Sabrina (1954)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Samuel A. Taylor (play)
Billy Wilder (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

October 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Chauffeur | Beautiful Woman | Playboy | Carbon Monoxide Poisoning | Telephone Booth

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Ahdar	...	Ship's Steward (uncredited)
Raymond Bailey	...	Member of the Board (uncredited)
Marjorie Bennett	...	Margaret - Cook (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Party / Dance Extra (uncredited)
Colin Campbell	...	Board Member (uncredited)
Harvey B. Dunn	...	Party Guest with Tray (uncredited)
Fritz Ford	...	Dance Partner (uncredited)
Otto Forrest	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Gardener-Caretaker (uncredited)
Rand Harper	...	Man (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Charles Harvey	...	Drink Spiller (uncredited)
Paul Harvey	...	Dr. Calaway (uncredited)
Nancy Kulp	...	Jenny - Maid (uncredited)
Kay E. Kuter	...	Servant - Houseman (uncredited)
Bill Neff	...	Man with Linus Larrabee (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Charles - Butler (uncredited)
Gregory Ratoff	...	Man with David Larrabee (uncredited)
Kay Riehl	...	Mrs. Tyson (uncredited)
Marion Ross	...	Spiller's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Board Member (uncredited)

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Writing credits
Samuel A. Taylor		(play "Sabrina Fair") (as Samuel Taylor)
Billy Wilder		(screenplay) &
Samuel A. Taylor		(screenplay) (as Samuel Taylor) &
Ernest Lehman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Billy Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
Friedrich Hollaender		(as Frederick Hollander)

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(as Charles Lang Jr.)

Film Editing by
Arthur P. Schmidt		(as Arthur Schmidt)

Art Direction by
Hal Pereira
Walter H. Tyler		(as Walter Tyler)

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Edith Head
Hubert de Givenchy		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Vera Peterson	....	hair stylist
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles C. Coleman	....	assistant director (as C.C. Coleman Jr.)

Art Department
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cope	....	sound recordist
Harold Lewis	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	special process photography
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Doane Harrison	....	editorial advisor

Music Department
Friedrich Hollaender	....	music adaptor

Other crew
Eugene Loring	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Film Prestige (2004) (Russia) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Sabrina Fair (UK)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Spain:13 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #16882, General Audience) | West Germany:12 (bw) | Australia:PG (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Although Edith Head won an Oscar for costume design, most of Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe was by Hubert de Givenchy. In fact, Hepburn chose her own clothes to wear from de Givenchy's collection. This was her first time working with the French designer, and he would become her costumer of choice for most of her career.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the beginning of the film, when Linus is explaining his plastic to David, he holds a lighter to the piece of plastic and brags that it cannot scorch. However, as he turns the plastic over, a giant black spot is visible where the plastic was scorched. In the next shot, the spot on presumably the same piece of plastic has disappeared.

Quotes:

Sabrina Fairchild: I might as well be reaching for the moon.
Baron St. Fontanel: Oh, you young people are so old fashioned. Have you not heard? We are building rockets to reach the moon!

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions: America's Greatest Love Stories (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Isn't It Romantic?

The best movie of all time

Sabrina (Hepburn) is a chauffeur's teenage daughter, who longs to live a life of luxury. David (Holden) is the younger of her employer's two sons, and has been married a number of times. Linus (Bogart), the older one, is interested only in the stock market, having no time for women. Sabrina has loved David her whole life, but he "doesn't even know she exists". Trying to rid herself of him, she decides to leave for Paris, where she attends a cooking school. Sabrina returns later, looking like a glamorous woman of the world, and David falls for her.

I don't want to say any more, but I advise everyone to immediately go rent this movie. I promise you that if you are a fan of any of the cast members, enjoy old movies, or have seen the remake, you will thoroughly enjoy this classic.

Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, and Humphrey Bogart give fabulous performances in "Sabrina" (1954).