Of course, as the above clip suggests, not all is rosy, and Sabrina may be considered dated by some. Sabrina is sent to Paris to attend a well-known cooking school, reinforcing the older stereotype of a woman’s place being in the kitchen. Parts of the dialogue, too, are quite early Hollywood:

Sabrina Fairchild: Kiss me, David.

David Larrabee: Love to, Sabrina.

[kisses her]

Sabrina Fairchild: Again. That's better.

David Larrabee: What's the matter, dear? You're not worried about us, are you? Because I'm not. So there'll be a big stink in the family. So who cares?

Sabrina Fairchild: David... I don't want to see Linus again. I don't want to go out with him.

David Larrabee: Why not, darling?

Sabrina Fairchild: I want to be near you.

David Larrabee: Oh, I know how you feel Sabrina, it must be an awful bore. But if Linus wants to take you out, let's be nice about it. It's very important. He's our only ally. See, father will want to send me to Larrabee Copper in Butte, Montana, and we don't want to go Butte Montana, do we?

Sabrina Fairchild: Hold me close, David.

 

In the context of the film and its fairy tale feel, the above dialogue feels somewhat natural, if, as above-mentioned, somewhat dated.

As usual, Hepburn is excellent, and Wilder plays to her strengths. Holden provides a solid and entertaining playboy, too, but it’s Bogart (unsurprisingly) who carries away the film, delivering a dry but amusing Linus Larrabee. Overall, a fun, worthwhile, and slightly thought-provoking film.

———

Recommended viewing:

Like fairy tale films? Here are a few others worth a look.

First Love stars the once well-known Deanna Durbin as Connie Harding, an orphan sent to live with her rich aunt and uncle after boarding school. Clearly a re-working of Cinderella, the film features an ugly step-sister (Connie's cousin Barbara), and a fairy godmother (her uncle). A nice, old-fashioned fairy tale romance.

Discover a love of Deanna Durbin? Try "For the Love of Mary" and "Three Smart Girls"

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