The Girl from the Cherry Bar - DVD

Content: Ingenious con man Harry Dean (Michael Caine), along with his crony art dealer Emile (John Abbott), have devised the perfect heist: they plan to steal a valuable artifact from a reclusive billionaire, Arab prince Shahbandar (Herbert Lohm). The nightclub dancer Nicole (Shirley McLaine) from Hong Kong is supposed to get them access to Shahbandar's almost perfectly sealed dwelling, as she looks exactly like the billionaire's deceased wife. For Harry, the deal is simple: as soon as he shows up at the Prince's hotel with Nicole, the Prince will contact them to meet his wife's doppelganger. He will be so fascinated by her that he will forget everything around him. And while Nicole distracts him, Harry will enter Shahnandar's apartment, steal the artifact, and get it to safety before the police at the airport examine his luggage. A foolproof plan, really. But unfortunately, the reality is quite different...

With The Girl from the Cherry Bar, Ronald Neame (The Poseidon's Hellride) directed an amusing ganuerkomedy in 1966 that works really well for long stretches, even after nearly five decades. It's no wonder, then, that the Coen brothers took this film as the template for their screenplay for the movie Gambit, which was released in 2013. Starring Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine and Herbert Lom, Chief Inspector Dreyfuss from the Pink Panther films, the film is very well cast, with MacLaine and Caine even being nominated for a Golden Globe. The film's sets and costumes were recognized with an Oscar nomination, as was the sound.

But what really makes the film work is its amusing script. Particularly amusing is the discrepancy between what Harry Dean imagines and then what actually happens. The first third of the movie is more of a straight rogue comedy with a rather restrained humor and a lot of coolness, which especially comes from a Michael Caine acting almost in James Bon's manner. Shirley MacLaine plays her role without uttering a single word, which gives her a mystical aura. But when it becomes clear that reality is quite different, more and more slapstick and over-the-top wit take over. This works very well, though, and makes for 104 minutes of diverting entertainment that could have only been a little tighter and less silly here and there.

Sure, the ravages of time have very obviously gnawed away at some aspects of the film. But even if some of it comes across as a bit antiquated, The Girl from the Cherry Bar is still really fun to watch today. If you like amusing rogue comedies from the 60s or if you already laughed at the remake, you should definitely pick up this remake. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: Assuming that the film already has a proud 47 years on the hump, the image and sound quality of the reissue can really convince. The picture is largely pleasantly sharp and appealingly colorful. There are also only a few minor smudges. Certainly, this DVD can't compete with a current blockbuster production shot with HD cameras. For a classic, however, there is little to fault here. The mono sound, of course, is also a bit lacking in power. However, the dialogue, which is quite important here, is always well intelligible and the music is also mixed well to match. And for this there is then also a satisfied: good!

Extras: Unfortunately, the DVD has no extras to offer.

Conclusion:The Girl from the Cherry Bar is an amusing 1960s rogue comedy that can make up for a few minor lengths with some delicious ideas, charming characters and witty dialogue. It speaks for the quality of the film that it can entertain well even after 47 years and simply offers good humor despite minor hangs. The DVD transfer is technically well done, the lack of bonus material can be forgiven in view of the age of the film. Overall: for friends of classic American rogue comedies absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp