The Grass Is Greener

"Well then, so long, be seeing you, as you say in America."
"Cheerio, as you say in Britain."

Victor (Grant) and Hilary (Kerr) Rhyall are facing financial struggles.  They cannot afford the upkeep on their lavish family estate and have allowed tourists to have guided tours of the home, while they keep to a few rooms.  One day American millionaire Charles Delacro (Mitchum) enters their private chambers and charms Hilary.

When the affair begins, Victor invites Charles to visit for the weekend.  He also invites Hilary's best friend, who also happens to be Victor's former girlfriend, Hattie (Simmons).  Will Hilary choose Victor, or will he be forced to go to drastic measures to untangle the love quandrangle?


This film marks the third collaboration between Cary Grant and Deborah (they previously starred in Dream Wife and An Affair to Remember).  I found it on Amazon Instant Video, and since it sounded too good to pass up, I added it to my queue.  And I was not disappointed.


The film is adapted from the 1958 play The Grass Is Greener which was written by Hugh Williams and Margaret Vyner.  The play was a considered one of the best plays of 1958-1959, and the studio asked Williams and Vyner to write the screenplay for the film.

The film is intriguing from the beginning.  The opening credits, which were designed by Maurice Binder, are cute and creative.  Binder created the opening titles for most of director Stanley Donen's films, and later gained notoriety for his work on the James Bond films.

The cast is excellent, and Jean Simmons received a Laurel Award nomination for her performance.  My favorite scene is the telephone call between Victor and Charles, which appears on split screen with the two couples mirroring each other.  It is a great scene, and feels like something that would work well on stage (maybe it happened in the original play, regardless it is funny).

The Grass Is Greener (1960) 104 minutes
Director: Stanley Donen
Starring: Cary Grant as Victor Rhyall, Earl
Deborah Kerr as Lady Hilary Rhyall
Robert Mitchum as Charles Delacro
Jean Simmons as Hattie Durant
Moray Watson as Trevor Sellers