Adapted by Norman Krasna from his play “Kind Sir,” Indiscreet reteams Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman for the second time, after appearing in Hitchcock’s 1946 masterpiece, Notorious.
Grade” B+ (**** out of *****)
Ingrid Bergman plays Anna Kalman, a wealthy actress, and Cary Grant is Philip Adams, an international financial wizard.
While Philip is visiting London, Anna’s sister Margaret (Phyllis Calvert) and brother-in-law Alfred Munson (Cecil Parker) introduce him to Anna.
Philip pretends to be married in order to avoid romantic tangles. Anna, however, finds the prospect of an affair with a married man to be quite exhilarating. When she discovers the truth, Anna gets even with the now-smitten Philip by faking a romance with an ex-boyfriend; she orders a luckless chauffeur (David Kossoff) to pose as her beau.
This romantic comedy, fluffy to be sure, was made for mature audiences and was more successful as a film than as a stage play due to the charisma of the stars and the chemistry between them.
The movie was a commercial hit at the box-office.
Director Stanley Donen would go on to make more stylish and entertaining comedies in the 1960s, some with Grant (“Charade,” opposite Audrey Hepburn).
Cast:
Cary Grant – Philip Adams
Ingrid Bergman – Anna Kalman
Cecil Parker – Alfred Munson
Phyllis Calvert – Margaret Munson
David Kossoff – Carl Banks
Megs Jenkins – Doris Banks
Credits:
Produced, directed by Stanley Donen
Written by Norman Krasna, based on Kind Sir, 1954 play by Krasna
Cinematography Freddie Young
Edited by Jack Harris
Music by Richard Bennett
Distributed by Warner
Release date: June 26, 1958
Running time 100 min.
Language English
Box office $8 million