Book Vs. Movie Sabrina Fair
The 1953 Play Vs the 1954 & 1995 Movie Adaptations (Sabrina)
The Margos are feeling romance a little early this year so we are diving into the play Sabrina Fair which was the basis for two Sabrina movies. Written by Samuel A. Taylor, the original Broadway production starred Margaret Sullavan and Joseph Cotten as our mismatched lovebirds, Sabrina Fairchild and Linus Larrabee, who both live on a huge estate in Long Island but one stays in the “main house” and the other lives in ‘the little house next to the big house.”
Sabrina is the chauffeur’s daughter who comes home after working for five years in Paris for NATO (!) and is now trying to figure out what to do with her romantic status. At the age of 30, she has a Parisian rich fellow who wants to marry her. The younger brother of Linus, David Larrabee, was a huge crush of hers but his new affection for her has Linus competing for Sabrina because…guy stuff?
In the play, Sabrina is pragmatic on what is available to women in mid-20th Century America, and with her chauffeur father actually being on the chair of Larrabee’s business board–marrying Linus is just a smart move. It’s a witty, charming work, and no wonder Billy Wilder wanted to adapt it for his last film at Paramount.
The 1954 film stars Humphrey Bogart as Linus and hunk William Holden as party boy David with Audrey Hepburn serving as the titular character. Bogart was 54 (and apparently really grumpy about everything to do with the film) and Hepburn, 25, had just won an Academy Award for Roman Holiday. Wilder had this Sabrina go to Paris for two years to learn French cooking while she obsessed over David’s every move from afar. When she gets back, David wants to marry her (making her the fourth or fifth wife) and Linus woos her just to keep her from ruining some family deal with plastics. So, yay for them falling in love?
The 1995 version was directed by Sydney Pollack and written by Barbara Benedek & David Rayfiel with Harrison Ford playing Linus Larrabee and Julia Ormond as our Sabrina. Here Sabrina spends several years in Paris working in magazines and developing a passion for photography. Greg Kinnear plays David who is swooning for Sabrina even though he is engaged to Lauren Holly. Here Linus works overtime to win over our heroine while she is very conflicted about her feelings for him. Does love conquer all?
So, between the original story and the adaptations–which did we prefer?
This episode is sponsored by Kensignton’s newest “small-town romance with a big heart” novel by Kate Pearce Romancing the Rancher. It’s the sixth installment of a series about the Millers of Morgan Valley who live in Morganville, California.
Pearce is a New York Times bestselling author and her sexy and heartwarming stories are known to have unconventional characters and subverting romance cliches. In Romancing the Rancher we have Evan Miller who dreams of leaving the family ranch and joining a rodeo tour. He meets Josie Martinez who has bull riding in her genes but dreams of living in San Francisco instead as a tech entrepreneur.
You can follow Kate Pearce at KatePearce.com and on Twitter @Kate4Queen
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The playwright Samuel A. Taylor and his feelings about the screenplay (which he helped write!)
- The basic story of the ply and films (we spoil the details?)
- Behind the scenes gossip on the original film
- Starring: ( 1955) Audrey Hepburn (Sabrina Fairchild,) Humphrey Bogart (Linus Larrabee,) William Holden (David Larrabee,) Walter Hampden (Linus Larrabee, Sr.,) John Williams (Thomas Fairchild,) Martha Hyer (Elizabeth,) Nella Walker (Maude Larrabee.) Marcel Hillarie (Professor in Paris,) 1995: Harrison Ford (Linus,) Julia Ormond (Sabrina,) Greg Kinnear (David,) Nancy Marchand (Maude Larrabee,) Angie Dickinson (Ingrid Tyson,) Dana Ivey (Mack,) and Richard Crenna as Patrick Tyson.
Clips used:
- David “meets Sabrina (1955 film)
- Sabrina 1955 trailer
- Linus and Sabrina on the tennis courts (1955 film)
- Linus and Sabrina dancing (1955 film)
- Linus realizes he loves Sabrina (1955 film)
- David meets Sabrina at the train station (1995 version)
- Linus realizes he loves Sabrina (1995 film)
- Music by La Vie en Rose (Edith Piaf)
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