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Come September | |
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Directed by | Robert Mulligan |
Produced by | Robert Arthur Henry Willson Raoul Walsh |
Written by | Stanley Shapiro Maurice Richlin Stanley Roberts Robert Russell |
Starring | Rock Hudson Gina Lollobrigida Sandra Dee Joel Grey Bobby Darin Walter Slezak |
Music by | Hans J. Salter |
Cinematography | William H. Daniels |
Edited by | Russell F. Schoengarth |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date | August 9, 1961 (United States) |
Running time | 112 minutes |
Language | English Italian |
Box office | $5.8 million |
Come September is a 1961 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin.
Plot
Wealthy American businessman Robert Talbot owns a villa on the Ligurian coast, where he and his Roman mistress Lisa Fellini spend September each year. When Robert visits in July and calls Lisa en route from Milano, she cancels her wedding and rushes to meet him. Upon his arrival at the villa, Robert discovers that in his absence, his major domo Maurice Clavell has converted the villa into a hotel, currently hosting a group of teenage girls including Sandy and their chaperone Margaret Allison. Their departure is delayed when Margaret slips on the cork of a champagne bottle and is forced to spend a day in the hospital. Four teenage boys, led by Tony, who had irritated Robert on the drive to his villa, set up camp outside the villa and begin courting the girls.
Robert chaperones the girls on a sightseeing tour and to a music club. He dances with each of the girls and appeals to their virtues, stressing the importance of chastity. A drunken Tony makes a failed romantic advance toward Sandy. When Sandy tells Lisa of the lecture that she had received from Robert, Lisa becomes infuriated over Robert’s double standards. The next morning, she departs, hoping to reunite with her former fiancé Spencer.
Accompanied by Maurice, Robert chases after Lisa, but she refuses to reconcile. Maurice decides to play matchmaker, telling the police that his employer is a notorious criminal wanted in Rome and that Lisa is his accomplice, but his plan fails. Lisa returns to her apartment, where she finds Sandy. Hearing Sandy’s lament about lost love, Lisa experiences an epiphany and departs to reunite with Robert. On her way out, she meets Tony, whom she directs to her apartment, where he and Sandy reunite.
At the train station, Lisa borrows a toddler to convince the conductor that the father is abandoning them. Taken off the train, Robert reconciles with her. As a married couple, they return to the villa, which Maurice has converted into a hotel again and which is now occupied by a group of nuns.
Cast
- Rock Hudson as Robert L. Talbot
- Gina Lollobrigida as Lisa Helena Fellini
- Sandra Dee as Sandy Stevens
- Bobby Darin as Tony
- Walter Slezak as Maurice Clavell
- Brenda de Banzie as Margaret Allison
- Rossana Rory as Anna
- Ronald Howard as Spencer
- Joel Grey as Beagle
- Ronnie Haran as Sparrow
- Chris Seitz as Larry
- Cindy Conroy as Julia
- Joan Freeman as Linda
- Nancy Anderson as Patricia
- Michael Eden as Ron
- Claudia Brack as Carol
Production
Screenwriters Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin started working on the script in late 1959. While the film was in pre-production, Shapiro said in an interview: “I write all day at my office from 8:30 until 6:00, then have dinner and go home and spend two or three hours fixing, polishing or rewriting the day’s output.”
In early 1960, it was announced Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida were set to star. Before Lollobrigida’s participation was confirmed, Marilyn Monroe was rumored to be cast. Along with the cast revelations, it was immediately announced production was not set to start until later, because Hudson was still working on the film The Last Sunset (1961) and Lollobrigida had commitments to Go Naked in the World (1961) and Lady L (1965). In June 1960, Robert Mulligan signed on as the film’s director.
A month later, singer Bobby Darin was announced to make his film debut in Come September. He and Dee met for the first time on location, fell in love and married on December 1, 1960. The making of Come September is portrayed in the Bobby Darin biopic Beyond the Sea (starring Kevin Spacey as Darin and Kate Bosworth as Dee).
Initially, Lollobrigida was reluctant because she was not enthusiastic about returning to Italy, where the film was shot. In an interview, she mentioned accepting the role because it allowed her to work with Hudson. Furthermore, she explained: “It’s a comedy that can only be made in Italy.”
Music
Bobby Darin composed the Come September theme as well as the song “Multiplication” that he performs in the film.
- Billy Vaughn – Come September
- Come September on sitar and guitar By Chandrashekhar Phanse and Joslyn Braganza
- Come September – Binayak Sen Sings On Harmonica
- Come September’ Played by Shanoli on her Piano Accordion
- COME SEPTEMBER THEME GUITAR INSTRUMENTAL.
Novelization
In advance of the film’s release, a paperback novelization of the film written by crime and mystery novelist Marvin H. Albert was published by Dell Books.
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, Come September has an 80% score, based on five critics’ reviews.
Remakes
Come September has been remade as the Hindi-language films Kashmir Ki Kali (1964)
and Mere Sanam (1965)
and as the Tamil-language film Anbe Vaa (1966). The 1980 Hindi film Ek Baar Kaho was also loosely based on Come September.
Watch the movie trailer
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