The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964) User Reviews

Three vignettes about a yellow Rolls Royce

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 26 February 2015]

The Yellow Rolls Royce was one of French film star Alain Delon's American films. Unfortunately, like Dirk Bogarde, Horst Buchholtz, Jean Gabin, and other foreign threats to the U.S. stars, American success would not be his. Only the rest of the world, where he remains one cinema's greatest icons. Dirk Bogarde turned down Gigi to do a biopic about Liszt; Hollywood just did not put Delon in films that were directed at his audience (fainting women) or that showcased him.

A huge cast stars in The Yellow Rolls Royce, a 1964 film, and the production is truly sumptuous, with glorious European scenery. It is a series of three vignettes about people who have owned the car.

The first is set in England, and stars Rex Harrison, Jeanne Moreau, and Edmund Purdom. Harrison buys the car for his wife's (Moreau's) birthday; little does he know that she has a lover (Purdom). Frantic for a place to make love before Purdom leaves the country, they choose the car.

The second is set in Italy, and stars George C. Scott, Shirley Maclaine, Art Carney, and Alain Delon. Scott is an American mobster who brings his girlfriend (Maclaine) to Italy to introduce her to his family. She falls for an Italian photographer (Delon) while Scott is away taking care of some business in America. She and Delon's first tryst is in the yellow Rolls Royce. Delon is better-looking than the scenery despite a heavy coat of tan makeup, which was also done to him in Texas Across the River.

The third is set in Yugoslavia (actually filmed in Austria), where one Mrs. Millet (Ingrid Bergman) finds herself sneaking a rebel (Omar Shariff) into his country to fight the Germans. She takes him to the village where the rebels are gathering and sleeps in her car...until she is joined by a grateful Shariff.

The third episode of this film is the best and the most fun, with Bergman a determined woman who will stop at nothing to do just as she pleases, including pouring wine while the restaurant is being bombed around her. Bergman is truly wonderful in an exciting, warm, and moving story.

The other two parts of the film for me moved somewhat slowly, though they were well acted.

This is a good film. When you see the scenery, you'll wish you were there. And the exterior of the house where Rex Harrison and Jeanne Moreau live - unbelievable!

Three faces of women and a car for a bedroom

[JuguAbraham · 7/10 · 10 April 2002]

All the three actresses are beautiful and attractive: some honest and some dishonest. The men remain the drones to the queen bee in all the three episodes.

Jeanne Moreau is probably the weakest of the trio but elegant in her role as a wife who has a young lover. Shirley Maclaine is the classical stunning dumb blonde who has to make a choice to step into a stable, rich married life. The fascinating Ingrid Bergman chooses to step down from a wealthy peerage to a realistic rustic lifestyle using charming wit for achieving an honest end.

This is Asquith's last film with Jack Hildyard's cinematography that is patchy but stunning at times. As a film it is average but the casting and the performances of the three ladies and George C Scott are notable.

The best 1940s film made in the 1960s.

[ianlouisiana · 7/10 · 2 September 2006]

"The yellow Rolls-Royce" is the best 1940s film made in the 1960s. A tryptich by two artists,Mr Anthony Asquith and Mr Terence Rattigan, it is curiously old-fashioned yet ageless.All three episodes concern love and its betrayal affecting the owners of the car - but it might as well be a walking stick or an armchair,any artefact would have done as a link for the stories. Mr Asquith was that rare thing a Gentleman film-maker.As befits that somewhat rarefied status his work was often elegant,tasteful and pleasing rather than "challenging" and "cutting edge",in other words he knew how to put bums on seats whilst making films that assumed a certain degree of literacy in his audience.He could coax performances beyond the call of duty from previously unsuspected sources viz:- Dirk Bogarde in "Libel" and Paul Massey in "Orders to kill". He is on safe ground with Rex Harrison and Ingrid Bergman but neither Jeanne Moreau,Shirley Maclaine nor George C.Scott are at their best. Alain Delon,at the peak of his beauty,photographs well but will not feel this movie has added to his reputation.Omar Sharif as usual gazes soulfully at the camera.Two years in from "Lawrence of Arabia" that's just about acceptable.Unfortunately 40 years later he's still doing it. Never in the history of movies has so much been owed to one role by one actor.Almost in passing Bergman manages to act him off the screen ,he is so outclassed I nearly felt sorry for him. The British contingent seem happiest with Mr Rattigan's dialogue. Although he never quite got round to creating believable working class speech-patterns he was on far surer ground with characters like the Marquess of Frinton especially if they were played by old friends like Rex Harrison who plays the cuckolded aristo as if to the Manor born. His beloved wife,for whom he buys the eponymous Rolls-Royce,is played by the remarkable Jeanne Moreau still fresh from her triumph in "Jules et Jim".She doesn't seem to believe in her character,perhaps doubting that any intelligent woman would prefer cipher Edmund Purdom to clever witty sexy and seriously rich Rex Harrison. In the second segment George C.Scott is an Italian-American gangster in Europe with fiancée Shirley Maclaine who sees the car and falls in love with it."My baby wants a Royce-Rolls - my baby gets a Royce-Rolls!" he declaims ,gurning furiously.He does a lot of that. Miss Maclaine also falls in love with gigolo Alain Delon,not so likely to be greeted approvingly by her affianced. Art Carney does a nice turn as her bodyguard/confidant but otherwise this is the least satisfying part of the film.I can't make up my mind as to whether Mr Rattigan can't write convincing dialogue for Americans or they can't speak his dialogue convincingly. Finally the bewitching Miss Bergman gets involved with partisans in the Balkans during world war two.She and Joyce Grenfell enjoy themselves hugely until Omar Sharif comes along to spoil it. It is beyond Puffin Asquith's powers of persuasion to get me to believe that Miss Bergman would fall for the cow-eyed one,even allowing for massive amounts of dramatic licence. Still,"It's only a movie,Ingrid",as Mr Hitchcock once said to her,and I don't suppose for a minute she took it very seriously.Nevertheless despite all this,"The yellow Rolls-Royce" falls nicely into my movie-going comfort zone.It has big names in sympathetic roles,first-class production values,lots of familiar supporting actors,its made with love and care by consummate professionals and if there is a sexier sound on this earth than Jeanne Moreau speaking English I have yet to hear it. Try to have a box of "Quality Street" handy when you watch it and you will extract the full benefit from "The yellow Rolls-Royce"experience.

Does it come in any other color?

[Poseidon-3 · 11 April 2003]

An impressive line up of noted international actors was accrued for this three part film, with the title car serving as the connective tissue between episodes (which occur several years apart.) Harrison leads with a tale involving the purchase of the vehicle for his wife as a belated anniversary gift. His character could almost be a cousin to Henry Higgins and is played in much the same manner, though with a slightly more serious and sentimental edge. The wife (Moreau, in a pretty wooden portrayal) turns out not to be so deserving of the Rolls. This sequence is lavishly appointed with impressive sets and costumes and that "veddy" British air, but winds up being pretty uneventful. Next up is Scott as a gangster touring Italy with his sidekick Carney and his moll MacLaine (who, in a blonde wig looks and acts alarmingly similar to Renee Zellweger in "Chicago"!) They purchase the car to get them to his home town. However, when Scott has to return to the U.S. to take out an enemy, MacLaine becomes enamored of a local gigolo (Delon) and pursues a tentative romance with him. Miscast Scott is aloof and hammy at the same time, but wears some nice suits. Carney does some nice, low key work. MacLaine (with her chewing gum, which should have gotten billing!) wears a bit thin with all the schtick and overacting, but she pulls off a few decent moments. The real highlight of this section (and of the entire film!) is the jaw-droppingly beautiful sight of the impossibly beautiful Alain Delon. Slathered in tan body make-up, his light blue eyes stand out like pools of spring water. His charm and lean good looks overwhelm even the striking location scenery. Finally, Bergman purchases the car to get her into Yugoslavia during WWII. Sharif bums a ride and eventually involves her in the transport of resistance fighters across rugged terrain. Bergman looks terrific in the early part of this story and creates an unusual and intriguing character, complete with a yapping Pekinese and a hilarious cohort (Grenhall, in a hilarious performance that is way too brief.) She and Sharif make an odd, but attractive pair. The film is beautiful to look at (even if the fabled title car looks like a rather unattractive taxi!) However, the stories just aren't memorable enough to make this film really matter. Very little occurs in them and there is precious little dramatic payoff in each one. The director had previously done the stiflingly static "The V.I.P.'s" and, though this film is far more opened up and varied, the overall layer of reserve is still in place. Still, it's great to see the various actors doing their thing, especially Delon and Bergman, and there are several beautiful scenic shots. In the end, it's a classy, sometimes stagnant, but always elegant film.

Three separate stories and an all star cast...

[wisewebwoman · 7/10 · 22 February 2003]

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.

Well, the first episode is most definitely worth seeing!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 8 June 2017]

Copyright 31 December 1964 by Anatole De Grunwald Productions—Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. Released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 13 May 1965. London opening at the Empire, Leicester Square: 31 December 1964. Australian release: 18 March 1965. 122 minutes.

SYNOPSES: (1) Unaware that his wife is conducting an affair with his assistant (Edmund Purdom), an aristocrat (Rex Harrison) buys a Rolls Royce as a present for his wife (Jeanne Moreau) on their wedding anniversary. (2) An Italian photographer (Alain Delon) has an affair with a mobster's moll (Shirley MacLaine), who is forced to send him packing when the mobster (George C. Scott) returns from a business trip to the USA. (3) A rich widow in Trieste (Ingrid Bergman) hides a patriotic Yugoslav (Omar Sharif) from the Nazis.

NOTES: Filming commenced in London on 6 April 1964. Locations were photographed in England, Italy and Austria… Film debut of Art Carney… Last film of director Anthony Asquith, who died in February 1968.

COMMENT: Disappointing. Considering the amount of talent both in front of and behind the camera, I would have expected a far livelier, far more entertaining film than this languidly handled, tedious and simple-minded affair. Although Asquith's direction remains stolidly heavy-handed throughout, the main fault, of course, lies in the writing. The idea had great possibilities. Look what Julien Duvivier and company did with a simple tail-coat in Tales of Manhattan (1942)!

The First Episode is undoubtedly the most interesting and amusing by far. A sly comedy of manners, it features the debonair Rex Harrison, ideally cast and in great form. Rex can make even the dullest lines seem moderately witty. Moreau and Purdom adequately hold up the other corners of the romantic triangle. More importantly, there are some great supporting cameos, including Gregoire Aslan's flustered ambassador, Michael Hordern's confident car salesman and Lance Percival's bit as his disappointed assistant. Roland Culver and Moira Lister are also on hand (you have to be quick to glimpse her), plus cult favorite, Isa Miranda. This great line-up helps disguise some rather thin material, as well as Rattigan's consistently stodgy direction.

With the Second Episode, Rattigan's writing becomes more shallow, its deficiencies emphasized by the inane miscasting of George C. Scott as an Al Capone-type gangster. Fortunately Alain Delon's charming photographer and the fascinating Italian location scenery help make this segment reasonably watchable. Carney is okay and Miss MacLaine tries hard.

The Bergman piece comes across as a pretty poor misjudgment that wastes her talents. Fortunately, magnificent scenery comes to the rescue once again, this time aided by lively special effects. Plus Joyce Grenfell (employing her deliciously comic American accent) at the beginning and end of the episode. Riz Ortolani's melodic score also rates as a major asset.

Pretty good, lots of stars

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 29 January 2020]

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.

Phone on Rt is NOT a Goof

[RashomonLaStrada · 6/10 · 15 July 2005]

IMDb has it listed as a goof that: In the first segment Rex Harrison asks that the phone be moved to the left side of the back seat, but in subsequent segments the phone is still on the right side...

POSSIBLE SPOILER BUT Rex Harrison only owns the car for two days! When he asks that the phone be moved (and some other request) the Rolls Royce man tells him that it will take a week. But Rex needs it that very day as an anniversary present because the following day is the big horse race. They don't have time to move the phone before he takes delivery of the car. When the car arrives he remarks to his wife that he will have the phone moved. But the very next day he sends the car back.

So why does IMDb list as a goof the fact that the car is still on the left side?!

Yellowish

[filmquestint · 8/10 · 5 January 2005]

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.

Hitting The Marque

[writers_reign · 7/10 · 14 August 2016]

There have, of course, been many writer-director teams in cinema, some - Jacques Prevert-Marcel-Carne - verging on the immortal, some Robert Riskin-Frank Capra - honorable mentions, and some - Dudley Nichols-John Ford - ho hum but among the most distinguished were Terence Rattigan and Puffin Asquith who peaked with one of the finest British films ever made, The Browning Version which Rattigan adapted from his own one-act play; their partnership was also punctuated by the superb The Way To The Stars, The Winslow Boy, and culminated with two Original Screenplays by Rattigan both, as it happened, our old friend the portmanteau movie, first spotted in the 30s (Duvivier's Un Carnet de bal) and enjoying a vogue in the 40s (Quartet, Trio, Encore, Easy Money). First up was The V.I.Ps. and then, in 1964 what was to become Puffin's swansong, The Yellow Rolls Royce. Fittingly the first of the three episodes featured Rex Harrison who enjoyed his first major success on stage in Rattigan's French Without Tears in 1936. Alas, his wife was the badly miscast Jeanne Moreau then flavour-of-the-month and she herself saddled with the wooden Edmund Purdom as her love interest. Even more bizarre casting followed in the second segment in which four distinct acting styles - Alain Delon, Art Carney, George C. Scott and Shirley MacLaine clashed resoundingly. The class was reserved for the final segment in the form of the luminescent Ingrid Bergman offset by a cameo by Joyce Grenfell. Despite these caveats there is much to enjoy here and a reminded of two of the finest filmmakers in England.

Mediocrity times three

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 26 April 2008]

The idea of a film made up of three short films that are all connected through the ownership of a car sounds interesting and because of the great cast I gave the movie a look. However, despite sounding wonderful, the final product is a lot like a meal made up entirely of toast. Sure, it's filling but also very bland and unsatisfying. It just should have been a lot better.

The first segment is extremely maudlin. Rex Harrison plays a rather out of touch but decent guy who buys the car for his wife (Jeanne Moreau). However, though he loves her dearly, she is having an affair. When he eventually discovers this, the segment soon ends--and ends amazingly abruptly. Too bad, as this segment alone could have made for a decent film had it been hashed out more.

The second was intended as a comedic and romantic piece and it starred George C. Scott as a gangster, Art Carney as his sidekick, Shirley MacLaine as Scott's fiancé and Alain Delon as an Italian photographer (why they chose a French guy for this role is odd). It's a rather disjointed segment because it appears like two different films merged together. While occasionally a tad funny, the romance later in the film seemed forced and unrealistic. Not a bad effort, but rather forgettable.

As for the final segment which starred Ingrid Bergman and Omar Sharif, it was very odd. Bergman played one of the most annoying and selfish characters I have ever seen. Yet, midway through this segment, she has a HUGE turnabout and shows herself to be brave and kind--a complete 180 degree shift. Such changes are seen in film but never in real life, so it was rather fun to see but also pretty vapid and silly.

Overall, it's a time-passer and not much more. None of the three segments were especially compelling and I was left wanting so much more.

A beautiful, roomy yellow Rolls Royce provides the set for three diverse stories, all of which are a treat to watch!

[edwardscampbell · 8/10 · 29 August 2006]

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.

The Yellow Rolls-Royce was an enjoyable all-star movie with three segments

[tavm · 7/10 · 8 November 2015]

After Omar Sharif died a few months ago, I had a jones to see one of his movies and when I looked his name up on Netflix, I decided on this one for the DVD rental. It had three segments-all involving the title vehicle. First one starred Rex Harrison and Jeanne Moreau as a British married couple who rarely saw each other though this particular day was supposed to solve all that. I'll just say one of them is revealed to be a cheater and leave it at that. Second one stars George C. Scott, Art Carney, Shirley MacLaine, and Alain Delon. Shirley's a moll of gangster Scott who temporarily leaves Italy to do some "business" in America leaving her to find her own fun with either Carney or Delon. Third segment has Sharif and Ingrid Bergman encountering each other at the outbreak of World War II. I'll stop there and just say that the first segment was okay for its short length, the second was pretty amusing when MacLaine was being ignorant of culture before growing up a bit. Pretty touching the way it ended if also sad. The last one was the most fun for me especially when Ms. Bergman was driving the title vehicle! Mom and I managed to very much enjoy this movie as it kept going on. So on that note, The Yellow Rolls-Royce is worth a look.

The stars are outstanding, but...............

[Panamint · 5/10 · 25 April 2008]

Ingrid Bergman is terrific in this movie- you owe it to yourself to watch her performance. Omar Sharif gives a good performance in a difficult role that requires both charm and toughness. Rex Harrison gives a memorable and very appealing performance. Ms. Moreau is again one of the most interesting and intriguing actors in moviedom and very watchable. Shirley MacLaine and Alain Delon are both beautiful and their acting is good but their roles are lightweight and superficial- they are there to look beautiful and they do.

Despite the above, and despite high-quality production values and fabulous European scenery, the movie is not very good. The first segment requires your understanding and sympathy for prewar British aristocrats (you probably aren't going to care about such spoiled people of the dilettante class). The second segment is superficial and based on attractiveness of its stars only. The third segment is about 1941-era Yugoslav partisan activity (a footnote in history but brave). I found it impossible to relate to any of the characters in this movie or in its overall concept that centers all of this around an automobile. Love and war as it relates to a car. I don't get it.

There is a big orchestral main theme by Riz Ortolani that I find pompous but its a matter of taste. I much preferred his beautiful theme (also 1964) for the film "The 7th Dawn".

Overall the movie is too slow (or leisurely, depending on your viewpoint) and the result can be dullness and indifference for some viewers, but you should watch the third segment anyway in order to experience a truly wonderful acting performance by Ingrid Bergman. Also worthwhile to watch Rex Harrison in the first segment, at his most appealing "My Fair Lady" era peak.

a trio of vignettes

[didi-5 · 6 March 2004]

This movie presents three stories one after the other, as we follow the fortunes of the first and subsequent owners of the yellow Rolls of the title. First, Rex Harrison buys it as a present for his erring wife, Jeanne Moreau. She uses an anniversary party to flaunt her boyfriend, Edmund Purdom. The car then makes its way into the hands of Mafiosi George C Scott and his moll Shirley MacLaine. She falls for French photographer Alain Delon (and who can blame her?). Finally, the car plays its part in international politics when Ingrid Bergman and Omar Sharif take it on a rescue mission.

Anthony Asquith's film survives because of its construction, using the car as a lynchpin for three very different stories, character combinations, and situations. The car remains the star (perhaps because of its colour) but there are enjoyable performances here too. It isn't a challenging or particularly exciting film, but helps to pass the time. Personally I find it a better British film centring on a car than the earlier Genevieve, but that might just be my own taste.

Rolls-Royce

[The_Rook · 6/10 · 30 March 2007]

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.

A star vehicle!

[brogmiller · 7/10 · 15 August 2020]

Portmanteau films have traditionally provided producers with a means of enticing cinema goers with the prospect of seeing a few mini-films for the price of one ticket. Films of this type are generally better when there is one director throughout as opposed to several with totally different directorial styles.

Here we have director Anthony Asquith and writer Terence Rattigan capitalising on the very recent success of 'The V. I. P.s'. Although neither of these films is in the same league as their previous 'Browning Version' and 'Winslow Boy' Rattigan again shows his skill in writing for actors and Asquith his skill in directing them. Good writing of course makes good actors even better and the leading players here are not only better than good but possess indefinable 'star quality'. Rex Harrison's association with Rattigan went back to the stage production of 'French without tears' in 1936 and he was fortunate enough not to be Asquith's indescribably naff film version.

Following his Oscar for 'My Fair Lady' his films were a decidedly mixed bunch. He was never less than impeccable of course and continued to perform on stage to great effect. His role in this as the Marquess of Frinton is one of his best. His horse has just won the Ascot Gold Cup but discovering his wife, played by Jeanne Moreau, in the back of his newly purchased Rolls with her lover certainly takes the gilt off the gingerbread. By all accounts Harrison got on extremely well with Mlle Moreau and their scenes together are excellent.

This was always going to be a tough act to follow and the second segment pales by comparison. In films such as 'L'insoumis' and 'Monsieur Klein' French actor Alain Delon proved himself to be so much more than just a pretty face but in this he is required to be just that. Shirley Maclaine is utterly enchanting but this material is unworthy of her talents. George C. Scott projects his customary air of malice as a mobster.

Last but no means least we have the indefatigable Gerda Mallet played by the luminous Ingrid Bergman who helps Yugoslavian partisans during WW11 and falls for one of them played by Omar Sharif. There is an age difference of about twenty years but they are so good together it doesn't seem to matter.

One should also mention Roland Culver's turn as the butler in episode 1; Art Carney as the minder in episode 2 and joyous Joyce Grenfell as the companion in episode 3.

As far as I am aware the first 'anthology' film in which a car is used as a link between the stories of various owners is the excellent 'In jenen tagen' of Helmut Kautner from 1947. There could not be a greater contrast between these two films as Asquith's is designed purely to entertain and succeeds admirably in doing so. It has however become very much a 'period piece' and has not dated nearly as well as that of Kautner.

A Nice Piece Of Fun Filmmaking

[damianphelps · 6/10 · 1 April 2021]

Anthology movies can often be hit and miss I guess due to the challenge of combining stories that may share the thinnest of threads.

Yellow Royce has a VERY thin thread. However it may be due to the era it was made, each of the three stories is very different but the stylings are so similar they actually gel really well.

No that it matters I enjoyed the first of the stories the most, Rex Harrison was very entertaining.

Within each story not a lot happens but over the length of the combined film there are enough elements to entertain.

An old fashioned movie that is easy entertainment :)

Domani Never Comes

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 6 August 2010]

I never got to see this original Terrence Rattigan film directed by Anthony Asquith the first time in theater. But I certainly remembered the song Forget Domani. Frank Sinatra had a huge selling record of it and you could hear it back in 1964 about as often as you could hear the Beatles on the radio.

The creative well ran a little dry for Terrence Rattigan in The Yellow Rolls Royce, a film of three separate stories involving the owners of a really flashy Yellow Rolls Royce. Rattigan's first two stories are essentially the same story with different characters. In the first diplomat Rex Harrison buys the car spanking new out of the show room for his wife Jeanne Moreau. She uses it of course to meet boyfriend Edmond Purdom who works under Harrison in the Foreign Office and is about to be transfered to South America.

The second story has the car pass to George C. Scott who is an American gangster with moll Shirley MacLaine. She falls for fellow gangster Alain Delon. Both the first two stories resolve themselves in the same way.

The third story is the charm and the original one. By now visiting American dowager Ingrid Bergman has the car and has the charming Omar Sharif talk his way into hitching a ride from Trieste to Belgrade on the eve of the invasion of Yugoslavia by Hitler. That offer of help leads Bergman on an odyssey into how the other half lives she never bargained for. I do so love the scene where just as she's ordering a fine meal in an expensive restaurant in Belgrade, the air attack starts and the disruption of service upsets her so.

If Rattigan had done something a little more original for the second story The Yellow Rolls Royce might truly be a classic. As it is it's not bad. Asquith certainly captured the ambiance of the Thirties and antique car lovers will love this film.

A Class Act All The Way

[MGMboy · 10/10 · 29 January 2009]

The Yellow Rolls Royce is a class act from the opening credits to the last shot. A pure example of the silver age of Hollywood doing what it does best. Great screenplay by Terrance Rattigan, gorgeous cinematography, engaging score, and impeccable direction by Anthony Asquith add up to a glittering fun and at times truly touching film experience.

Interestingly enough both Asquith and Rattigan teamed up before for a similar all star romp with the Taylor-Burton film "The VIPS" another story of intersecting lives brought together by a mode of transportation. In "The VIPS" it was airplanes and here in this charming film it is a resplendent canary yellow automobile.

To add to this heady cocktail the director has blended in a glittering all star cast of first rate talent from the early 1960's. This is a truly international roster of superstars each of which brings their unique talents and charms to bear on this film.

The story is in three acts encompassing events some years apart all involving the Rolls and how it came into and changed the lives of its various owners. In act one Rex Harrison is superb as being well, nothing less than Rex Harrison. The glamorous Jeanne Moreau shows her depth and considerable strengths as his wandering but loving wife. They sparkle and spark as an aristocratic English couple facing a major turning point in their marriage.

Act two really pops with comic genius flavored with a moving drama as Gangster George C. Scott takes his wisecracking Moll, Shirley MacLaine on a tour of Italy. Scott is revelatory in his roll and is complemented by Art Carney as his loyal and street wise right hand man. MacLaine channels a sharp, witty comic performance that stands with her best of the period. And as the amoral gigolo Stefano who opens her heart to real love and a love of life Alain Delon shines. They make a stunningly beautiful screen couple and by the end of the act they pluck the strings of star crossed romance beautifully.

The luminous Ingrid Bergman teams up with Omar Sharif in a romantic tale set at the outbreak of the invasion of Yugoslavia during World War II. Bergman brings to the film a beauty that is timeless and her star persona which is legendary. She is brittle, vain at first, and funny. But with the aid of freedom fighter Sharif she comes to a new understanding of sacrifice and true humanity amidst the tragedy of war.

And all throughout the films we are treated with spectacular vistas and sights of Europe in a travelogue of breathtaking cinemascope grandeur. The excitement of he Ascot races, the lush seductive beauty of Italy and the rough magnificence of the mountains of Yugoslavia.

"The Yellow Rolls Royce" is much more than a star vehicle, it is the distillation of great film-making in a long gone era that both entertains and inspires the heart of all true romantics.

big actors

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 11 February 2024]

There is a new yellow Rolls-Royce Phantom in the window of a London dealership. British aristocrat Marquess of Frinton (Rex Harrison) impulsively buys it for his wife (Jeanne Moreau) as her birthday present. Lord Frinton is the Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office. After an unhappy discovery, the car ends up in Genoa, Italy. Mob boss Paolo Maltese (George C. Scott) buys it for his combative girlfriend Mae Jenkins (Shirley MacLaine). It's 1941 on the Yugosalv border. The car is now worn and dusty. Wealthy American widow Gerda Millett (Ingrid Bergman) buys it to meet the new Yugosalvian King although she is warned that the Nazis are about to invade. Davich (Omar Shaif) offers to guide her, but she doesn't know that he's an anti-royalist.

The three stories are only connected by the car. I wish the characters are more thematically similar. The first and third stories start out with similar characters. The second story could be seen that way, but it's not the same. These are great actors and they are chewing up these roles. As with this type of movies, there are lots of ups and downs. It can be disjointed. I find the third story the most compelling.

Stalled star vehicle.

[brefane · 1/10 · 11 July 2012]

Despite the international star cast and opulent production the Yellow Rolls Royce is a poor vehicle that doesn't really go anywhere. The stellar cast can't camouflage the the fact that the film is as hollow as a tailpipe. The segment featuring Art Carney and Shirley Maclaine along with a miscast George C. Scott and Alain Delon both of whom wear distracting man-tan make up, comprises 1/3 of the film's running time yet, seems interminable. The Yellow Rolls Royce is too flat to even qualify as fluff. At best, it's a long commercial for Rolls Royce. The close-up of Jeanne Moreau's face when she's caught cheating by husband Rex Harrison in the back of the Rolls is the only memorable moment in the film.

A Classic/Great movie/Doesn't Suck

[benovite · 10/10 · 11 August 2010]

The Yellow Rolls Royce is a sort of a cinematic epiphany. I had seen a few parts of it in the past but recently thanks to TCM I was able to see the entire movie. The movie is broken up into three stories. Rex Harrison's story, with French actress Jeanne Moreau, begins the movie and immediately you are given one of life's most, if not THE most, important lessons.

You have a proud rich married man with everything he wants. He gets the ball rolling with the yellow Rolls Royce by purchasing it brand new for his wife(Moreau) as an anniversary present. Harrison is confident, classy, debonair and charming. He knows what he wants and he gets it.

But when he catches his wife cheating on him..we see a man utterly destroyed. There are a lot of fine examples in movies of what love can do to a person. Harrison's performance, as subtle and subdued as it is, is staggering. It's like cutting a man in two and seeing his innards in all their glory. In a ways it's profound, as if a new truth were revealed and a new reaction resulted.

I've seen a few of Harrison's performances in various films and I've had respect for him. With The Yellow Rolls Royce, Harrison turns in an extremely moving and touching performance with what little screen time he has due to the length of his respective story. The tortured look on Harrison's face as he makes his way to his beloved yellow Rolls Royce and his beloved wife is worth seeing this movie alone. When he hangs his head low next to his gold cup winning horse, you see a side of a man that probably never existed before that moment. As someone calls to him, he straightens himself, adjusts, turns around..and we see a man forever changed. Very few movies can get something like that across in such an effective way.

So what is one of, if not THE, most important lessons of life learned through Harrison's rich tale? You can seemingly have it all and in reality have nothing. Amidst his riches and ever-growing cache of prizes, we see a man terribly humbled and changed by the discovery of his wife's cheating ways. Towards the end of his story when he proclaims that he will hate living from now on, you believe it and you can sympathize with him and his broken heart because we've all been through it. Love changes you, especially when it damages you.

~ When the next story begins with George C. Scott, Art Carney and Shirley McClaine we are ready for something lighter, funnier and we get it. But there's still plenty of angst to go around, whether in the heart or the back seat of the yellow Rolls Royce.

There's a wonderful moment in an Italian showroom when the salesman briefly explains how the car got 20,000 miles on its odometer. He mentions a maharajah or something like that losing the car while gambling. It makes you want to see what happened in the interim between the first and second story in the movie! The second story of a mobster, his moll and their keeper/buddy/Art Carney is a good one. Light-hearted, but as I said, it still has some weight to it because it's still dealing with matters of love.

This segment is wonderful, the only detracting thing is the horrible makeup job they did to poor Alain Delon! I realize he's supposed to be Italian(Delon is French) but they didn't have to apply the tan makeup so heavy. It's not a terribly distracting thing, although it makes you want to see what Delon really looks like without the brownie batter. The guys handsome with or without it and he emits a charismatic and dare I say "amoral" charm. As a matter of fact, this second story can be titled "Amoral Amore". See the movie, you'll know why.

Oh and also, forget domani! ~ Now the third and last act is a special one. It stars Ingrid Bergman as a politico/ambassador and Omar Sharif as a Yugoslavian revolutionary. Some people may see the parallels between Sharif's role here and his 14 hour opus mega epic Doctor Zhivago.

I recently saw Dr. Z in its entirety for the first time and I was completely underwhelmed.

In my humble opinion, Omar Sharif does more here with his roll in The Yellow Rolls Royce and by turn is GIVEN more to do in his 30 plus minutes segment than all of the illustriously overrated Doctor Zhivago. Hell, they guy sounded infinitely more poetic than his supposed poetic character in Dr. Z!

Ingrid Bergman: an absolute hoot. There are a lot of transformations in this movie. You can see characters actually change, transform and evolve, the yellow Rolls Royce being one of them! It goes from riches to revolutionary rages. Bergman's Miss Millett role is perhaps the character in the movie that goes through the most drastic transformation.

At first she is frigid, uncompassionate, uncaring and selfish. She wants to eat, not be bothered and you better get her her martini. She cares little for people or warnings of invasions. Omar Sharif charms his way into her life and as a result, she changes. She becomes a different person. She becomes caring, compassionate and selfless. It's a remarkable role and I'm not about to compare it to any of her other roles because I haven't seen a lot of Ingrid Bergman's movies.

There's a moment at the end of the movie in which she reflects upon her adventures, turns around to look at the yellow Rolls Royce and she steps back out of frame so we see only the car.

It's quite a moment when a legendary actress gets out of her way for us to look upon a car.

But oh what a car it is.

Beautiful cast, beautiful scenery, average stories

[gbill-74877 · 7/10 · 4 December 2022]

My, the back seat of that Rolls-Royce sure saw a lot of "extracurricular activity," didn't it? The Rolls is at the center of three stories, spread out over the early 1930's to the onset of WWII, and which take place in England, Italy, and Yugoslavia. The common thread aside from the car is that they all involve couples getting together under strained circumstances, but fated to be parted. It's a bit of a hash of nationalities and how the parts were cast, but with star power like Jeanne Moreau, Rex Harrison, Shirley MacLaine, Alain Delon, George C. Scott, Ingrid Bergman, and Omar Sharif, I didn't mind. It was dazzling to see Moreau as a blonde and in an English speaking role (oh that scene where she's caught cheating!), and the rest all brought considerable screen presence as well. The scenery is another highlight, particularly on location at a number of gorgeous sites in Italy in the second segment.

Unfortunately, the script doesn't keep pace with the cast and the production value, getting progressively weaker from one part to the next. The tone is all over the map and the dialogue is mediocre. I was entertained because of the assembled talent and the theme of falling for someone as two ships passing in the night, but it could have been so much better. Perhaps a remake is in order, except with some low-budget yellow car and three stories revolving around the less affluent.

Don't "come a knockin' " if you see this yellow Rolls Royce "a rockin". Sex in the back seat, nothing to see here folks.

[Ed-Shullivan · 4/10 · 11 November 2018]

There were so many respected film stars that appeared in this film (Rex Harrison, Shirley MacLaine, Ingrid Bergman, Omar Sharif, George C. Scott and Art Carney to name just a few) and so I was curious as to what this film had to offer. What I discovered were three seperate stories that all had this one particular luxury yellow Rolls Royce intertwined across multiple continents.

The yellow Rolls Royce had many of the film's stars making whoopie in the back seat with the curtain windows rolled down. Heck the male studs couldn't even get a bounce out of this vehicle so they all must have been duds as studs.

The personal lives of the rich and famous people who were associated with the yellow Rolls Royce were shallow at best and only Ingrid Bergman seemed to have a conscience and purpose as to what she wanted to accomplish with her meaningless richly endowed life.

I found no mystery nor intrigue to any of the three seperate storylines and I was disappointed that so many big name stars would appear in this time waster.

I can't rate it any higher than a less than deserving 4 out of 10 rating.