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That Lolita year
Sep. 15th, 2024 12:34 amWhat is perhaps the dirtiest sophisticated exchange in the movies was written by Charles Brackett around 1954 and shows that he was still on the ball and looking sharp despite the Wilder divorce. (It is just possible that his co-writer Walter Reisch was the responsible party, but I choose to believe otherwise.)
'Who taught you to light men's cigars?'
'My father, when I was that high. And sometimes he'd let me take a puff, and I never choked once.'
The recipient of the confession, Ray Milland, is filmed in profile, and indeed any full face reaction would have alerted the censor. But the beat he takes to react is priceless.
The film was released in the US on October 1, 1955, exactly 15 days after the publication of a novel called Lolita across the water. Eisenhower was President and the world was safe (if not from prurience).
'Who taught you to light men's cigars?'
'My father, when I was that high. And sometimes he'd let me take a puff, and I never choked once.'
The recipient of the confession, Ray Milland, is filmed in profile, and indeed any full face reaction would have alerted the censor. But the beat he takes to react is priceless.
The film was released in the US on October 1, 1955, exactly 15 days after the publication of a novel called Lolita across the water. Eisenhower was President and the world was safe (if not from prurience).
