LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON -- Bill Wilder, dir.

©1957
studio: Warner home Video
production company: Allied Artists Pictures Corporation
dir: Billy Wilder
cast: Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier, Van Doude, John McGiver, Lise Bourdin, Bonifas, Claude Ariel, Jack Ary, Charles Bouillaud, Marcelle Broc, Olivia Chevalier, Leila Croft, Valerie Croft
screenplay: I.A.L. Diamond, Billy Wilder from a novel (Ariane) by Claude Anet

A middle-aged playboy and a young, virgin, wallflower play games with each other as they discover their love for one another.

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Hmmm. I'm not sure where to start with this one. I didn't like it, I didn't dislike it. Performances were good. Direction good. But what kind of characters are these? What kind of story is this?

It never resolved properly, as far as I was concerned. To have this virginous young woman madly in love with the arrogant playboy bachelor was fine, but who in their right mind ever expects the relationship to succeed? Certainly not the girl's father, who as a private detective has spied on the man for years.

So where can a story of this sort go? To see the couple together at the end would make the intelligent viewer rather sad because we know that the playboy will always wander. To see them separate will make us sad because we will understand the heartache of losing a first love.

The problem here is that the playboy (Cooper) is so stereotyped as a playboy that we can never truly believe he will be any different than he is.

The age difference between Cooper and Hepburn is also so great that we never believe there is a chance in hell of the couple ever working out.

Chevalier is wonderful as the father/detective, but for him to practically give a blessing to the relationship is so out of character, we leave the film not liking or trusting him.

An awkward film that can easily be avoided.