Sabrina (1954)

I love the story of Sabrina...
Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) is the plain looking daughter of a chauffer. She falls in love with the playboy son, David (William Holden), of the wealthy people her father serves. David doesn't notice her... Her father sends her off to a cooking school in Paris and there she becomes transformed into a dazzlingly gorgeous young lady. She comes home stunningly beautiful and catches the eye of the playboy son, David. Linus (Bogart) has worked out a merger with this company and rich family who owns sugarcane plantations. Part of the deal is that David is marrying their daughter. So Linus has to draw Sabrina away from David, because he's already engaged... and Sabrina falls in love with Linus... I won't give the end away... I'll just say it's worth the watch... It leaves you satisfied. Sometimes you watch a movie and at the end you are like... "So?" ... It didn't end well... Well this is not one of those movies! I love this movie to death! The best Actors, music, and chemistry! A definite watch!

Director extraordinaire William Wilder gracefully weaves another tale of "ugly duckling morphs into beautiful swan," yet, we don't feel like we've seen it quite like this. The film is charmingly comedic, yet never slapsticky like the recent remake. The production is highly viewable, and the marvelous clothing is eternally stylish on the three leads of Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden--all of them, Oscar winners, and Hepburn herself a nominee for this performance.

The tale shows a young whippersnapper chauffeur's daughter (Hepburn) hopelessly enamored with the younger son of her father's employer. Charming David (Holden) is a misguided, misdirected, fun-loving playboy who never wants for female attention, and could scarcely give young Sabrina the time of day. In hopes of ending this futile, unrequited love, Sabrina's father sends her to study culinary arts in Paris.

During her tenure at the school, she not only learns how to cook (some funny moments there involving eggs and souffle), but how to be a woman worthy of capturing a man's attention. The new, sophisticated, and sauve Sabrina instantly captures David's attention upon her arrival, but now Linus, the older, settled, finacial wizard brother, is involved in the mix--and his reasons don't quite seem like love...or is it only because he doesn't know how to love?

Who will Sabrina end up with? Will she find joy with either brother? Will she feel she was "reaching for the moon"?

Besides being a story of a young woman's coming of age, the film also shows the class struggle and resentment between the poor and rich. "There is a front seat, a back seat, and a window in between," Sabrina's chauffeur father firmly states. By Sabrina's flirations with the sons, we are left to wonder if she will forever be seen as part of the "hired help", and not a family member.

See this classic, and don't bother to see the remake--it only pales in comparison. You won't even notice the black and white cinematography as all three stars glow so brightly.

This remastered DVD is from Paramounts "The Audrey Hepburn Collection". If you love the old Hollywood and the "Big Stars" you'll love Sabrina.

Audrey Hepburn (Sabrina)(Oscar winner), William Holden (David Larrabee)(Oscar winner - Stalag 17) & Humphrey Bogart (Linus Larrabee) (Oscar winner - African Queen) were perfectly cast for this timeless romantic comedy classic.

In summary: The fun begins with a chauffers young daughter (Sabrina) who is in love with employer (the Larrabee family) playboy son millionaire David (Holden) who only sees her as a child. She is sent off to Paris to a cooking & fininshing school. Sabrina meets the European rich & famous who refine and add sophistication to the maturing young woman. Upon her return home as a changed mature socialite is swooned by David unknowning it is this young daughter of a servant, Sabrina. Once this is disclosed the real romance begins. Linus (Bogart) the older brother who runs the family business dynasty has pre-arranged a business merger marriage for David. David now loves Sabrina. Linus tries to swoon Sabrina away from David who is now jeopardizing the business merger. Sabrina is still in love with David finds Linus' advances distracting, then charming & eventually a love triangle begins. The rest is history. Especially the happy ending which was the old Hollywood recipe to success.

A great movie, a great performing cast and a delightful Sabrina. Included is a "Sabrina" documentary which adds frosting to the already tasty cake.