Love in the Afternoon (1956)

Not as bad as I remember but Cooper's awful performance sinks the film from ***1/2 to **1/2.

Honestly, what was Wilder thinking? Yeah he couldn't get Cary Grant so his go-to-guy was 56 - going on 66- Cooper? What about Holden? What about Hudson, What about Gable (if want to go old)? Or he could have brought William Powell out of retirement.

Its not just that. Even if it was a younger Cooper who thinks of "Coop" as an international, sophisticated playboy? His bread and butter was playing Cowboys and upright American heroes, and charming small town guys.

OTOH, Hepburn was 28 and convincingly plays 18-19 and Maurice C. is his usual great self. Another flaw - at over 2 hours - just too long. His idol was Lubitsch, maybe he should have copied the Masters brevity - Shop around the corner, to be or not to be, and Trouble in Paradise are 100 minute or less.