Movie #2192 "Love in the Afternoon" (TCM) This is a movie that I have wanted to see all the way through for a long time; I had never watched it for a long time because I couldn't see a love story with Audrey Hepburn and the very aged Gary Cooper (at the time) --- it seemed kind of creepy to me. I had seen scenes from it, and they didn't prove me wrong. However, a few weeks ago, it came on the t.v. on TCM channel, and I sat down and finally watched it in its entirety--- and found it quite a disappointment. The story was good --- Audrey was great! and so was her dad (Maurice Chevalier), but Gary Cooper was totally miscast. Aside from being way too old for her, he was supposed to be this outgoing playboy who woos his victims with his charisma and charm --- i.e. not Gary Cooper. There was one scene maybe that I I thought worked because it played to his abilities --- the Lou Gehrig, very quiet character who gets to the viewer emotionally with his eyes. Years ago, when you hired Bogart, you got that persona --- and that worked with many of the actors. There were very few that were good enough to change from one movie to the next.............and Gary Cooper was like Bogart --- you got his persona, and it is completely out of whack here. I would not recommend it, but Audrey is great so I would give it a 3 out of 5.
PS -- I think I want to research the casting a bit here because it is difficult for me to think Wilder made such a mistake in his casting --- I have the upmost respect for the man and his style of directing -- and this is definitely a Billy Wilder film --- it deals with feminist issues, and there's plenty of humor , although not being near as funny as "Some Like it Hot," he is able to get his actors to work up to their full potential. My guess is he got stuck contractually to use Cooper? or Cooper wanted to do it? There has got to be a reason why such a smart director as Wilder cast Cooper in this atypical role for him, knowing Cooper wasn't a good enough actor to play this character....
"LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON" 1957, 2 hours and 10 minutes
A middle-aged playboy becomes fascinated by the daughter of a private detective who has been hired to entrap him with the wife of a client.
A middle-aged playboy becomes fascinated by the daughter of a private detective who has been hired to entrap him with the wife of a client.
A middle-aged playboy becomes fascinated by the daughter of a private detective who has been hired to entrap him with the wife of a client.
A middle-aged playboy becomes fascinated by the daughter of a private detective who has been hired to entrap him with the wife of a client.
