Sabrina (1954)

A playboy becomes interested in the daughter of his family's chauffeur, but it's his more serious brother who would be the better man for her.

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Billy Wilder (written for the screen by), Samuel A. Taylor (written for the screen by) (as Samuel Taylor)

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Linus Larrabee
Audrey Hepburn	...	Sabrina Fairchild
William Holden	...	David Larrabee
Walter Hampden	...	Oliver Larrabee
John Williams	...	Thomas Fairchild
Martha Hyer	...	Elizabeth Tyson
Joan Vohs	...	Gretchen Van Horn
Marcel Dalio	...	Baron St. Fontanel
Marcel Hillaire	...	The Professor
Nella Walker	...	Maude Larrabee
Francis X. Bushman	...	Mr. Tyson
Ellen Corby	...	Miss McCardle

Storyline

Linus and David Larrabee are the two sons of a very wealthy family. Linus is all work -- busily running the family corporate empire with no time for a wife and family. David is all play -- technically employed in the family business but never showing up for work, spending all his time entertaining, and having been married and divorced three times. Sabrina Fairchild is the young, shy, and awkward daughter of the household chauffeur, who has been infatuated with David all her life, but whom David hardly notices till she goes away to Paris for two years and returns an elegant, sophisticated, beautiful woman. Suddenly, she finds she's captured David's attention, but just as she does so, she finds herself also falling in love with Linus, and she finds that Linus is also falling in love with her.

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Plot Keywords:

attempted suicide | love | one word title | voice over narration | fashion | 

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Taglines:

. . . the chauffeur's daughter who learned her stuff in Paris!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

15 October 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Сабрина

Filming Locations:

George Lewis Mansion - Benedict Canyon Drive, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,238,813 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paramount considered changing the film's title to The Chauffeur's Daughter.

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Goofs

When David confronts Linus regarding the gossip column, he slaps the newspaper down; however, no sound is heard until a second afterward.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sabrina Fairchild: [voiceover] Once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, some thirty miles from New York, there lived a small girl on a large estate. The estate was very large indeed, and had many servants. There were gardeners to take care of the gardens, and a tree surgeon on a retainer. There was a boatman to take care of the boats: to put them in the water in the spring, and scrape their bottoms in the winter. There were specialists to take care of the grounds: the outdoor tennis court ...

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Connections

Referenced in Stalag 17: From Reality to Screen (2006)

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Soundtracks

Isn't It Romantic?
(uncredited)
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Sung by an unidentified male singer during the first Larrabee party
Whistled by David while driving in the car
Played when Sabrina and Linus are dancing

User Reviews

another Cinderella story

'Sabrina' looks at first glance to be one of those rags to riches tales, as Audrey Hepburn's chauffeur's daughter takes herself to Paris and comes back a sophisticated young lady. However, she isn't the one who undergoes the most striking transformation in this charming romantic comedy.

William Holden plays the playboy son of the house (and he could probably have done this kind of role in his sleep) while Humphrey Bogart of all people plays his crusty business-focused older brother. Bogart is surprisingly good in this in a rare foray into comedy. Hepburn of course is just luminous. John Williams, as Hepburn's deadpan snobby chauffeur father is good fun, as is Ellen Corby (grandma from 'The Waltons') as Bogart's secretary. And how nice to see 1910s movie idol Francis X Bushman in one of his later character roles (as the father of Holden's intended).

This Billy Wilder movie compares well with his more cited titles such as 'The Seven-Year Itch', 'Some Like It Hot', 'Sunset Blvd.', and 'The Lost Weekend'. It is also much better than the remake with Harrison Ford which limped out in recent years.