Irma La Douce
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Movie Reviews of Irma La Douce
Movie Review: MacLaine and Lemmon in Parisian backstreet fairytale
Summary: 5 Stars
Billy Wilder's 1963 adaptation of the successful stage musical IRMA LA DOUCE still makes for an entertaining movie experience. Shirley MacLaine is simply perfect for the title role with Jack Lemmon absolutely hilarious as her comical suitor.
Irma la Douce (Shirley MacLaine) plies her trade on the Rue Casanova of Paris with her fellow lovelies (with such names as Lolita, Amazon Annie, Mimi the MauMau and Suzette Wong). Into Irma's life comes the noble and honest policeman Nestor (Jack Lemmon) who is soon kicked off the job because he refuses to take bribes and compromise his own conscience. Nestor goes to live with Irma as her `business manager' but wants her to give up her profession, so he `invents' the filthy-rich Lord X to become her sole client, and takes a night-job to help the shortfall. All manner of hilarious complications ensue as Nestor's double life soon begins to spin out of control!
Based on the successful stage musical (music by Marguerite Monnot, lyrics by Alexandre Breffort), IRMA LA DOUCE was re-tooled by Wilder as a straight comedy piece. It works quite well either way, though I must confess that as an admirer of the stage play, it would have been smashing for Shirley MacLaine to perform that gorgeous score. The movie does retain the jaunty "Dis-donc, Dis-donc" and Andre Previn's score makes good use out of Monnot's music, particularly "Our Language of Love".
The strong cast also includes Lou Jacobi as the owner of the Bistro Moustache, Bruce Yarnell as Irma's previous manager Hippolyte and Billy Wilder stalwart Joan Shawlee as Amazon Annie.
The evocative costumes were designed by Orry-Kelly and the unbilled narrator at the beginning of the film is none other than Louis Jourdan. Shirley MacLaine was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance here and the movie itself was one of the year's top-grossers.
The DVD presents the movie in a nicely-letterboxed 16:9 print. Colours are full and rich and the soundtrack is stridant in 2-channel stereo. The only extra is the original trailer.
Movie Review: "In our langurage of love"
Summary: 5 Stars
What a remarkable transformation from stage to screen. A Broadway musical made into a straight movie but using all the songs from the Broadway Musical but without the words.This doesn't need to be confusing. Actually it is a delightful movie with two of my favorite actors, Shirley and Jack. Both with exceptional talent from the stage and now adapting this to a non-musical musical romantic comedy. While you hear the background music in this great film you will almost hear the beautiful words being sung with the chemistry that these two actors portray.This comedy duel soon changes to more serious acting as the story progresses and you find yourself just as much in love as they are with each other. Billy Wilder as the director had visions for this story way beyond any director of today. This guy knows how to direct and the challenges that he had in this film in keeping with the story without the singing voices only shows that he is the "Master" of all directors.Movie Review: Here's looking at you, Irma...
Summary: 5 Stars
Is there any denying how beautiful Shirley MacLaine was in this film?
I just finished watching Irma La Douce with my wife, over dinner. It's a delightful comedy, also starring Jack Lemmon as a clean police officer, who raids a den of prostitution, is fired for his trouble, and then falls in love with one of the prostitutes. Jealous of all her clients, he concocts a scheme to dress up as an English Lord ("Lord X"), so as to monopolize all her time. His best-laid plan of course goes astray, but love wins out in the end.
I first watched this movie when about 9 or 10 years old, and had a crush on Shirley MacLaine as a result. She is just...luscious. The full implications of the prostitution were of course lost on me at the time.
This film is definitely worth a watch...a great old-fashioned comedy.
Movie Review: Lemmon and MacLaine at their best
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those timeless motion pictures that will always be good. Jack Lemmon plays the young Parisian police officer who is a little naive and does not understand that being assigned to a red light district is a form of reward because of certain fringe benefits. Shirley Maclaine plays Irma, the beautiful prostitute. Circumstances bring about a drastic change in the police officer's life which turn him into Irma's pimp, but he has a problem because he does not want to share her with other men. That leads him into a life of subtrafuge as he tries to masquerade as another individual. The film has its moments. It was produced when Lemmon and MacLaine were at the peak of their careers.Movie Review: But that's another story . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
It's astounding. This is one of the funniest comedies ever made and few people have even heard of it.Everyone's seen "Some Like it Hot" (I HOPE!) but even die-hard Billy Wilder fans have missed out on this one.
Like "The Apartment" it's co-written by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, stars Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine and is directed by the man himself.
There's one big difference, though. "The Apartment" has been justly acclaimed as a masterpiece of cinema, but despite what critics have written about it, it is NOT a 'romantic comedy.' It's a drama. A poignant love story with a happy ending.
This one's a screwball comedy. A first class farce.
But, that's another story . . .