IMDb > Irma la Douce (1963)
Irma la Douce
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Irma la Douce (1963) More at IMDbPro »

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Irma la Douce (1963) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   5,362 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Alexandre Breffort (play)
Billy Wilder (writer) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Irma la Douce on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
5 June 1963 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
A story of passion, bloodshed, desire and death... everything, in fact, that makes life worth living more
Plot:
In Paris, an ex-cop falls in love with a prostitute, and tries to get her out of that life by paying for all of her time. Not so easy... full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Lou Jacobi obituary
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 16 November 2009, 4:59 AM, PST)

Lou Jacobi obituary
 (From The Guardian - TV News. 16 November 2009, 4:59 AM, PST)

User Comments:
the sweet side of life more (38 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jack Lemmon ... Nestor Patou / Lord X

Shirley MacLaine ... Irma La Douce
Lou Jacobi ... Moustache
Bruce Yarnell ... Hippolyte
Herschel Bernardi ... Insp. Lefevre
Hope Holiday ... Lolita
Joan Shawlee ... Amazon Annie
Grace Lee Whitney ... Kiki the Cossack
Paul Dubov ... Andre
Howard McNear ... Concierge

Cliff Osmond ... Police sergeant
Diki Lerner ... Jojo
Herb Jones ... Casablanca Charlie
Ruth Earl ... One of the Zebra Twins
Jane Earl ... One of the Zebra Twins
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Additional Details

Runtime:
147 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Shirley MacLaine was not happy with the script, and thought even less of the film after it was finished, calling it "crude and clumsy". She was surprised to get a Best Actress Oscar nomination out of it, saying "I would have been nonplussed had I won it." more
Quotes:
Irma La Douce: You know, I'm sort of glad about that girl in Dijon, with the cough.
Nestor Patou: You are?
Irma La Douce: Because frankly, in the police van I thought that you'd never in your life, uh...
Nestor Patou: Oh, she wasn't the only girl. I've had more than one girl.
Irma La Douce: How many?
Nestor Patou: Altogether? Oh, let me see...
Irma La Douce: Three?
Nestor Patou: Not as many as that.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Selections from 'Irma La Douce' more

FAQ

Any recommendations for other movies by Billy Wilder?
Who is the father of the baby?
How do you translate "Douce"?
more
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful.
the sweet side of life, 7 August 2005
8/10
Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA

I guess that whenever Billy Wilder cast Jack Lemmon in a movie, the result was always good. In this case, Lemmon plays gendarme Nestor Patou, who has his eye on prostitute Irma la Douce (Shirley MacLaine). He's not sure whether to arrest her or come on to her, but he'll have to make up his mind soon, or it will all come crashing down on him.

Maybe "Irma la Douce" wasn't a masterpiece like "Some Like It Hot" or "The Apartment", but it does leave you with a good feeling. Certainly, it dignifies prostitutes; the more the outsiders berate prostitution, the more you identify with the prostitutes. Not a movie that you're likely to forget anytime soon. Lovely.

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