Bookmarked by a cheery chorus extolling the joys of "the stately homes of England", Stanley Donen's The Grass is Greener at first promises to be a pleasantly rich, thoroughly British comedy of manners, repartee and archly subtle barbs ready to go. The film elicits so comfortable a viewing state, in fact, that it takes some time to clue into the slow, inextricable escalation evolving on screen. The final result is an impressive transformation indeed: a sly, witty affair (pun intended) that, while unpacking the virtue of old-fashioned sensibilities, demonstrates a markedly modern undercurrent of risqué subtext and the place of tradition and posterity in the twentieth century. Donen's film is a charming and sophisticated satire, without ever becoming stuffy or unengaging. Most importantly, it highly enjoyable through and through.The film's clever script by Hugh Williams and Margaret Vyner, nimbly repurposing their own play, keeps the plot plugging along at a slow but subtly rising pace, with an opening poking fun at vacant tourists and the upper class elite stubborn enough to cling to the antiquated decadence of their heritage while begrudgingly opening their historic homes to the riff raff for sustainable income. However, as the conflict settles in, enough genuinely surprisingly twists and turns and pockets of action pop up for the film to never feel excessively talky. It's also impressive how cavalier the film is about its central infidelity conflict and (arguably more controversial) the motivations behind sustaining a strained marriage. Mercifully absent is the implicit judgement in many comparable narratives released in the thick of the Hays Code, making the film feel much more like a story than an ideologically spring-loaded cautionary tale.Unsurprisingly, the film's main draw is its trifecta of Hollywood mega stars comprising the central love triangle, the allure of whom Donen cheekily demystifies by introducing them as squabbling babies over the opening credits. However, rather than awards-baiting scene-chomping, Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum all turn restrained, deadpan performances - this is a British comedy of manners, after all, and acting out would be intolerably uncouth. Nonetheless, all three possess such natural star magnetism that, when armed with the script's arsenal of clever zingers and double-entendres, makes them eminently watchable throughout.An uncomfortable situation unwound to its full satirical potential, The Grass is Greener unpacks social performativity with deft ease. Fans of the stars, or those seeking an old-fashioned jaunt with a slyly contemporary edge are cordially invited to experience the distinct pleasure of visiting this stately home of England.-8/10

. . . the stage play upon which it's based, but such apparently is not the case with THE GRASS IS GREENER. Except for a brief men-in-waders scene, this verbose exercise in talking sex to death might as well have been filmed on Broadway. Sure, there's a few touches of window dressing with have-and-have-not automobile comings and goings, as well as a walk-through of a couple high-ceilinged rooms. However, these scant minutes' worth of "real life" hardly provide an adequate antidote for what seems like hours of grueling repartee that may have sounded scintillating in a playwright's mind, but generally fall flat on stage, and pancake to paper thinness on a Big Screen. As a supposedly accommodating husband, Cary Grant looks particularly long-in-the-tooth, making his willingness to settle for his wife's sloppy seconds entirely reasonable (if not very convincing). However, Deborah Kerr's wayward wife "Hilary" character comes off as more gauche than a family's new mutt, who debuts by humping everyone's leg at an important dinner party. Any right-thinking household immediately would have such a nuisance pet "fixed," which is what most GRASS IS GREENER viewers will be hoping for Hilary.

An aristocratic British couple (Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr) allow tourists to visit their castle because of financial difficulties. On one of these tourist trips, an American millionaire (Robert Mitchum) puts the moves on Kerr and she wastes no time falling for him. Grant doesn't discourage her affair, instead trying to come up with a way to win her back. How pathetic.A dry, dull, stagy film with unlikable characters played by likable actors. Five or ten years later it might have been more risqué but this is all very sedate and mannered. There's no fun to be had here unless you're someone who likes these sorts of tired old movies where screwing around on each other is seen as a harmless and natural part of marriage. Dated plot aside, the characters are a mess. Mitchum's character is an obnoxious bundle of clichés. Jean Simmons is not part of a love triangle or quadrangle, as some plot synposes online tend to say (as well as the misleading DVD cover). She's just an ex of Grant's who is only in the film to be a pot stirrer. Kerr tries harder than anybody else to make this thing work, which just makes her character all the more insufferable. Cary Grant is badly miscast and dresses like Mister Rogers in this. I wasn't surprised to find out Cary didn't want to do this movie. He turned it down initially and then Rex Harrison was cast. But when Harrison had to withdraw at the last minute, Cary stepped in to help out. It's a part that is a better fit for Rex Harrison. Cary may have been born in England but he was never suited to playing these stereotypical "stuffy Brit" roles. Also, despite his age at the time, it's a hard sell to believe him the kind of man women would throw over for Robert Mitchum (no spring chicken himself by this point). I like Mitchum as much as the next person, but no...just no. To date, I believe this is the lowest rating I've ever given a Cary Grant movie. He's one of my favorite movie stars so it takes a lot for me to hate a movie he's in. But this is one that I don't see myself ever watching again.

An all-star cast just about manages to give this flimsy, unlikely comedy a lift though why the likes of Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons ever agreed to do it is something of a mystery. It's based on a play by Hugh and Margaret Williams and it's all very sub-Noel Coward, (his song 'The Stately Homes of England' is used on the soundtrack).Grant and Kerr are the lord and lady of the manor and Mitchum, the rich American who sweeps Kerr off her feet five minutes after meeting her. Simmons is the scatty friend and she's wonderful, (it's a great supporting part). Grant is magnificent. It's a great, understated performance and he's far, far too good for the material. It's not unlike the martial comedies he made in the thirties but at least they were American and funny; this is terribly British and isn't in the least funny. On the other hand, it is very stylishly directed by Stanley Donen, though again I have the foggiest idea why he would want to make it in the first place.