On Thursday, June 8th, I will be closing a three-part series of films and discussion at the Syosset Public Library. It is part of a series titled New York In The 1950’s. The film to be shown and discussed on the final day is Billy Wilder’s Sabrina, released by Paramount in 1954.

Sabrina, adapted from the stage play Sabrina Fair, by Samuel Taylor (who also wrote the screenplay, with Ernest Lehman) is the story of a chauffeur’s daughter, Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) who has always been in love  with the son, David (William Holden) of the master of the estate. Sabrina goes to Paris, and comes back polished and a woman of the world: a princess. Her fairy tale has complications: David has an older brother, Linus (Humphrey Bogart) who tries to break up the romance between David and Sabrina,  but ends up falling in love with Sabrina himself, but all ends well in the end.

Sabrina is a wonderful film, and it received six Academy Award nominations, but only one win (For Best Costume Design). However, there were many complications behind the scenes.

Originally, Billy Wilder wanted Cary Grant for the role of Linus. When Grant wasn’t available, the part was offered to Humphrey Bogart, who had just signed a three-film deal with Paramount. Bogart did not have a good time during the making of Sabinra for numerous reasons:

• Bogart felt that he was the second choice for the role (True)
• Since Bogart and WIlder were both set in their ways, they clashed. Bogart would refer to Wilder as a stupid Nazi (even though Wilder was Jewish).
• Bogart felt Audrey Hepburn was unprofessional, since she kept flubbing her lines.
• Bogart was upset that Hepburn, Wilder and Holden would meet for coctails in Holden’s trailer, and Bogart was not invited (Wilder would later say, “We didn’t think of inviting Boagrt),
• Bogart felt he was miscast in the role of Linus

Wilder was having his own problems. He was suffering from back pain, and screenplay rewrites were not always available in time for shooting. At one point, Wilder asked Hepburn to feign illness, so the day’s shooting could be cancelled, so Wilder could work on screenplay rewrites.

William Holden had just worked on Billy Wilder’s Stalag 17, and receive a Best Actor Academy Award for his performance. So, he and WIlder worked well together. But Holden and Hepburn began an intimate relationship during the making of Sabrina. Holden was married, with two children, but Hepburn was hoping he would leave his wife and kids for her, and start a new family. HOlden had a casectomy, and once Sabrina was completed, the relationship ended.

Edith Head won the only film’s Oscar for Best Costume Design, but she had only created Hepburn’s every-day wardrobe. The elegant costumes that Hepburn wore were actually created by a man who would become a life-long friend of Hepburn’s: Hubert de Givenchny. Hepburn went to meet Givenchney in Paris. The designer thought he was meeting KATHARINE Hepburn. The designer was shocked that it was not Katharine. But this would soon change, and Hepburna and Givenchney became life-long friends.  So, when it came time to design the elegant wardrobe, it was Givenchney who completed task. However, when she accepted the Oscar, Edith Head did not acknowledge Givenchney’s contributions. Hepburn would make it up to Givencheny, by having him become her personal designer for the rest of her life.

With all of the complications behind the scenes, Billy Wilder’s Sabrina is considered to be one of the most romantic comedies of the 1950’s and one of Billy Wilder’s best films.