The Yellow Rolls-Royce

And also some ravishing scenery. This movie has three separate segments, all of them well done in spite of a pretty tepid script. The actors are magnificent but I would have to say that Shirley MacLaine was amazing as a gangster's moll who falls in love and then sacrifices that love to save his life. Beautifully acted. Omar and Ingrid also shine in the segment about fighting in the hills of Yugoslavia. Of course in all three of the stories the males are mere foils for the females and the car itself. This movie is definitely a "guilty pleasure." 7 out of 10.

What a visual treat to see the scenery of Europe, along with the acting talents of some of my very favorite performers! Three couples own a fabulous car over a period of years, each with a story worth telling. Rex Harrison presents a touching, surprisingly sympathetic husband who loves his wife too much. Jeanne Moreau is the cheating wife, probably the weakest female of the three. In act two, Shirley MacLaine shines as the gangster moll with a heart, who falls in love with the impossibly gorgeous Alain Delon. George C. Scott plays a part totally unlike any of his others, and Art Carney is a sweet cameo.I especially loved the final act of the trio, when aristocratic Ingrid Bergman, in a multi-layered performance, helps resistance fighter Omar Sharif (I could watch him brush his teeth for two hours!) transport his colleagues to safety in Yugoslavia during WWII. The car is almost a character in itself, as is Bergman's little dog, who plays her part with gusto. I especially loved the comedic moments so beautifully played by Ms. Bergman. She and Sharif make a gorgeous, sensitive couple, and are eye candy for those of us who love fanciful, impossible love affairs. A wonderful film for a rainy afternoon.

After the success of "The V.I.P.s" the year before, Anthony Asquith and Terence Rattigan are at it again with uneven results. The excuse this time is a Rolls Royce that passes hands from star to star. It is a formula used before many times, most successfully in Julian Duvivier's "Tales of Manhattan" in which a dinner jacket plays an important part in the destinies of Edward G Robinson, Charles Laughton, Henry Fonda and Paul Robson among others. More recently the formula was used by John Badham in his "The Gun" and then Martin Donovan in the lyrically powerful "Seeds of Tragedy" in which the Rolls Royce there is cocaine. Terence Rattigan was master at dialogue and his characters tended to move in confined spaces, take "Separated Tables" for instance. In "The Yellow Rolls Royce" we travel from England to Italy to Eastern Europe and the only confinement Rattigan finds for his characters is the interior of the luxury car. On the first segment, Rex Harrison and Jeanne Moreau show Rattigan at his best, they are great fun to watch. Harrison, playing a big shot at the foreign office, does wonderful things with Rattigan's words. On the second episode Shirley MacLaine and Art Cartney are lovely as a gangster's moll and her minder but the Italo-American gangster, as played by George C Scott, is so over the top that, practically, sinks the whole little segment. French star Alain Delon plays an Italian gigolo of sorts. He is beautiful to look at but hopeless at delivering Rattigan's lines. On the third episode Ingrid Bergman plays Ingrid Bergman, beautifully and Omar Shariff plays Omar Shariff, just as beautifully. Joyce Grenfell plays a cameo as Bergman's companion, as usually, when she's on, she steals the scene. As you may have gathered, this is the kind of picture that one would enjoy the most on a rainy Sunday afternoon. That in itself is a recommendation.

This is a slow moving but entertaining movie. The three stories are romantic and charming. The cast is outstanding. Ingrid Bergman, Omar Shariff, George C. Scott, Art Carney, and Shirley McLaine to mention a few. Chances are of you enjoy movies from the 1960s you may like it. This type of movie was common then, but many have not fared well in getting to video. This has never been a hit but always enjoyed by many. Unfortunately it is not available on DVD or even VHS. If you have seen it and enjoyed it you may want to see "The Red Violin" with Samuel Jackson. Several stories that tie together with a red violin. The only common thread in "The Yellow Rolls-Royce" is the car. One of those if such-and-such could talk stories. It has been years since I have seen it telecast on TV. Good luck trying to see it.

The Yellow Rolls-Royce follows three sets of car owners and how the title car influences their slice of life. With an all-star cast and short stories that are easy to follow, these types of movies are always popular and usually include something or someone to love.

The first vignette actually makes you feel sorry for Rex Harrison, which is a miracle in itself. He's a wealthy diplomat with an unfaithful wife, Jeanne Moreau, and his story is rather sad. Everyone will get a laugh, however, when Jeanne requests, "Be a darling, will you, and fetch me my slippers?" Take that, Professor Higgins!

In order to make up for the sadness of the first vignette, the second starts off a little silly. Italian mobster George C. Scott and his low-class American fiancé Shirley MacLaine buy the car. Between her gum-chewing and his pseudo-Italian accent, you think you're in for a ridiculous third of the movie. It does get better, though, when George leaves for business and leaves Shirley alone with the car. . . and the ridiculously cute Alain Delon.

By the time the third vignette rolls around, you've had time to realize this is a bittersweet movie. Ingrid Bergman and Omar Sharif join forces in the last act, using the car to help the resistance before WWII breaks out. It's an interesting ending to the film, since all three vignettes aren't really stories to write home about but are entertaining at the time.