Sabrina (1954) ***

Release Date: September 3, 1954

Running Time: 113 minutes

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden

Directed By: Billy Wilder

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. Sabrina finds Hepburn still relatively green and inexperienced, something that co-star Humphrey Bogart struggled with, finding her immature and unprofessional. Whatever grievances there were behind the scenes, it translated to what audiences 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.

Sabrina Fairchild (Hepburn), is 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 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 another of the long line of women in her 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, 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 love for David. What he doesn’t count on is falling for the young girl, 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 some subtle changes after coming home from Paris two years later. 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. 

Rounding out the love triangle is William Holden’s David. David is so broadly written that it threatens to become a caricature. Fortunately Holden is up to the task of a role that could have easily been unlikeable. He is just endearing enough to avoid that trapping and 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. The only false note comes late in the game when he accepts his forthcoming arranged marriage. It’s in service of the story but rings a little false. 

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 Bogart and Hepburn.