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.

Plot Keywords:

Airport | Fog | Playboy | Income Tax | Businessman

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:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

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 the plan after hours of fog delay.

Quotes:

Marc Champselle: "No" is not a word that I recognise.
Frances Andros: You've recognised it for the past three months.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003) (V)

Look for Maggie Smith and Rod Taylor

A product! That's what this is. Beautifully wrapped but inside, a potential for heartburn. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor at the height of their popularity then, are hopelessly dated now. But, the Maggie Smith and Rod Taylor story is just great. Moving and funny. Orson Welles in another piece of self indulgence and self parody is priceless and so is the Academy Award winner Margaret Rutherford. Louis Jourdan, poor thing, as a gigolò - still, he spends the entire film, thinking that he'll be able to take Elizabeth Taylor away from Richard Burton - All that makes the film, almost sink. But put up with them to enjoy the rewards of Rod, Maggie, Orson and Margaret dealing with Terence Rattigan's enjoyable dialogue.