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Love Is a Ball

  • 1963
  • Approved
  • 1h 51m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
726
YOUR RATING
Charles Boyer, Glenn Ford, and Hope Lange in Love Is a Ball (1963)
ComedyRomance

On the French Riviera, a professional matchmaker assisted by an American adventurer arranges for convenience marriages between titled impoverished aristocratic men and rich low-bred women.On the French Riviera, a professional matchmaker assisted by an American adventurer arranges for convenience marriages between titled impoverished aristocratic men and rich low-bred women.On the French Riviera, a professional matchmaker assisted by an American adventurer arranges for convenience marriages between titled impoverished aristocratic men and rich low-bred women.

  • Director
    • David Swift
  • Writers
    • Lindsay Hardy
    • David Swift
    • Frank Waldman
  • Stars
    • Glenn Ford
    • Hope Lange
    • Charles Boyer
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    726
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • David Swift
    • Writers
      • Lindsay Hardy
      • David Swift
      • Frank Waldman
    • Stars
      • Glenn Ford
      • Hope Lange
      • Charles Boyer
    • 25User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos18

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    Top cast20

    Edit
    Glenn Ford
    Glenn Ford
    • John Lathrop Davis
    Hope Lange
    Hope Lange
    • Millicent 'Millie' Mehaffey
    Charles Boyer
    Charles Boyer
    • M. Etienne Pimm
    Ricardo Montalban
    Ricardo Montalban
    • Duke Gaspard Ducluzeau
    Telly Savalas
    Telly Savalas
    • Dr. Christian Gump - Millie's Uncle
    Ruth McDevitt
    Ruth McDevitt
    • Mathilda
    Ulla Jacobsson
    Ulla Jacobsson
    • Janine
    Georgette Anys
    Georgette Anys
    • Mme. Gallou
    Robert Bettoni
    • Milkman
    Mony Dalmès
    • Mme. Fernier
    Laurence Hardy
    Laurence Hardy
    • Priory
    Jean Le Maitre
    • Carlo
    André Luguet
    André Luguet
    • Maurice Zoltan
    Jean Parédès
    • Freddie
    Redmond Phillips
    Redmond Phillips
    • Starcy
    Erika Soucy
    • Gretl
    Aram Stephan
    Aram Stephan
    • Gallou
    Olga Valéry
    Olga Valéry
    • Mme. Giardin
    • Director
      • David Swift
    • Writers
      • Lindsay Hardy
      • David Swift
      • Frank Waldman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews25

    6.0726
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    Featured reviews

    7tavm

    Love Is a Ball lives up to its title!

    After years of only knowing about the title, I finally watched this on Amazon Prime Video with Mom just now. A nice mixture of romance and slapstick comedy, we both enjoyed much of the goings on that ensured. Fine performances by Glenn Ford and Hope Lange when they were an item at the time as well as Charles Boyer, Ricardo Montalban especially when doing many of the physical gags, and especially Telly Savalas playing a different role than I usually know him as. I'll just now say that Mom and I most highly recommend Love Is a Ball.
    6a_chinn

    Routine but enjoyable 1960s romcom from a strong cast

    Completely bland and predictable romantic comedy is propped up by a solid cast. Set on the French Riviera, Charles Boyer plays a matchmaker for penniless aristocrats. Boyer is this time helping goofy Ricardo Montalban woo Hope Lange, and brings on John Wood (Professor Falken from "WarGames") to give him English refinements and also Glenn Ford to help him with race car driving because of Lange's dream to participate in the Grand Prix. In typical romcom fashion, Lange and Ford accidentally meet and at first annoy each other and then fall in love. The story is fluff to the point of annoyance and at times feels as if it's trying too hard to be 1960s cool, but the cast are likable, which also includes Telly Savalas as Lange's father, and that's enough to carry the film. It also helps that there's a peppy score from Michel Legrand ("The Thomas Crown Affair" "Summer of '42" "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg") and has breezy direction from David Swift, who memorably wrote and directed "The Parent Trap" and "Pollyanna." Overall, you'll likely completely forget about this film after the credit roll, but it's fairly entertaining while you watch.
    7planktonrules

    Quite enjoyable.

    "Love Is a Ball" is a very strange sort of matchmaker movie. Instead of doing things the NORMAL way, Etienne Pimm (Charles Boyer) is one sneaky guy! He finds poor members of nobility and pairs them up with super-rich spouses. However, he IS sneaky....and doesn't tell the rich folks he's doing this. Instead, he and his crew are actors who ingratiate themselves to the rich family and covertly arrange for the pair to meet and fall in love! It's all very mercenary and Pimm is really good at his job. However, in the care of Millie (Hope Lange) he has an unexpected problem...over time, instead of falling for the poor nobleman (Ricardo Montalban), she starts to fall for her new chauffeur (Glenn Ford)! What's next in this cute little romance? See for yourself...

    This is a nice and inconsequential romantic comedy--the sort of date film that is fun to watch with someone you love. It won't change your life but will make you smile...unless, of course, you're a nasty jerk-face who doesn't like happy endings and romance.
    8keiljd

    glamorous and fun

    Tremendously entertaining and fun romantic comedy, set on the Riviera, filmed in warm sunshine with a top cast of real professionals. Saw it at the Royal in San Francisco, 3-31-63; co-feature was the Stewart Granger swashbuckler SWORDSMAN OF SIENA. Walked to the theatre from my apartment on a pleasant evening, for a comfortable evening at the movies, in a well appointed neighborhood house, for which I had a Pass. In the old days, one could expect a good time at the movies most times out, and always get value for money. In my case, it was a cinch
    9obrofta

    There's a surprise under this hood

    What surprise(s)? Plenty. How about Telly Savalas playing an effeminate guardian? How about Ricardo Montalban playing a klutz! This movie has all that and then some. Hope Lange is perfect as the rebellious young girl who doesn't want to be stereotyped (this was pretty racy for the 50s mind you), and Glenn Ford totally disarmed by his circumstance and his company.

    Great chemistry between the players especially between Charles Boyer and Montalban, who just doesn't seem like he's ever going to play up to his title...this is really funny.

    A movie I can watch again and again.

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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Ulla Jacobsson receives a special "introducing" credit - even though she had been a busy and well-known film actress for a number of years and had been seen in over twenty films, some of which had been very widely seen in the United States.
    • Goofs
      When the estate agent shows the villa to M.Pimm she quotes the monthly rental at 7,500,000 francs. In 1963 at the exchange rate of 4.901 francs to the US dollar that would be the equivalent of 1.53 million US dollars per month. In 1963 that villa may have been valued at 1.53 million but would hardly have rented for that much. Up to the introduction of the Euro EUR, many French people still counted in and spoke in "anciens francs." So 494 anciens francs were worth 4,94 nouveaux, or the number of anciens francs divided by 100. The "nouveau franc" was introduced on 1 January 1960. In this case 7.5M anciens francs would equal 75,000 nouveaux francs or $15,303, a much more reasonable amount.
    • Quotes

      M. Etienne Pimm: It's so easy to make money when you're clever. It's embarrassing.

    • Connections
      Featured in Hollywood: The Great Stars (1963)
    • Soundtracks
      Love Is A Ball
      Written and Performed by Michel Legrand Et Son Orchestre

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    FAQ14

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 14, 1963 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • France
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
      • French
    • Also known as
      • The Grand Duke and Mr. Pimm
    • Filming locations
      • Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France(Negresco Hotel)
    • Production companies
      • Gold Medal
      • Oxford Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,250,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 51m(111 min)
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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