Das Mädchen Irma la Douce (1963)

Das Mädchen Irma la Douce: Directed by Billy Wilder. With Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Lou Jacobi, Bruce Yarnell. A policeman falls in love with a prostitute, Irma, but doesn’t want her seeing other men. So he creates an alter-ego, a wealthy Englishman who will be her only customer. Seems like a solid enough plan – what could possibly go wrong?

“This film is Billy Wilderu0026#39;s rewriting of Alexandre Breffortu0026#39;s French musical farce. In 1960, David Merrick brought an English version of the piece to the United States. This Brechtian play concerned penniless law student Nestor le Fripe and his jealous love for his prostitute girl friend, Irma. He disguises himself as Monsieur Oscar and becomes her only client. When he becomes jealous of Oscar, he pretends to murder the fake client. He is assisted in this scheme by Bob, a bartender who also serves as a narrator of sorts.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWilder keeps the basic idea of the play, but turns le Fripe, now Nestor Patou, into a policeman who falls for Irma. Bob becomes known as Moustache and Monnotu0026#39;s songs are used only for background music. In the leading roles, Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Lou Jacobi, Hershel Bernardi and Bruce Yarnell are as French as French fries. Wilder injects the farce with his usual cynical romanticism. The shame is that all of the leading players had musical comedy backgrounds and could have put across the musical numbers with style. Wilder did not have to use all 14 musical numbers, but 2 or 3 would have made the point. There is no reason why Jacobi could not have opened the film with u0026quot;Valse Milieuu0026quot;. The u0026quot;Dis-doncu0026quot; number is almost performed by Shirley MacLaine in the film; why wasnu0026#39;t it done? Jack Lemmon could have crooned u0026quot;Our Language of Loveu0026quot; to Shirley in the early bedroom scene. Maybe Wilder felt that the music would take the bite out the his film. It would have, but it would have made the film warmer. Thank goodness Wilder decided to include some silly slapstick to lighten the piece a bit.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhen I first saw this film, I was disappointed in it, but after a few more viewings, it stands up well against Wilderu0026#39;s other cynical-romantic comedies of this era. And it is the only one in color!”