An American junior diplomat in London rents a house from, and falls in love with, a woman suspected of murder.An American junior diplomat in London rents a house from, and falls in love with, a woman suspected of murder.An American junior diplomat in London rents a house from, and falls in love with, a woman suspected of murder.
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
Leon Alton
- Courtroom Spectator
- (uncredited)
Al Bain
- Courtroom Spectator
- (uncredited)
Frank Baker
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
Brandon Beach
- Juror
- (uncredited)
Marjorie Bennett
- Autograph Seeker
- (uncredited)
Barry Bernard
- Attendant
- (uncredited)
Paul Bradley
- Lamplighter Patron
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThough frequently shown on television throughout the 1970s, the film disappeared from circulation for nearly thirty years, one of very few Columbia star vehicles the studio neglected to release on Betamax, VHS or laserdisc. There was no legal wrangle at the core of this; the film simply fell out of favor and was largely forgotten. In recent years, the movie has returned to circulation, enjoying multiple releases on DVD and Blu-ray.
- Goofs(at around 1h 20 mins) When Bill runs up the stairs to confront Carly after the trial, he brushes his left hand across the square column on the landing and leaves a large smear, indicating the column had been painted recently.
- Quotes
William 'Bill' Gridley: Sir, if I may, I don't think you're taking the proper share of the blame...
Franklyn Ambruster: Gridley, you will learn that the higher your position, the more mistakes you're allowed. In fact, if you make enough of them, it's considered your style. Now you happen to be in what I would call a one-mistake position, and you've made it.
- Crazy creditsMiss Novak's gowns designed by... Herself
- ConnectionsReferenced in I've Got a Secret: Kim Novak (1962)
- SoundtracksA Foggy Day (in London Town)
(uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin
instrumental theme of the score
Jack Lemmon half sings/half intones a line from that song : "And suddenly I saw you there..." and then hums the melody.
Featured review
Jack Lemmon, rising young man in the United States State Department hasn't a clue when he rents a room from Kim Novak who turns out to be a fellow American in London. He also doesn't know she's The Notorious Landlady whose husband has gone missing and Scotland Yard thinks she did him in.
Americans in the diplomatic corps are supposed to be scandal free, even more so back in 1962 so poor Lemmon doesn't know what he's walked into. But his supervisor Fred Astaire does and he wants him to leave. But Lionel Jeffries of Scotland Yard thinks he'd make one great unofficial undercover man. So in the spirit of the alliance that defeated Hitler, Astaire agrees.
Later on after a hilarious barbecue scene nearly burns Novak's place down and gets the State Department unwanted publicity, Astaire wants to transfer Lemmon to Tierra Del Fuego, but Novak actually comes up and charms him into letting him stay. So much so that Astaire now wants to play Sherlock Holmes and solve the case himself or at least be Watson to Lemmon's Holmes.
Jack and Kim make a lovely couple in danger, 25 years earlier I could have seen Cary Grant and Carole Lombard in their parts. But when you set out to make a stylish comedy, casting Fred Astaire is always a stroke of genius. Director Richard Quine even had the good sense to acquire Astaire's classic, A Foggy Day from the defunct RKO studio where he introduced it in Damsel In Distress to use as background music. It's used to great affect on one of those foggy London nights where both of them are trailing Novak.
In the last half hour their sleuthing pays off and a rather intricate mystery is solved. Lionel Jeffries makes a dogged and determined Inspector Lestrade like Scotland Yard man, who if truth be told is one of the sleazier members of that organization ever portrayed on screen.
The joint creative hands who wrote The Notorious Landlady were Blake Edwards and Larry Gelbart. Can't do better than that for style and wit.
Americans in the diplomatic corps are supposed to be scandal free, even more so back in 1962 so poor Lemmon doesn't know what he's walked into. But his supervisor Fred Astaire does and he wants him to leave. But Lionel Jeffries of Scotland Yard thinks he'd make one great unofficial undercover man. So in the spirit of the alliance that defeated Hitler, Astaire agrees.
Later on after a hilarious barbecue scene nearly burns Novak's place down and gets the State Department unwanted publicity, Astaire wants to transfer Lemmon to Tierra Del Fuego, but Novak actually comes up and charms him into letting him stay. So much so that Astaire now wants to play Sherlock Holmes and solve the case himself or at least be Watson to Lemmon's Holmes.
Jack and Kim make a lovely couple in danger, 25 years earlier I could have seen Cary Grant and Carole Lombard in their parts. But when you set out to make a stylish comedy, casting Fred Astaire is always a stroke of genius. Director Richard Quine even had the good sense to acquire Astaire's classic, A Foggy Day from the defunct RKO studio where he introduced it in Damsel In Distress to use as background music. It's used to great affect on one of those foggy London nights where both of them are trailing Novak.
In the last half hour their sleuthing pays off and a rather intricate mystery is solved. Lionel Jeffries makes a dogged and determined Inspector Lestrade like Scotland Yard man, who if truth be told is one of the sleazier members of that organization ever portrayed on screen.
The joint creative hands who wrote The Notorious Landlady were Blake Edwards and Larry Gelbart. Can't do better than that for style and wit.
- bkoganbing
- Dec 4, 2008
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Tajanstvena susetka
- Filming locations
- Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 North Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA(street scenes outside apartment)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $11,040
- Runtime2 hours 3 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was The Notorious Landlady (1962) officially released in India in English?
Answer