40 Carats (film)

40 Carats is a 1973 American romantic comedy film directed by Milton Katselas. It is based on the 1968 play of the same name by Jay Presson Allen. The screenplay was written by Leonard Gershe (who significantly changed the ending).[2]

Forty Carats
Film poster
Directed byM.J. Frankovich
Milton Katselas
Written byLeonard Gershe
Jay Presson Allen
StarringLiv Ullmann
Edward Albert
Gene Kelly
Binnie Barnes
Music byMichel Legrand
CinematographyCharles Lang
Edited byDavid E. Blewitt
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • 1973 (1973)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2,100,000 (US/Canada rentals)[1]

The film stars Liv Ullmann, Edward Albert, Gene Kelly, Binnie Barnes, Deborah Raffin, Nancy Walker, and Natalie Schafer. Ullman was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Motion Picture Actress, Musical or Comedy, and the Writers Guild of America nominated Gershe's screenplay for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium.

Plot

Ann Stanley, who sells real estate in New York City, is on vacation with her mother in Greece when her car breaks down. To her rescue comes a young man on a motorbike, Peter Latham, who has a difficult time persuading Ann to accept a ride. They become better acquainted, drink ouzo, and ultimately consummate the relationship. Ann enjoys his company, but still views their relationship as a summer fling.

Back home, at a party one night, Ann is stunned when her grown daughter turns up with Peter as her date. Peter was not her daughter's date - he picked her up at her home in place of her daughter's date. It turns out, however, that Peter's goal is to resume his romantic acquaintance with Ann, having developed feelings for her during the summer. The age difference embarrasses Ann greatly. He is 22, and she is 40. Friends and associates of Ann are somewhat aghast at her behavior as the persistent Peter refuses to take no for an answer. In time, after demonstrating a great deal of reluctance, Ann finally acknowledges that the only thing that matters is true love.

Cast

Production

Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Joanne Woodward, Doris Day, Glenda Jackson, Shirley MacLaine, and Sophia Loren were all considered for the role of Ann Stanley before the original director (William Wyler) bowed out of the production.

On the Broadway stage in 1968, the role was originated by Julie Harris, who won a Tony Award for her performance. Actresses June Allyson, Joan Fontaine, and Zsa Zsa Gabor succeeded her on Broadway in the play, which ran for 780 performances.

References
  1. "Big Rental Films of 1973", Variety, 9 January 1974, p. 19
  2. "40 Carats". FilmAffinity. filmaffinity.com. Retrieved 27 December 2015.


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