The Chauffeur’s Daughter

Sabrina is as classy and sophisticated as Audrey Hepburn herself. After the Oscar winning success of Roman Holiday, Hepburn followed it up with another romantic standard of 50’s cinema. Sabrina was nominated for Best Director Billy Wilder, Best Actress Audrey Hepburn, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction – Black-and-White, and Best Cinematography – Black-and-White. Winning for Best Costume Design – Black-and-White is understandable, but it has been disputed whether Edith Head or French designer Hubert de Givenchy was responsible. Sabrina is based on the 1953 play Sabrina Fair. It mostly focuses on a love triangle between the playboy, the businessman, and the chauffeur’s daughter. Though she looks lovely in the moonlight, Sabrina Fairchild is just a child in love with a man who never thinks twice about her.

William Holden is the immature son of her father’s employer David Larrabee. When Sabrina sees him with another woman, she attempts suicide. Fortunately, she’s rescued by David’s far more mature brother Linus Larrabee, with Humphrey Bogart playing against type. John Williams (the actor) is her father Thomas Fairchild who wants Sabrina to stop reaching for the moon. So he sends her to Paris where she studies cooking at La Cordon Bleu. When Sabrina returns, she’s an elegant young woman with a trademark Hepburn haircut and fancy dresses. Only now does David finally notice her. Except Linus expects him to marry the lovely Elizabeth Tyson played by Martha Hyer. The Tyson family owns sugar cane that the Larrabee business uses to make plastic.

Walter Hampden plays their father Oliver Larrabee who is especially vocal about his son being with a common chauffeur’s daughter. After David suffers a hilarious injury, Linus decides to get rid of Sabrina by taking his brother’s place. Though he’s closed himself off with work and she spent her entire life loving David, Linus and Sabrina develop romantic feelings. This time they call attention to Bogart being much older, but he originally wanted his wife Lauren Bacall to play Sabrina. Oddly enough, Hepburn ended up in a love affair with Holden in real life. In the movie it’s clear that Linus and Sabrina are destined to fall in love in Paris. Something Bogart was familiar with after Casablanca. They also attend the play The Seven Year Itch the year before Wilder directed the movie. Sabrina is old fashioned in a timeless way.

Sabrina shares a glass of wine with Linus