Love Among the Ruins
- TV Movie
- 1975
- 1h 40m
An aging actress is being sued for breach of promise. She hires as her lawyer a man who was an ex-lover, and is still in love with her, although she doesn't know it. She realizes that the on... Read allAn aging actress is being sued for breach of promise. She hires as her lawyer a man who was an ex-lover, and is still in love with her, although she doesn't know it. She realizes that the only way to win this case and protect her assets is to destroy her reputation.An aging actress is being sued for breach of promise. She hires as her lawyer a man who was an ex-lover, and is still in love with her, although she doesn't know it. She realizes that the only way to win this case and protect her assets is to destroy her reputation.
- Won 6 Primetime Emmys
- 9 wins & 2 nominations total
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn 1973, during an interview on the The Dick Cavett Show (1968), Cavett asked Katharine Hepburn if she was sorry she had never acted with Sir Laurence Olivier. With a smile and a laugh, Hepburn replied, "Well, neither of us is dead yet. Even though you may think so." Two years later, Hepburn and Olivier made this movie together.
- GoofsThe premise of the movie is invalid because only women could sue for breach of promise to marry, not men.
- Quotes
Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones: And what is your age?
Jessica Medlicott: [smiling, nervous and not speaking for several seconds]
Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones: Did you not hear the question that I asked?
Jessica Medlicott: I heard your question. I could not believe that you asked it.
Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones: Don't you want the jury to know how old you are?
Jessica Medlicott: I cannot think that it is any of their business. I don't know their ages, why should they know mine?
[continuing smiling while people in the courtroom chuckle]
The Judge: Silence!
Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones: Ah, so you won't say in what year you were born then?
Jessica Medlicott: I was born in the year of my birth.
Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones: I assure you, it's quite customary to tell one's age in the witness box.
Jessica Medlicott: And I assure you it is quite incompatable with the civilized behavoir. No gentleman would dream about insisting upon it.
Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones: I'm sure my learned opponent would agree with you whole-heartedly. How he would like us to believe that all suck things such as birth certificates, eh, should be ignored or even surpressed.
Jessica Medlicott: Neither in my case. Merely lost.
Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones: How lost? In a fire?
Jessica Medlicott: In a fire, exactly.
Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones: And what fire was that, Mrs. Medicott?
Jessica Medlicott: Any fire you like.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 27th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1975)
In this charming, heartwarming second-chance romance, Laurence Olivier gives an adorable performance. He's got a few miles on him, but he's full of vigor and innocently charming. He's a hopeless romantic, winning over the audience's heart immediately so they hope he'll eventually win Kate's heart as well. Kate is funny and spunky, and while she isn't immediately as likable as her costar, she's adorable and charming in her own way.
The main plot—or a side-plot, depending on how much you value the romance—is the court case. Kate is being sued for breech of promise by a significantly younger man, Leigh Lawson. In the olden days, "breech of promise" meant that someone had broken an engagement, and the jilted party could sue for emotional damages. As Kate is a wealthy widow, Leigh might be a gold digger; then again, Kate could be an outrageous flirt who refuses to act her age. You'll have to watch the movie to find out.
Love Among the Ruins swept the 1976 Emmys, winning statues for Kate, Larry, director George Cukor, writer James Costigan, art direction, and costume design. While you can easily imagine the script had been adapted from a play, Costigan's script was originally written for television. It's smart and sassy, with hilarious references to the leading lady's age without being insulting. Perhaps the cutest aspect of the film is the chemistry between the two leads. Kate and Larry were lifelong friends but had never made a film together until this one. You can clearly see how much they enjoy each other's company, and it's sheer magic to see such professionals acting alongside each other.
- HotToastyRag
- Nov 10, 2017
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Liebe in der Dämmerung
- Filming locations
- St Pancras International Railway Station, Euston Road, St Pancras, London, Greater London, England, UK(Courtroom exteriors, corridors and staircases.)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro