Das Mädchen Irma la Douce

by Billy Wilder

Pulp fiction, screenplay. "Including many scenes taken from the Billy Wilder Production starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine."

117 pages

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Billy Wilder (born Samuel Wilder) was a Polish-born, Jewish-American journalist, screenwriter, Academy Award-winning film director and producer, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age. Many of Wilder's films achieved both critical and public acclaim.

Reviews

[Anthony McGill]

Skinny little paperback containing the screenplay of Billy Wilder's comedy 'Irma la Douce' - written by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond.

Gendarme (Jack Lemmon) falls for prostitute (Shirley MacLaine) in Red-Light District of Paris and does everything, including disguising himself as the mysterious and generous Lord X to keep her from other customers.

Typical sexist comedy farce from Wilder which marred most of his later career. Both actors were excellent as usual but overall, the film was a pretty dreary effort from the celebrated team of Wilder and Diamond. And at a running time of nearly two and a half hours, way overlong and making it even more tiresome.

But it was a huge box-office hit - amazingly it ran exclusively for more than a year at a first-run Melbourne cinema back in 1963-64.

Strictly For devotees of Wilder's work, this rarity collector's item has been well put together and features about 30 stills to accompany the bare-bones script.

[Kiley Davis]

Funny little read I enjoyed it