Never on Sunday

Never on Sunday (Greek: Ποτέ την Κυριακή, Poté tin Kyriakí) is a 1960 Greek romantic comedy film, written by, directed by, and starring Jules Dassin.

This article is about the 1960 film. For other uses, see Never on Sunday (disambiguation).
Never on Sunday
Directed byJules Dassin
Written byJules Dassin
StarringMelina Mercouri
Jules Dassin
Giorgos Fountas
Music byManos Hatzidakis
CinematographyJacques Natteau
Edited byRoger Dwyre
Distributed byLopert Pictures Corporation (United States)
Release date
  • 1 October 1960 (1960-10-01)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryGreece
United States
LanguageEnglish
Greek
Russian
Budget$150,000[1]
Box office$4 million (rentals)[2]

The film tells the story of Ilya, a Greek prostitute (Melina Mercouri), and Homer (Dassin), an American classicist. Homer attempts to steer her towards morality, while Ilya attempts to make Homer more relaxed. It constitutes a variation of the Pygmalion plus "hooker with a heart of gold" story.[3]

The bouzouki theme of the movie was a hit. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Original Song (Manos Hadjidakis for "Never on Sunday"). It was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Mercouri), Best Costume Design, Black-and-White, Best Director, and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay as Written Directly for the Screen (both Dassin). Mercouri won the award for Best Actress at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.[4]

Plot

Ilya, a self-employed, free-spirited prostitute who lives in the port of Piraeus in Greece, meets Homer, an American tourist and classical scholar who is enamored of all things Greek. Homer feels Ilya's life style typifies the degradation of Greek classical culture, and attempts to steer her onto the path of morality, while, at the same time, Ilya attempts to loosen Homer up.

Cast

Censorship in Italy

When Pote Tin Kyriaki (Italian title Mai Di Domenica) was first released in Italy in 1960 the Committee for the Theatrical Review of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities rated it as VM16: not suitable for children under 16. In addition, the committee imposed the following revisions: 1) the lines said by soldiers to the prostitute on the battle cruiser while bargaining the price will be modified 2) the scene in which the soldier and prostitute, framed as naked from the waist up and sitting in bed talking, will be deleted 3) the scene in which the protagonist is showering and talking to the prostitute will be shortened, in particular when he pulls the towel revealing her breasts and the sexual intercourse that follows.[5] Document N° 33379 signed on 26 November 1960[6] by Minister Ruggero Lombardi.

Home media

MGM released Never on Sunday on VHS in 2000 as part of the Vintage Classic lineup. The Region 1 DVD would soon follow on July 1, 2003.

References
  1. Tino Balio, United Artists: The Company That Changed the Film Industry, University of Wisconsin Press, 1987 p. 127
  2. "All-Time Top Grossers", Variety, 8 January 1964 p 69
  3. Christopher Bonano, Gods, Heroes, And Philosophers, p. 53
  4. "Festival de Cannes: Never on Sunday". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
  5. Italia Taglia Database of the documents produced by the Committee for the Theatrical Review of The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, from 1944 to 2000.
  6. Italia Taglia Database of the documents produced by the Committee for the Theatrical Review of The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, from 1944 to 2000.
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