I adore Audrey Hepburn and Maurice Chevalier and even Gary Cooper in the right role. Cooper was such a dud in this. I kept imagining how good it could have been with William Holden as the love interest. And I felt sick every time (again and again) Billy Wilder thought it would be funny to have a scene where a dumb twit hits a little dog.The father/daughter relationship was adorable. Hepburn was wonderful, as always. I was quite disappointed by the love story.

For once, Billy Wilder strikes home concerning the music. Usually the music was the weak point in his films, his best films are those without any music, and sometimes his lack of musicality and terrible use of music, sometimes even degrading music itself, ruined the entire picture, like in "The Seven Year Itch" where he vulgarized Rachmaninov almost to prostitution. But here Franz Waxman saves the show and fills the whole picture with not only "Fascination" but with a number of other endearing evergreens as well. It has been pointed out in any number of reviews how Gary Cooper spoils the picture by being miscast, but it's worse than that. His whole character is a failure, and he isn't even convincing as such. Billy Wilder had a penchant for cheap vulgarizations, and here Gary Cooper is the means. They excuse him for being old and sick, he was 56 and Audrey 28, and he had only about 5 years left to live. Here he is an old pathetic playboy, spoiled beyond hope as a millionaire, and Maurice Chevalier is more right about his character than he is aware of. Also Maurice saves the show by turning serious for a change - and saving the situation. Audrey Hepburn, the script and the music save the picture most of all and turn it into perhaps Billy Wilder's most delightful comedy in spite of Gary Cooper's insufficiency. I saw it fifty years ago, but it was a greater pleasure to see it again - especially for the very outstanding music. After all, Audrey Hepburn is here a cellist.And not only Audrey and the music save the picture, but there is John McGiver as well. He would make another decisive appearance in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" as the jeweller, a minor supporting character but the most important spice for the whole film.

LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON is a sweetish and sophisticated romantic comedy. A young student of the cello, whose father works as a private detective, is seduced by an old womanizer. Their relationship is very romantic with a series of comic misunderstandings.Mr. Wilder made a humorous plot between love and morality. The story is simple. One seemingly naive young girl, who is full of adventurous spirit falls in love with the old, clumsy and insensitive womanizer. Dialogues are subtle. Love is presented as a game of cat and mouse. It is in the air, but can not figure out. An easy flirtation turns into a gentle farce. Emotions simply erupt, with strong sentimental moments, at the end of the film.Audrey Hepburn as Ariane Chavasse is a small Cinderella who can skillfully and mysteriously flirt. It is impossible to resist the beauty and tears in the eyes of Ms. Hepburn. Gary Cooper as Frank Flannagan is falsely awkward womanizer, who for the first time in his life shows emotions. Mr. Cooper, during the making of this film, was 56 years old. He looked too old and cumbersome for such exhibitions. Despite everything, the chemistry between the main protagonists is extremely high. Maurice Chevalier as Claude Chavasse is the "culprit" for love. Love matures at the end.

This film has aged badly. Actually, it must have looked outdated even in 1957. The story might have worked under Lubitsch, some 25 years earlier, but this time the effort comes across as forcibly cute, with dainty situations and precious giggles crammed into the boring and predictable narrative, all drowned under a syrupy score of soaring violins. The pretentious sweetness is often nauseating. Chevalier is too old to be a young girl's father; he (over)employs his famous bedroom smile, but what was sexy 25 years earlier opposite Jeanette McDonald, is now downright creepy, especially since the girl is supposed to be his own daughter. Cooper is too old too and knows it, appearing very uncomfortable and letting some rather embarrassing moments slip in (I've never actually seen him act badly before). Hepburn is the only one to enjoy, but she doesn't really have very much to do. There are so many better romantic comedies... if you feel like saluting Lubitsch, just watch a Lubitsch instead.