Sabrina

It’s hard to imagine a time when Audrey Hepburn was a relative unknown commodity in the film industry. Prior to 1954 she had had just a few films under her belt, most notably Roman Holiday, a film that won her an Academy Award the previous year.  With this new found notoriety Hepburn was cast in another romantic drama. Sabrina finds Audrey Hepburn still relatively green and inexperienced, something that co-star Humphrey Bogart took umbrage with, finding her immature and unprofessional. Whatever grievances there were behind the scenes, it translated to the screen making for a somewhat unconvincing romance between the two actors. Hepburn is game here but the chemistry between her and Bogart just isn’t there. Both actors give it a go but ultimately cannot make any heat between themselves. 

The story follows Sabrina Fairchild (Hepburn), the daughter of the chauffeur for wealthy businessman Oliver Larrabee (Walter Hampton) and his two grown sons Linus (Humphrey Bogart) and David (William Holden). Linus has followed in his father’s footsteps, running the day to day business interests, but David is more carefree, chasing after women constantly and avoiding responsibility. Sabrina has long loved David from afar, watching him romance women from a distance while secretly longing for it to be her turn. But David sees her as the young girl of the help, someone not to take seriously. Her father sends her off to Paris to study cooking for two years, hoping she will grow out of her infatuation but that doesn’t happen and when she returns, David, not recognizing her, falls for her like just any other of a long line of women in his life. This complicates things in the Larrabee estate as Linus and their father are in the process of merging their company with that of a sugarcane plantation, a merger dependent on David marrying the daughter of the plantation owner. Linus, rightfully sensing the danger to this merger by David’s newfound infatuation, schemes to get David out of the way for a while, then swoops in to romance Sabrina himself in an attempt to separate her from her the younger brother. What he doesn’t count on is falling for Sabrina, himself.

On the surface this is a superficial tale of young infatuation being usurped by real love. It wouldn’t stand out from other such tales were it not for Miss Hepburn’s powerful and delightful performance in the lead roll. She sells her immaturity in the early scenes as well as subtle changes  in her demeanor after coming home from Paris. Bogart saw her as inexperienced and unprofessional but she outperforms him in nearly every way. There is an innocence and vulnerability to her performance that draws us to her side in a way that we never feel for Linus. Her mannerisms are sometimes subtle, sometimes more obvious depending on the needs of any given situation. We understand her infatuation with David, watching it in its infancy during the opening scenes, and can follow it as she is reunited with him after her time abroad. Her delight at being finally noticed is cute at first but we feel the dangers to her personally when it seems she might get what she always wanted.

The weakest parts of the story are Sabrina’s suitors. David is so broadly written that it threatens to become a caricature. Holden is up to the task of a role that could have easily been unlikeable, just endearing enough to avoid the keep audiences liking him, even as we disapprove of his lifestyle. He is a typical man child who, years later is still sneaking women away from parties to drink Champaign and make love, never wanting to grow up and take responsibility for his life. The only false note comes late in the game when he accepts his forthcoming arranged marriage and sets in motion the final push Linus needs.  It’s in service of the story but rings false. 

The chemistry between Bogart and Hepburn may not be palpable but the same cannot be said between Bogart and Holden. The two brothers light up every scene they share together and bring with them some much needed levity to the proceedings. Whether it’s Bogart gleefully selling Holden on the merits of marriages and mergers or Holden being tricked into sitting down on some wine glasses to prevent a rendezvous with Sabrina, the two play off each other well and are convincing as brothers with opposite interests. The two spend the film learning that they each have something the other needs to complete themselves. Holden’s growth is abrupt but Bogart’s is given time to breath, even if the actor doesn’t completely sell it. 

A film like this lives and dies on the chemistry of the two leads. With that in mind it is amazing just how good this film is when that chemistry isn’t quite right. Bogart is good when acting alone or against his family members, but is all wrong against Hepburn. Hepburn on the other hand, is excellent throughout, elevating the whole affair. This is a classic, there is no doubt about that, but it could have been one of the all time greats had there been better chemistry between The two leads. That lack of chemistry fails to sink the film but it does make us wonder just how much better it could have been had they gelled better as a couple.

Release Date: September 3, 1954

Running Time: 113 minutes

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden

Directed By: Billy Wilder