Taglines: It happened in the irresistibly romantic city of Athens.
In the Cool of the Day movie storyline. Christine Bonner (Jane Fonda) is a beautiful young American woman with chronic health problems. She has been separated from her adoring but overly protective husband Sam (Arthur Hill), but agrees to return to him. She meets an English friend of Sam’s, Murray Logan (Peter Finch), who shares her great interest in Greece. Logan also is unhappily married because his wife, Sybil (Angela Lansbury), blames him for an automobile accident that scarred her and killed their son. Christine and Murray meet again in England and their attraction grows.
The two couples plan to vacation together in Greece, but Sam must stay home because of a family illness. Murray and Christine fall in love as they visit Greek ruins and other tourist attractions. Sybil realizes what is happening and writes Sam in New York. She then tells Murray she is leaving him, running off to the Riviera for a fling with an Englishman (Nigel Davenport) she met in Greece. She tells Christine “he’s all yours.”
Hearing that Christine’s controlling mother is pursuing them, they continue their travels, eventually making love. Christine’s mother finds them and takes her away. Christine falls ill from the stress and exertion and, according to Sam, refuses to fight for her life. Before dying, Christine tells Murray she did not want him to have to deal with her chronic illness. She makes Murray promise to do what they would have done together. He continues his travels in Greece.
In the Cool of the Day is a 1963 British-American romantic drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in Metrocolor and Panavision. The film is directed by Robert Stevens and starring Peter Finch, Jane Fonda, Angela Lansbury, Arthur Hill, Constance Cummings, Alexander Knox, Nigel Davenport, John Le Mesurier, Alec McCowen, Valerie Taylor and Andreas Markos.
The novel was published in 1960. The New York Times called it “a mixture of high romance and exotic travelogue”. Film rights were bought by MGM who assigned John Houseman to produce. Houseman had just returned to the studio after a six year absence. Meade Roberts, who had written a TV adaptation of Wings of the Dove for Houseman, was working on the script by January 1961. In July Robert Stevens was announced as director; it was the second of a two picture deal with MGM, the first being I Thank a Fool. Stevens had worked with Houseman several times on television.
In February 1962 Houseman said the film was in planning stages and described the project as “essentially it is a romantic drama dealing with marital problems, the settings of which are New York, Connecticut, London and Greece. No cast as yet?” Peter Finch, who had just made I Thank a Fool with Stevens, was the first cast member announced. In May 1962 MGM signed Jane Fonda, who had just made A Period of Adjustment with the studio, would star.
Filming took place in August 1962. It was made on locations in London, Greece and at MGM-British Studios, Borehamwood, Herts. The production schedule was hampered by the fact Jane Fonda was required back in New York at a certain date to begin rehearsals for a play. Houseman joked that the film was split into two sections, “Jane Fonda” and “post-Jane Fonda”.
Film Review for In the Cool of the Day
Yesterday’s new drama at the Trans-Lux Normandie, “In the Cool of the Day,” opens provocatively, coasts along past some stunning Greek backgrounds and finally hits a fatal soap opera snag. Peter Finch and Jane Fonda are the star-crossed lovers of this lusciously appointed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer drama, filmed in color in London and in Greece and portraying some romantic entanglements in the publishing world’s top echelon.
John Houseman was the producer.Partly because of Robert Stevens’s trim direction and the snugly introduced adaptation of Susan Ertz’ novel by Meade Roberts, the picture starts winningly on a note of sophisticated tension. It looks and sounds adult and true, with the neurotically bent protagonists, including Angela Lansbury and Arthur Hill, gliding in and out of swanky interiors.
Miss Fonda is a beautiful semi-invalid, bored with a kind, over-protective spouse (Mr. Hill) and crushed by a mean mother (Constance Cummings). Mr. Finch, a British publisher, is shackled to a ball-and-chain (Miss Lansbury).
The action shifts from New York to London and finally the Athens-Delphi locale. And up to the point where the hero, the heroine and a surly Miss Lansbury tour the Acropolis, the picture is not bad at all. The thwarted romance and marital ironies are detailed crisply and succinctly.
However, with a clap of thunder, a Wagnerian swelling of music, and Miss Fonda’s coughing attack, the jig is up—for her and the picture.The film ends on a banal level, keyed by Mr. Finch’s peculiarly listless performance. (He looks bored to death even as his true love dies.) In contrast, Miss Fonda’s jittery portrayal seems overly effusive. Wisely, Mr. Hill plays it quietly. Miss Cummings is briefly excellent, as is an unidentified British actress called Lillie.
In the Cool of the Day (1963)
Directed by: Robert Stevens
Starring: Peter Finch, Jane Fonda, Angela Lansbury, Arthur Hill, Constance Cummings, Alexander Knox, Nigel Davenport, John Le Mesurier, Alec McCowen, Valerie Taylor, Andreas Markos
Screenplay by: Meade Roberts
Production Design by: Ken Adam
Cinematography by: Peter Newbrook
Film Editing by: Thomas Stanford
Makeup Department: Olga Angelinetta, Tony Sforzini
Music by: Francis Chagrin
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Date: March 1963
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