The V.I.P.s (1963)

 

The V.I.P.s - 1963

Coming up next is 1963's "The V.I.P.s", a film in which we find a group of airline passengers as they seek to embark from London to New York.  Their interconnecting stories take place on a foggy day in London which threatens to ruin their plans and disrupt their lives.

The film's cast includes Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Louis Jourdan, Elsa Martinelli, Margaret Rutherford, Maggie Smith, Rod Taylor, Orson Welles, Linda Christian, David Frost, Dennis Price, and Stringer Davis.

Frances Andros is traveling from London to Jamaica, with a stopover in New York.  She's traveling without her husband, extremely busy businessman Paul Andros.  He seems to be absent from a large part of their marriage, leaving her alone at home while he travels for his business.

At the airport, we find that Frances will not be traveling alone.  She meets up with dashing playboy Marc Champselle, with whom she plans to elope.

When circumstances beyond their control ground their plan, Frances must take a long, hard look at her relationships with each of the men and make a decision that will alter her life.

Also traveling to America is the dotty Duchess of Brighton.  She is taking a job in Miami Beach so that she can afford to keep her large estate.

She's a highly amusing lady who calls for the "conductress" to remove her hat box.  She's also a little nervous about flying, so she's taken some pills to keep her nerves steady.  "I had two enormous pills to steady me down, and with the two pills I took this morning, the pep-up pills...I'm flying already."

The Duchess is able to keep her home.  The money comes from quite an unexpected source, and she is both delighted and grateful.  She tells the airport manager to tell the plane it can go without her.

Other passengers include Les Mangrum and his secretary, Miss Mead.  He is the head of Mangrum Tractors, and she is hopelessly in love with her boss, who is oblivious to her attentions.

Mangrum's business is threatening to go under unless he can come up with a large sum of money.  He and Miss Mead put their heads together for a way to come up with the amount.

As a last resort, Miss Mead pleads their case with Paul Andros.  She is delighted to be able to tell her employer that the business will be saved.

And famous director Max Buda is traveling with his companion, actress Gloria Gritti.  The two bring a touch of Hollywood glamor to the airport terminal.  However, things are far from glamorous with Mr. Buda's business holdings.  He has to leave the country by midnight if he wants to get out of paying a very large tax bill.  He is also looking for a location to shoot his new movie about Mary Stuart.

As I mentioned before, something out of the passengers control keeps them from making the trip as planned.  The airport organizes rooms at a local hotel and plans for the airplane to take off the next morning, throwing all of the passengers' plans into chaos.  As she prepares to disembark after just getting onboard, the Duchess of Brighton says, "What a ridiculous form of locomotion flying is.  They tie you into your seat and tell you you're going.  Then they make hair-raising, scarifying noises with their engines, then they untie you, and tell you you're not going at all."

Cast rundown:

   Elizabeth Taylor.................................Frances Andros

   Richard Burton..................................Paul Andros

   Louis Jourdan....................................Marc Champselle

   Elsa Martinelli....................................Gloria Gritti

   Margaret Rutherford..........................Duchess of Brighton

   Maggie Smith....................................Miss Mead

   Rod Taylor.........................................Les Mangrum

   Orson Welles.....................................Max Buda

   Linda Christian..................................Miriam Marshall

   David Frost.......................................Reporter

   Dennis Price......................................Commander Millbank

   Stringer Davis....................................Hotel Waiter

And that's it for The V.I.P.s.  The story involving Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Louis Jourdan was based on a true story.  It's a fictionalized version of how Vivien Leigh tried to leave her husband Laurence Olivier for Peter Finch.  Leigh and Finch made it to Heathrow Airport only to have a fog ground their plane, which allowed Olivier to confront the couple.  Leigh returned home with her husband.

Margaret Rutherford received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the Duchess of Brighton.  In one scene, she shares camera time with her real-life husband, Stringer Davis, who portrayed a waiter.

Elizabeth Taylor used her own personal jewels for this film.  The emerald and diamond brooch used at the airport was a gift from Richard Burton, which he gave her as an "If it's Tuesday, I love you" gift.  The diamond tiara she wears during the film's opening credits was a gift from her deceased husband Mike Todd.

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