The Grass Is Greener (1960)

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Hugh Williams (screenplay) and
Margaret Vyner (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 February 1961 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Variety is the spice of life!

Plot:

Victor and Hillary are down on their luck to the point that they allow tourists to take guided tours of their castle...

Plot Keywords:

Color In Title | Beautiful Woman | Marriage | Independent Film | Based On Play

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Victor Rhyall, Earl
Deborah Kerr	...	Lady Hilary Rhyall
Robert Mitchum	...	Charles Delacro
Jean Simmons	...	Hattie Durant
Moray Watson	...	Trevor Sellers, the Butler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joan Benham	...	Hairdresser's receptionist ('No sir. Quite sure, sir.') (uncredited)
Elisabeth Orion	...	Fair-haired woman (uncredited)
Gwen Watford	...	Hairdresser's Receptionist (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Donen

Writing credits
Hugh Williams		(screenplay) and
Margaret Vyner		(screenplay) (as Margaret Williams)
Hugh Williams		(play) and
Margaret Vyner		(play) (as Margaret Williams)

Produced by
Stanley Donen	....	producer
James H. Ware	....	associate producer (as James Ware)

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis

Film Editing by
Jim Clark		(as James Clark)

Art Direction by
Paul Sheriff

Makeup Department
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist
Gordon Bond	....	hair stylist
John O'Gorman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Richard B. Goodwin	....	unit manager (as Richard Goodwin)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Stevens	....	assistant director

Art Department
Vernon Dixon	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Maurice Askew	....	sound recordist
John Cox	....	sound supervisor
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist
Peter Musgrave	....	dubbing editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Austin Dempster	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hardy Amies	....	clothes: Miss Kerr
John Wilson-Apperson	....	wardrobe supervisor (as John Wilson Apperson)

Editorial Department
Mary Kessel	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Douglas Gamley	....	music arranger
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor
Len Stevens	....	music arranger
Noel Coward	....	composer: original theme (uncredited)
Douglas Gamley	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Shirley Barnes	....	continuity girl
Maurice Binder	....	title designer: main title
Maurice Landsberger	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Una Pearl	....	double (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Grandon Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (as Universal International)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1961) (UK) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (VHS)
• PolyGram Video (1997) (UK) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Collection International (1986) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Christian Dior  Miss Simmons' clothes

Runtime:

104 min | UK:80 min (VHS version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:Approved (certificate #19674) | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video re-rating) (1999) | UK:U (video rating) (1986) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Lacock Abbey, Lacock, Wiltshire, England, UK

Company:

Grandon Productions Ltd.

Trivia:

Cary Grant refused to wear a smoking jacket for one scene, believing that if the audience saw him dressed that way they would immediately lose sympathy with his character. The director later said that a type of old-fashioned comedy died that day.

Quotes:

Victor Rhyall, Earl: Sellers, have you seen my bible?
Trevor Sellers, the Butler: I'm afraid I've got it. I wanted to look something up.
Victor Rhyall, Earl: First you borrow my times, now you pinch my bible. That's democracy running amok!
Trevor Sellers, the Butler: I'm extremely sorry, Mylord. I put it back beside your bed.
Victor Rhyall, Earl: Anyway, you should have a bible of your own!
Trevor Sellers, the Butler: Well, the one you're using is mine, Mylord.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Silhouettes: The James Bond Titles (2000) (V)

Ahead of its time

This delightful morsel is even more impressive given the bare post-Eisenhower era of its release. While we tend to view 1960 as the beginning of the JFK cultural renaissance, in fact the decade dawned with Ike in the White House and Nixon on the horizon. Extramarital hijinks, dealt with adult sophistication, tolerance and forgiveness are rare enough, but the Bible-thumpers must have bust a gut on this one. I disagree with those who chastise the title, I think it's perfect. That such a topic is explored without losing the light comedic magic of Grant, the earnest angst of Kerr, the irreverent sexuality of Simmons and the brooding strength of Mitchum is testament to the ability of Stanley Donen to guide without herding. It all fits, wonderfully, in a movie that glows brighter with the passage of time, and the tsunami of trash that was to follow.