Movies at Mechanics' Presents: Sabrina (1954)

This film screening will have guest co-host, Matthew Kennedy!

A chauffeur’s daughter (Audrey Hepburn) goes to Paris and returns chic and confident, in this charming romantic comedy from Billy Wilder. The man she loves finally notices her…but will she reciprocate?

Sabrina was originally a partnership between Billy Wilder and Samuel Taylor, the author of the play Sabrina Fair. Wilder reflexively wanted Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant for the lead roles, but Grant declined the project, feeling he was too old to play opposite Audrey Hepburn. Wilder hired a new collaborator in Ernest Lehman, rewrote the male lead for Humphrey Bogart’s talents, and Bogart accepted. Though Bogart was even older than Grant, he plays the role to perfection. 

From the beginning of production, Lehman remembered that “every man on the set instantly fell in love with Audrey Hepburn.” Hepburn was 24 when she made Sabrina, fresh from her Oscar-winning role in Roman Holiday and learning to navigate Hollywood in her newfound role as a star. The chemistry between Hepburn and the second leading man, William Holden, is palpable. What we see between them is real love blooming–during the production of Sabrina, Hepburn and Holden began a passionate relationship that lasted several months, and they remained close friends for the rest of their lives.

Join us for an evening of delightful comedy featuring some of the brightest stars of the 1950s. Come about 15 minutes early to see the pre-show, filled with vintage clips, interviews, and musical numbers!

Matthew Kennedy is a Palm Springs–based writer, film historian, and curator specializing in classic Hollywood. He is the author of several biographies, including Marie Dressler, Edmund Goulding’s Dark Victory, Joan Blondell, and Roadshow!, as well as On Elizabeth Taylor (2024). A longtime contributor to Bright Lights Film Journal and other publications, he has taught film history and anthropology in San Francisco and curated the CinemaLit Film Series (2019–2025). Kennedy is a former dancer and arts administrator, a Fulbright Fellow, and a frequent speaker at major film institutions.

Movies at Mechanics' has welcomed film enthusiasts for classic cinema screenings and salons on Friday evenings for over 20 years. Join us for fresh popcorn, lively discourse, and your favorite films the first three Fridays of the month. Hosted by Lara Gabrielle, film writer and author of Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies.

“Author Gabrielle has given us a gift: an honest biography of a woman whose life and career have long been misunderstood. . . .  In short, this is the book Marion Davies has always deserved.”-Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian