The V.I.P.s (1963)

Director:

Anthony Asquith

Writer:

Terence Rattigan (written by)

Release Date:

19 September 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A Modern Love Story

Plot:

Fog delays a group of travelers headed for New York. They wait at the V.I.P. lounge of London Airport, each at a moment of crisis in his or her life.

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Elizabeth Taylor	...	Frances Andros
Richard Burton	...	Paul Andros
Louis Jourdan	...	Marc Champselle
Elsa Martinelli	...	Gloria Gritti
Margaret Rutherford	...	The Duchess of Brighton
Maggie Smith	...	Miss Mead
Rod Taylor	...	Les Mangrum
Orson Welles	...	Max Buda
Linda Christian	...	Miriam Marshall
Dennis Price	...	Commander Millbank
Richard Wattis	...	Sanders
Ronald Fraser	...	Joslin
David Frost	...	Himself - Reporter
Robert Coote	...	John Coburn
Joan Benham	...	Miss Potter

Also Known As:

International Affair (USA) (working title)
International Hotel

Runtime:

119 min | Argentina:120 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Argentina:13 | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Portugal:17 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

De Grunwald Productions

Trivia:

Based on a true story, the movie was a thinly disguised account of screenwriter Terence Rattigan's life friend Vivien Leigh and her attempt to leave her husband Laurence Olivier for Australian actor 'Peter Finch' . Leigh and Finch made it to the London airport, but their plane was delayed by incoming fog giving Olivier time to confront the two and bring Leigh home. Leigh abandoned her plan after hours of fog delay.

Quotes:

Frances Andros: For most of those thirteen years I've loved him. But I don't know him.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "What's My Line?: (1964-04-26)" (1964)

Delicious Moments

As another user has said, I love this movie. I too saw it multiple times in theatres (the first Dick/Liz film made it a must-see at the time) and have played the grooves off the laserdisc. DVD anyone????

In the classic "Grand Hotel" style, the film follows several A stories and several more B stories during one night, fogged in at Heathrow. Though the script has some dreadful stuff, there are moments throughout the movie which seem indelibly etched on my mind: Burton's face as he sits in the hotel lobby, every Smith/Taylor scene, every Rutherford scene, every Welles scene.

Am I the only one who enjoys good melodrama? This one is so rich with such beautiful people, gorgeous clothes and glorious character actors, it has to be fattening.

I love the score, the sets, the richness of the colors and the way so many of these actors are captured in their absolute prime. I don't remember any film that wasn't a costume drama that shows off Liz's beauty any better. Rod Taylor, always handsome, often underrated, has some marvelous moments. And despite some pretty maudlin scenes, you get some idea why Liz fell for Burton so hard.