Themes: Culture Clash, Interracial/Cross-Cultural Romance, Unrequited Love
Main Cast: Sophia Loren, Peter Sellers, Alastair Sim, Vittorio De Sica, Dennis Price
Release Year: 1961
Country: UK
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
A beautiful and wealthy woman in the market for a husband believes she has found the right man -- only to discover he isn't especially interested, in this comedy based on a play by George Bernard Shaw. Epifania Parerga (Sophia Loren) is a woman who has inherited a vast fortune, making her the wealthiest woman on Earth. All Parerga really wants is a happy marriage, but her first stab at matrimony, with Alastair (Gary Raymond), is a disaster, and when she visits a psychiatrist in hopes of learning what she did wrong, her analyst, Dr. Adrian (Dennis Price), attempts to seduce her. Parerga is nearly ready to give up when she meets Dr. Ahmed el Kabir) (Peter Sellers), a shy and well-mannered Indian physician who operates a clinic for the underprivileged. While Kabir is personable, he seems to have no interest in Parerga's money and is unfazed by her beauty; convinced he can love her simply for who she is, Parerga decides Kabir is the man for her. However hard Parerga tries to throw herself at him, Kabir refuses to budge, and even after she bankrolls a new clinic for him, he does not respond to her advances. Eventually, Parerga offers Kabir a challenge -- she bets him that he can't triple his profits at his new clinic in three months, while he in turn wagers her that she cannot live without money for the same period of time. A spin-off of the The Millionairess was a novelty song called "Goodness Gracious Me", in which Sellers and Loren duetting as a doctor from India and his alluring patient; a recording of the tune became a hit single in the United Kingdom. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
The Millionairess has some considerable flaws, many of which will irritate George Bernard Shaw purists, but it has enough that is right about it that most audiences will be more than willing to overlook its failings. The biggest problem lies in the actress portraying the title character. There is no doubt that Sophia Loren is one of the most stunning performers ever to grace the screen. Nor is there any doubt that, in her prime, she possessed a rare charisma and a considerable amount of talent. Unfortunately, Loren's natural fieriness and sensuality work against her in this part, which requires righteous rage rather than fire and a cooler sexiness than Loren possesses. Still, she has moments that are excellent and, in her exquisite Pierre Balmain costumes, looks absolutely stunning. There are problems with the screenplay as well, which is a trifle schizophrenic. That which has been faithfully adapted from Shaw works very well, as does that which is clearly screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz's work -- but the two don't blend very well. These defects aside, The Millionairess is a delight, with exceptional work from Peter Sellers (who brings a warmth and humanity to the role that will surprise those who know him from his broad comedy parts) and a wonderfully oily Alastair Sim. Anthony Asquith has directed with wit and style, and the result is quite engaging. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Alfie Bass - Fish Curer; Gary Raymond - Alastair; Miriam Karlin - Maria; Noel Purcell - Prof. Merton; Virginia Vernon - Polly Smith; Pauline Jameson - Muriel Pilkington; Graham Stark - Butler; Wally Patch - Whelk Man; Diana Coupland - Nurse; Basil Hoskins - 1st Secretary; Davy Kaye - Tommy True; Gordon Sterne - 2nd Secretary; Eleanor Summerfield - Mrs. Wetherby; Willoughby Goddard - President; Charles Hill - Corelli
Credit
Harry White - Art Director, Pierre Balmain - Costume Designer, Anthony Asquith - Director, Anthony Harvey - Editor, Georges Van Parys - Composer (Music Score), Dave Aylott - Makeup, Paul Sheriff - Production Designer, Jack Hildyard - Cinematographer, Pierre Rouve - Producer, Pamela Cornell - Set Designer, Riccardo Aragno - Screenwriter, Wolf Mankowitz - Screenwriter, George Bernard Shaw - Play Author
Millionairess, The (1936), a play by George Bernard Shaw. The heiress Epifania Fitzfossenden leaves her husband Alastair, giving him her fortune, but she tires quickly of her lover, Adrian, and leaves him for an Egyptian doctor.
Sellers plays Ahmed Kabir, a socialistIndian doctor, who meets a willful and arrogant heiress (Loren) who has married to satisfy the conditions of her father's will but whose marriage has not produced the hoped-for happiness. Rather memorable performances are given by Alastair Sim, playing the head of the millionairess’s business empire, Vittorio de Sica as the proprietor of a pasta production sweatshop, and Alfie Bass as a self-employed Cockney fish curer.
The film was a huge hit in Britain at the time of its release, but received mixed reviews. However, the film did not do well in the United States. In recent years, the reputation of The Millionairess has waned somewhat and it is no longer considered a classic, especially in light of earlier George Bernard Shaw films such as Pygmalion and Major Barbara, both films on which Shaw actually worked and on which he had final casting approval. In particular, the broad stereotyping of Sellers’ Indian character has been criticised, but fans note that he is also portrayed as intelligent, diligent and professional.
George Martin, who was the producer at that time of Peter Sellers' comedy recordings, conceived and instigated the writing and recording of a comedy duet "Goodness Gracious Me", sung by Sellers and Loren in their film characters. Martin commissioned David Lee and Herbert Kretzmer to write the song. Martin himself produced the recording. Martin envisioned the song as a recording to be incorporated in the soundtrack of the film. The film's producers did not agree to this, but the studio was happy to see the song released as a stand-alone single to promote the film. The song became a UK chart hit in 1960 and succeeded in publicizing the film.
