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''Come September'' is a 1961 American
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
film directed by
Robert Mulligan Robert Patrick Mulligan (August 23, 1925 – December 20, 2008) was an American director and producer. He is best known for his sensitive dramas, including ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962), '' Summer of '42'' (1971), '' The Other'' (1972), '' Sam ...
and starring
Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...
,
Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (4 July 1927 – 16 January 2023) was an Italian actress, model, photojournalist, and sculptor. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, a period in which she was an international ...
,
Sandra Dee Sandra Dee (born Alexandra Zuck; April 23, 1942 – February 20, 2005) was an American actress. Dee began her career as a child model, working first in commercials and then film in her teenage years. Best known for her portrayal of ingénues ...
and
Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...
. The film was the first produced by Hudson's film production company, 7 Pictures Corporation, in co-production with Raoul Walsh Enterprises.


Plot

Wealthy American businessman Robert Talbot owns a
villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...
on the
Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...
n coast, where he and his Roman lover, Lisa Fellini, spend time together only in September each year. Determined to stop settling for an annual affair, Lisa is preparing to marry Spencer, an eager but unexciting fiancé. When Robert calls Lisa enroute from
Milano Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nearly 1.4 million, while i ...
for an impromptu fling in July, however, Lisa loses her resolve, cancels her wedding, and rushes to meet him. Since Robert only stays at his villa one month each year, his crafty and enterprising
majordomo A majordomo () is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (''major'') person of a household (''domūs'' or ''domicile'') staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a larg ...
, Maurice Clavell, has converted the villa into a luxury hotel, which he has run over several years, shutting down over September. Currently the "hotel" is hosting a group of college girls, including Sandy Stevens and their chaperone Margaret Allison. When Robert beats his telegram to the villa, catching Maurice unaware, Maurice must deceive and juggle his boss and his guests to keep both his job and his business. On his drive to the villa, Robert encounters four college boys, led by Tony, who mock Robert’s age (though he is fit and thirtyish) and vintage sports car. The college boys set up camp outside the villa and begin flirting with the girls. Since the hotel guests are expected to check out the next day, Maurice tells his boss that they are Robert’s American compatriots, stranded in Italy through a mishap, appealing to his gallantry to host them for a single night. Maurice tells the guests that Robert is the mentally ill son of old friends, the villa’s former owners, who in his delusion believes that he still owns the villa. When Robert gives Maurice orders in front of the guests, Maurice pretends to compassionately tolerate the behavior. Unfortunately for Maurice’s manipulations, the guests’ departure is delayed when Margaret slips on the cork of a champagne bottle and is hospitalized. Robert soon learns about Maurice's hotel venture when psychology student Sandy tries to treat Robert's "delusion," explaining to him that he no longer owns the hotel. Robert restrains himself from firing his devious majordomo when Lisa intercedes on his behalf and when Maurice describes the care and renovations he has put into maintaining the villa at his own expense, saving Robert money. At Lisa’s amused urging, Robert plays along with the hotel ruse during the guests’ stay. Upon seeing the college boys' drunken partying with the girls, Robert is determined to protect the girls from perceived predatory behavior. Taking Lisa along, Robert chaperones the college students on a long, hilly bicycle sightseeing tour, hoping to exhaust them out of amorous energy. At a nightclub, Robert dances with each girl, appealing to their upbringing, stressing the importance of virtue for respectful treatment. A drunken Tony makes a failed romantic advance toward Sandy. When Sandy tells Lisa of the lecture she received from Robert, Lisa becomes infuriated by Robert's
double standard A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another. A double standard arises when two ...
. Perceiving that Robert fails to respect her for "lapsed
virtue A virtue () is a trait of excellence, including traits that may be morality, moral, social, or intellectual. The cultivation and refinement of virtue is held to be the "good of humanity" and thus is Value (ethics), valued as an Telos, end purpos ...
", Lisa departs the next morning, hoping to reunite with her former fiancé Spencer. Accompanied by Maurice, Robert chases after Lisa, but she refuses to reconcile and flees. Manipulating to have them detained together so Robert can plead his case to Lisa, Maurice tells the police that Robert is a notorious criminal wanted in Rome and that Lisa is his accomplice, but his plan fails. Lisa returns to her apartment, joined by Sandy, who laments about lost love and missed opportunities. During a fitting for her wedding gown, Lisa has an epiphany of what life would be like settling for Spencer. Still wearing her wedding gown, she sets off to reunite with Robert. On her way, she meets Tony, who she directs to her apartment, where he and Sandy reunite. At the train station, seeing Lisa in her wedding gown through the train’s window, an angry Robert refuses to leave the train that is about to depart. Lisa borrows a toddler to convince the conductor that the father is abandoning them. Taken off the train but mollified by the brazen ploy, Robert reconciles with Lisa. As a married couple, they return to the villa to find Maurice again running it as a hotel, now occupied by a group of nuns.


Cast

*
Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...
as Robert L. Talbot *
Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (4 July 1927 – 16 January 2023) was an Italian actress, model, photojournalist, and sculptor. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, a period in which she was an international ...
as Lisa Helena Fellini *
Sandra Dee Sandra Dee (born Alexandra Zuck; April 23, 1942 – February 20, 2005) was an American actress. Dee began her career as a child model, working first in commercials and then film in her teenage years. Best known for her portrayal of ingénues ...
as Sandy Stevens *
Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...
as Tony *
Walter Slezak Walter Slezak (; 3 May 1902 – 21 April 1983) was an Austrian-born film and stage actor active between 1922 and 1976. He mainly appeared in German films before migrating to the United States in 1930 and performing in numerous Hollywood productio ...
as Maurice Clavell * Brenda de Banzie as Margaret Allison *
Rossana Rory Rossana Rory (7 August 1927 – 1 April 2020) was an Italian actress best known for her performance as Norma in Mario Monicelli's caper film '' Big Deal on Madonna Street'' (1958). Career Rory began working as a model at the age of seventeen, ...
as Anna * Ronald Howard as Spencer *
Joel Grey Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz; April 11, 1932) is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer, and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical ''Cabaret (musical), Cabaret'' on Broadway theatre, ...
as Beagle * Ronnie Haran as Sparrow * Chris Seitz as Larry * Cindy Conroy as Julia * Joan Freeman as Linda * Nancy Anderson as Patricia * Michael Eden as Ron * Claudia Brack as Carol


Production

Screenwriters
Stanley Shapiro Stanley Shapiro (July 16, 1925 – July 21, 1990) was an American screenwriter and producer responsible for three of Doris Day's most successful films. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Shapiro earned his first screen credit for ''South Sea Woman'' ...
and Maurice Richlin began work on the script in late 1959. While the film was in preproduction, Shapiro said in an interview: "I write all day at my office from 8:30 until 6:00, then have dinner and go home and spend two or three hours fixing, polishing or rewriting the day's output." In early 1960, it was announced that
Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...
and
Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (4 July 1927 – 16 January 2023) was an Italian actress, model, photojournalist, and sculptor. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, a period in which she was an international ...
were set to star.'' Anderson Daily Bulletin'' - January 21, 1960, Anderson, Indiana. p.23: ''Hudson-Lollobrigida To Be Teamed In New Film Comedy'' Before Lollobrigida's participation was confirmed,
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
was rumored to be cast. It was also announced that production was to be delayed until Hudson completed work on '' The Last Sunset'' (1961). Lollobrigida also had commitments to the films '' Go Naked in the World'' (1961) and '' Lady L'' (1965). In June 1960,
Robert Mulligan Robert Patrick Mulligan (August 23, 1925 – December 20, 2008) was an American director and producer. He is best known for his sensitive dramas, including ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962), '' Summer of '42'' (1971), '' The Other'' (1972), '' Sam ...
signed as the film's director. A month later, it was announced that singer
Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...
was to make his film debut in ''Come September''. He and Sandra Dee met while on location, fell in love and married on December 1, 1960. The making of ''Come September'' is portrayed in the 2004 Darin biopic '' Beyond the Sea, s''tarring
Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. Known for Kevin Spacey on screen and stage, his work on stage and screen, he List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Spacey, has received numerous accolades, including two ...
as Darin and
Kate Bosworth Katherine Anne Bosworth (born January 2, 1983) is an American actress. Following minor roles in the films ''The Horse Whisperer (film), The Horse Whisperer'' (1998) and ''Remember the Titans'' (2000), she had a leading role in movie ''Blue Crush' ...
as Dee. Lollobrigida was reluctant because she was not enthusiastic about returning to Italy, where the film was shot. In an interview, she mentioned accepting the role because it allowed her to work with Hudson and explained: "It's a comedy that can only be made in Italy."


Music

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...
composed the ''Come September'' theme as well as the song "Multiplication" that he performs in the film.


Novelization

In advance of the film's release, a paperback novelization of the film written by crime and mystery novelist Marvin H. Albert was published by
Dell Books Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, I Confess (magazine), ...
.


Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, ''Come September'' has an 80% score, based on five critics' reviews.


Remakes

''Come September'' has been remade as the
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
-language films '' Kashmir Ki Kali'' (1964) and '' Mere Sanam'' (1965) and as the
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
-language film '' Anbe Vaa'' (1966). The 1980 Hindi film '' Ek Baar Kaho'' was also loosely based on ''Come September''.


See also

* List of American films of 1961


References


External links

* * * * {{Robert Mulligan 1961 films American romantic comedy films 1961 romantic comedy films 1960s English-language films Films set in Italy Films directed by Robert Mulligan Universal Pictures films Films set in country houses Films scored by Hans J. Salter 1960s American films English-language romantic comedy films 7 Pictures Corporation films