanley Sober	...	(uncredited)
Olan Soule	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Katherine Squire	...	Mrs. Nolan (uncredited)
Florence Stark	...	(uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Lynn Terry	...	(uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
John Truax	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Charles Watts	...	Landry (uncredited)
Charles Wood	...	Doctor (uncredited)

Directed by
Blake Edwards

Writing credits
J.P. Miller		(written by) (as JP Miller)

Produced by
Martin Manulis	....	producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Philip H. Lathrop		(director of photography) (as Phil Lathrop)

Film Editing by
Patrick McCormack

Art Direction by
Joseph C. Wright		(as Joseph Wright)

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Costume Design by
Donfeld		(as Don Feld)

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Jean Burt Reilly	....	supervising hair stylist
Myrl Stoltz	....	hair stylist: Lee Remick
Hal Lierley	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Henry Vilardo	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Jack McEdward	....	unit manager (as Jack McEdwards)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carter De Haven Jr.	....	assistant director (as Carter DeHaven Jr.)
Jack Cunningham	....	assistant director (uncredited)
William F. Sheehan	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ben Greenberg	....	prop (uncredited)
Robert Turner	....	prop (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jack Solomon	....	sound
Russell Ashley	....	mixer (uncredited)
Robert Dunning	....	cable (uncredited)
Ora Hudson	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Horace L. Hulburd	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sherman Clark	....	still photographer (uncredited)
William Classen	....	grip (uncredited)
Gerald Perry Finnerman	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Cliff King	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Richard H. Kline	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Malcolm Matheson	....	grip (uncredited)
Lee Wilson	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Florence Albert	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Forrest T. Butler	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Rolly Bundock	....	musician: bass (uncredited)
Larry Bunker	....	musician: vibes (uncredited)
Gene Cipriano	....	musician: saxophone (uncredited)
Vince De Rosa	....	musician: French horn solo, title song (uncredited)
Dominic Frontiere	....	musician: accordion (uncredited)
Ronnie Lang	....	musician: flute (uncredited)
Richard Nash	....	musician: trombone soloist (uncredited)
Ted Nash	....	musician: alto saxophone (uncredited)
Jack Sperling	....	musician: drums (uncredited)

Other crew
James Lanphier	....	dialogue supervisor
Betty A. Griffin	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Jalem Productions

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1962) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1967) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G (TV rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16 (w) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG (Cable TV rating) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Jalem Productions

Trivia:

Jack Lemmon disclosed in a TV interview interview that during his straitjacket scene, wherein his character rather violently suffers the DTs, he'd gotten so into it that the crew had to shake him out of his hysterics after the cameras had stopped rolling.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Jo is in the hospital for the first time, a doctor and two orderlies come and check up on him from the fenced window of his cell door. But in the very next shot, the only shadow that is cast on Jo is that of the fenced window, not of the three men looking at him from the window.

Quotes:

[Joe forces Kirsten to look in a mirror]
Joe Clay:I walked by Union Square Bar. I was going to go in. Then I saw myself - my reflection in the window - and I thought, "I wonder who that bum is?" And then I saw it was me. Now look at me. I'm a bum. Look at me! Look at you. You're a bum. Look at you. And look at us. Look at us. C'mon look at us! See? A couple of bums.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "All in the Family: No Smoking (#5.23)" (1975)

Soundtrack:

I Only Have Eyes for You

Sobering Drama

Have you ever been at a party or gathering where you are the only sober person? It's an experience that is hard to describe. Everyone that is moderately to heavily drunk thinks that they are so clever, funny, entertaining, and so on. It has a certain surreal aspect.

There are several scenes in this film which bring back that feeling to me. When Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick are at their most slap-happy rip-roaring state of drunkenness and having a great time, it gave me this odd sensation -- these people are not funny, not clever, and not entertaining. This is at least one of the points made in this very well made film.

The story is well told, and answers the question that many people have about alcoholism, and perhaps addiction in general (How do things ever get so terribly out of control?). It happens slowly, and it happens for a multitude of reasons. The reasons that this film deals mostly with include loneliness, wanting to please others, wanting to do one's job without compromising one's integrity, childhood abandonment, low self-esteem, and just the fact that in the social world "everyone" drinks.

Lemmon and Remick do a fabulous job as your ordinary young couple who get started slowly but surely going down the wrong track. Charles Bickford as Remick's father has little screen time, but makes every moment of it count. Jack Klugman is also very good as Lemmon's Alcoholics Anonymous friend.

Some things are wonderfully telegraphed. Lee Remick has this "thing" about chocolate (addiction potential). There's just a moment when you see a smoldering cigarette in an ashtray, and you get the feeling that something bad is going to happen (it does). When Jack Lemmon, in a drunken state comes home one evening, he impetuously picks some flowers for Lee Remick. The elevator door closes on them, cutting off the tops of the flowers. (When he arrives home, the couple have their first really big fight.) Also, I think it is interesting that every time that Lee Remick is watching the television, she is watching cartoons -- an interesting statement.

The cinematography is realistic, sometimes downright gritty. Filming it in black and white helped to enhance this mood, especially in the greenhouse and the psychiatric ward scenes.

Perhaps the most important point of the story is that addiction, be it alcohol or other things can happen to anyone. Sometimes you just don't realize it until it's too late.

The Days of Wine and Roses is a fine "message" movie that gets its point across without getting preachy or self-righteous, with believable performances by all.