Never on Sunday [Pote Tin Kyriaki] **** (1959, Jules Dassin, Melina Mercouri, Giorgos Foundas, Titos Vandis) – Classic Movie Review 3680

A triumph for writer, producer, director, star Jules Dassin and his actress wife Melina Mercouri, this lusty 1959 romantic comedy drama is a vivacious delight all round, with delightful performances, a sparkling script and a grand Mediterranean setting. The film was nominated for four Oscar and won one. Mercouri won the 1960 Best Actress award at Cannes, tied with Jeanne Moreau for Seven Days… Seven Nights (1960).

Considered risqué in its day, with an X certificate, the story follows the disarming romantic idyll of a stiff, starchy Connecticut intellectual named Homer Thrace (Dassin), who arrives in his beloved Greece, where he meets and sets out to ‘improve’, or educate, an illiterate Greek prostitute called Ilya (Mercouri). He gets the money for the books etc he gives her from Noface (Alexis Solomos), the local vice king who wants Ilya retired.

There are engaging performances from the entire cast, but especially from a loud, raucous, life-affirming Mercouri, who scooped the best actress award at Cannes for her spirited portrayal in her most famous role.

The score is by Manos Hadjidakis, whose song Never on Sunday [Ta paidia tou Peiraia] won the 1961 Oscar for Best Original Song and is an evergreen classic, though, like the film, is way less famous than in used to be.

Also in the cast are Giorgos Foundas, Titos Vandis, Despo Diamantidou, Dimos Starenios, Mitsos Ligizos, Thanasis Vengos and Dimitris Papamichael.

Dassin and Mercouri also made Topkapi (1964) together.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3680

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