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Irma La Douce

Play trailer Poster for Irma La Douce 1963 2h 27m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
This entertaining comedy finds disgraced former police officer Nestor Patou falling for beautiful Parisian prostitute Irma La Douce. Though Nestor becomes Irma's pimp, he can't stand the idea of her being with clients, so he devises a way to keep her all to himself. This scheme leads to plenty of trouble, however, and soon Nestor is forced to avoid his old law-enforcement peers in an attempt to stay with Irma and out of jail.
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Irma La Douce

Critics Reviews

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Elizabeth Sussex Sight & Sound 03/11/2020
Set mainly in a bawdy-house that is never in the least bawdy, Billy Wilder's Irma La Douce is the kind of fantasy much favoured by Hollywood -- a sex comedy from which sex has been carefully eradicated. Go to Full Review Sam Adams Philadelphia City Paper 01/26/2019
Though Irma's 143-minute length is more than a little too much of a very good thing, it's hard to dislike a movie that keeps giving you more good stuff. Go to Full Review David Parkinson Empire Magazine 01/25/2019
3/5
Lemmon and Maclaine fail to reproduce the chemistry from The Apartment but this slight film is not as ignorable as reputation suggests. Go to Full Review Marlene Matouk Tampa Bay Times 01/13/2021
Billy Wilder is a great director and you can't find too many actress es better than Shirley MacLaine, so when Jack Lemmon appears on the screen, the triple-treat is complete. Go to Full Review Dwight MacDonald Esquire Magazine 08/12/2019
The latest Wilder-Diamond-J.L. gagorama has everything: lovely color shots of Paris, lots of laughs, tears, action, and two of our best film actors, Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Everything but charm and style, the essentials for its genre Go to Full Review Rob Aldam Backseat Mafia 03/16/2019
A magical and beguiling tale of love of the mean streets of Paris. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Simon T @MovieTart Mar 16 Very enjoyable Billy Wilder farce, on wonderful Alexandre Trauner Paris sets. The plot is ludicrous: a naive gendarme (Lemmon) becomes an object of passion for a prostitute (MacLaine) after she sees him triumph over her pimp in a bar brawl. To secure her love he disguises himself as a wealthy Englishman and moonlights in the meat and fish markets in order to earn enough money to pay her what a wealthy Englishman would, and thus end her work as a prostitute. It's true that - especially in the second half - the plotting and Lemmon's performance go over the top, but it's so beautifully done and fun to watch that you forgive it. Shirley MacLaine is wonderful: naturally funny and very charming. An uncredited James Caan - the spitting image of a young Gene Kelly - cameos briefly as an American in Paris. See more John M. @eagle0824 Jan 31 Just plain corny and bad, an embarrasement. See more V M. @IndianWarrior Oct 25 It’s a romcom 😀 silly and good time pass…. lol See more Isaiah Y @zayman2 08/20/2025 Not one of Billy Wilder's best scripts, but still great performances by Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon See more Alejandro E @Alex970 04/26/2025 If the chequered love story between a policeman and a prostitute has its appeal, it is the chemistry between Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. It may not be among director Billy Wilder's best, but even so, the 144 minutes are well spent. See more Will G @Kingofthepixies 02/05/2025 Jack lemmon, Shirley maclaine, Billy wilder, Paris, 1960s. What's not to like? See more Read all reviews
Irma La Douce

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Cast & Crew

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Billy Wilder

Director

Shirley MacLaine

Irma La Douce

Jack Lemmon

Nestor Patou

Lou Jacobi

Moustache

Herschel Bernardi

Insp. Lefevre

Joan Shawlee

Amazon Annie

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Irma La Douce

Irma La Douce (1963) Irma La Douce (1963) Irma La Douce (1963) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis This entertaining comedy finds disgraced former police officer Nestor Patou falling for beautiful Parisian prostitute Irma La Douce. Though Nestor becomes Irma's pimp, he can't stand the idea of her being with clients, so he devises a way to keep her all to himself. This scheme leads to plenty of trouble, however, and soon Nestor is forced to avoid his old law-enforcement peers in an attempt to stay with Irma and out of jail.
Director
Billy Wilder
Producer
Billy Wilder
Screenwriter
Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Mirisch Corporation, Phalanx Productions
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 5, 1963, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 26, 2016
Runtime
2h 27m
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