The Grass Is Greener
The Grass Is Greener
| 23 December 1960 (USA)
The Grass Is Greener Trailers

Victor and Hillary are down on their luck to the point that they allow tourists to take guided tours of their castle. But Charles Delacro, a millionaire oil tycoon, visits, and takes a liking to more than the house. Soon, Hattie Durant gets involved and they have a good old fashioned love triangle.

Reviews
Greenes Please don't spend money on this.
SincereFinest disgusting, overrated, pointless
Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
mark.waltz It's very appropriate that the song heard over the post-credit and pre-final credit sequence were written by none other than Noel Coward, England's 20th century gift to the theatre. In most of his plays, the sexual exploits of England's upper crust were spoofed and gently ridiculed. Here, four very well mannered people (three British, one American) misbehave while being oh, so dignified and show that you can resolve marital strife and infidelity without tantrums, fisticuffs or a slapfest between two women. What you need is a duel.The four people are Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons, and they are all totally different, if still attractive mature adults. Grant and Kerr are a long married couple who live in one of the many country estates that tourists trample through while on vacation in Europe. One of those tourists is American millionaire Mitchum who accidentally opens a door on Deborah Kerr in one of the private rooms and opens a can of worms. They briefly spar, but it is very apparent that the very bored Kerr has taken a fancy to the suave American. Before you can say "Pip Pip, Cherrio", Kerr has escaped to London for a rendezvous, and Kerr's acerbic friend (Simmons) pays a visit on Grant to help him pick up the pieces and reminisce about their old affair. Soon, the foursome are spending an oh, so civilized weekend at the estate where chaos is sure to ensue.All four stars are excellent, extremely likable, and hysterically funny. A very intelligent screenplay provides plenty of innuendo and moments for each of the stars to shine. Even funnier is the way the screenplay expresses the character's thoughts while another character in a different setting is either expressing the same thought or the exact opposite. Simmons, usually more gentile in such films as "Hamlet", "So Long at the Fair" and "Guys and Dolls", is delightfully flirtatious, while Grant is wonderfully droll while insulting Mitchum by singing "Yankee Doodle" (you know the version with a feather being called macaroni). Kerr, always the lady, gets to be a bit more naughty here than normal, and Mitchum is fun as the sole non-Brit who didn't come to London riding on a pony. It should be also noted that Simmons looks incredibly sexy in her negligee. You get the feeling that once everything is wrapped up that the foursome might become bi-continental visitors and get a lesson in American customs from the very suave Mitchum.
howardmorley Had I gone to see this film in 1960 (when I was 14), I would have felt cheated, it was so boring, wordy and lacking action that I could hardly wait for its end.All I saw was a bunch of actors - Grant, Kerr, Mitchum & Simmons (who were in the autumn of their screen careers), mainly sitting around doing nothing in particular, making small talk endlessly about marriage, fidelity and this and that.Even for 1960 the screenplay seemed very dated and contrived while the actors drank copious quantities of liquor and alcohol.None of the characters seemed to have a useful job or do some service to society so I suspected this was the influence of the idle rich from the 1930s, but since then there had been a world war, penal taxation to help repay Britain's war debt, the need for women to do a job of work and a social revolution in Britain with the new wave of films like "Look back in Anger"; this film seemed curiously dated even for 1960.What an advert for the perils of drink and dipsomania!I noticed that the majority of the USA based user comments seemed in favour of this film while European comments were more critical.I have seen many films when each of the above actors starred individually in more worthy films but I am afraid that here too many cooks spoilt the broth.I voted it 4/10.
Spikeopath The Grass Is Greener is directed by Stanley Donen and stars Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr & Jean Simmons. It's adapted by Hugh Williams & Margaret Vyner from the play of the same name which they had both written and found success with in London's West End. Music is by Noel Coward and Christopher Challis is the cinematographer.Struggling financially, the Earl & Countess of Rhyall (Grant & Kerr) start giving tours around their stately mansion. Enter Charles Delacro (Mitchum) & Hattie Durant (Simmons), whose appearance at the mansion sets in motion the wheels of love, jealousy and machismo fuelled duelling.Considered too talky on its release, The Grass Is Greener, it's fair to say, is more for those who are either into the star wattage on offer, or for those who are romantics at heart. Upon first viewing the film doesn't appear to have much in the way of comedy, in fact when Grant is either off screen or out of ear shot there's a hole as big as the implausibility factor in the plot. However, further viewings (well listenings really) reveal a sharper script than the one critics gave credit for back in the day. There's plenty of "nudge nudge" winkery going on, while the portrayals of the rich American & British characters (could they get any more polar opposite than Grant & Mitchum?) has a nice glint in the eye to them.On the cast front, Grant is as smooth and classy as he always is, with his sometimes undervalued comedy timing here in full force. Kerr & Simmons look attractive, with the latter benefiting greatly from some outrageously punky Dior costumes. While Mitchum, tho no master of comedy, works his laconic low tone charm to great effect off of Grant's well spoken aristo verbality. However, look away from the big four heading the cast and you find much comedy value in Moray Watson as the Butler. He, along with Challis' photography inside of the house, are arguably the stars of the show. A fine film for the patient to enjoy, even if it's not the masterpiece that its cast list suggests it should be. 7/10
WaAnNiTe Being a huge Deborah Kerr fan and a minor Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons fan I looked very much forward to watching this movie. My expectations were not disappointed! I had a lot of fun! The great dialogs as well as the actors managed to crack me up several times. Cary Grant is perfect typecasting. He has to deal with his beloved wife's infidelity. Mitchum and Kerr are rather unusual compared to their previous roles. He is very charming and straight-forward. When he sees something he wants, he takes it. She is truly funny! They have a great chemistry and you can tell that they were good friends in real life. But pay also special attention to Jean Simmons as the gin-drinking, all-knowing Hattie. She is hilarious! All together , the movie is great fun! Very British and very 50s/60s!
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