The Grass Is Greener (1960)

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Hugh Williams (screenplay) and
Margaret Vyner (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 February 1961 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Variety is the spice of life!

Plot:

Victor and Hillary are down on their luck to the point that they allow tourists to take guided tours of their castle...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Independent Film | Based On Play

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Victor Rhyall, Earl
Deborah Kerr	...	Lady Hilary Rhyall
Robert Mitchum	...	Charles Delacro
Jean Simmons	...	Hattie Durant
Moray Watson	...	Trevor Sellers, the Butler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joan Benham	...	Hairdresser's receptionist ('No sir. Quite sure, sir.') (uncredited)
Elisabeth Orion	...	Fair-haired woman (uncredited)
Gwen Watford	...	Hairdresser's Receptionist (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Donen

Writing credits
Hugh Williams		(screenplay) and
Margaret Vyner		(screenplay) (as Margaret Williams)
Hugh Williams		(play) and
Margaret Vyner		(play) (as Margaret Williams)

Produced by
Stanley Donen	....	producer
James H. Ware	....	associate producer (as James Ware)

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jim Clark		(as James Clark)

Art Direction by
Paul Sheriff

Makeup Department
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist
Gordon Bond	....	hair stylist
John O'Gorman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Richard B. Goodwin	....	unit manager (as Richard Goodwin)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Stevens	....	assistant director

Art Department
Vernon Dixon	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Maurice Askew	....	sound recordist
John Cox	....	sound supervisor
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist
Peter Musgrave	....	dubbing editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Austin Dempster	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hardy Amies	....	clothes: Miss Kerr
John Wilson-Apperson	....	wardrobe supervisor (as John Wilson Apperson)

Editorial Department
Mary Kessel	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Douglas Gamley	....	music arranger
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor
Len Stevens	....	music arranger
Noel Coward	....	composer: original theme (uncredited)
Douglas Gamley	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Shirley Barnes	....	continuity girl
Maurice Binder	....	title designer: main title
Maurice Landsberger	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Una Pearl	....	double (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Grandon Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (as Universal International)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1961) (UK) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (VHS)
• PolyGram Video (1997) (UK) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Collection International Ltd. (1986) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Christian Dior  Miss Simmons' clothes

Runtime:

104 min | UK:80 min (VHS version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #19674) | Iceland:L | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video re-rating) (1999) | UK:U (video rating) (1986) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Lacock Abbey, Lacock, Wiltshire, England, UK

Company:

Grandon Productions Ltd.

Quotes:

Victor Rhyall, Earl: Well then, so long, be seeing you, as you say in America.
Charles Delacro: Cheerio, as you say in Britain.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Silhouettes: The James Bond Titles (2000) (V)

very British, very arch, very enjoyable

This delightful film's script is a descendant of the sort of archly witty portrayals of British upper-class life that came from the pens of Somerset Maugham and Noel Coward (one of whose songs serves as musical lead-in, and at least one of whose tunes ["Mad About the Boy" - listen for it] serves as background music to comment on the action). The atmosphere of this sort of comedy may be a bit foreign to American tastes (the whole topic of infidelity is discussed in such a civilized and gentlemanly fashion among the parties- Stiff Upper Lip and all that - where Americans would be screaming at each other and going for weaponry) but as a devotee of British drama I enjoyed the movie hugely. It's a stellar cast - everyone shines, right down to Moray Watson in the small but delicious part of the befuddled butler Sellers. Jean Simmons is especially enjoyable in her out-of-character portrayal as the outspokenly vampish Hattie. Despite opinions below to the contrary, the incomparable Cary Grant fills the part of this down-at-the-heels English Lord like old brandy fills a crystal decanter. The sumptuous setting of the baronial manor and the high production values make the film beautiful to look at, to boot. (The fact that the unfortunate Lord is forced to open his manor to paying visitors to support his lifestyle is based on the historical truth of the confiscatory tax policies imposed on the British hereditary gentry by post-WWII Labor governments; everyone is entitled to their own opinions on these policies, but be assured the film makes no political comment).

It does stretch the imagination a tad that Victor could treat the whole issue of his wife's infidelity - going on right in front of his nose - in such a dispassionate manner, but that is a characteristic of this genre. Further, Grant manages to convince us that, beneath his outer imperturability, his wife's disloyalty has pained him deeply and he could not stand to lose her.

This is a not-well-known film whose appeal might be a bit specialized, but I think it's a minor gem. And I could not omit mentioning the charming opening credits with their bevy of delightfully cavorting babies.