Love in the Afternoon is relentlessly criticized for its major casting blunder. Gary Cooper was 56 years old, and looked older. Audrey Hepburn was 28, and looked younger. Of course, such miscasting was hardly unique. Hepburn's other picture from 1957 was Funny Face, which romantically paired her with 58 year old Fred Astaire.

The terse and retiring Cooper is not only the wrong age, but he has the wrong temperament for the role of a millionaire playboy. Cooper had been a notorious rake in his long-past day, but by 1957 he looked like he would rather go fishing.

Nonetheless, the romance between Ariane (Hepburn) and Flannagan (Cooper) is acceptable, because each has what the other wants. Flannagan, an empty vessel by himself, needs the constant companionship of beauty. Meanwhile, sheltered Ariane seeks to conquer, and to live in a lavish jet-set fantasy. Neither goal seems particularly laudable, but then not many people prefer to see The Life of Louis Pasteur.

Veteran womanizer Flannagan should immediately see past Ariane's tales of sexual adventure (a bullfighter and a professional ice hockey player, indeed). And he wouldn't really take his gypsy musicians with him to a Turkish bath, where they are likely to have heat stroke in their suits. My sympathies are with Michel (Van Doude), the loyal twit who is strung along as Ariene's half-boyfriend until someone better (i.e. more wealthy) comes along.

Noted French entertainer Maurice Chevalier has a plum supporting role as Ariene's concerned but even-tempered father, whose work as a detective provides the opportunity for Ariene's adventure. Director Wilder's wife Audrey has a cameo as Flannagan's escort at the opera.

Love in the Afternoon was snubbed by the Academy Awards and Golden Globes, although Wilder was nominated as Best Director that year for Witness for the Prosecution. Wilder and Diamond did receive the award for Best Written American Comedy from the Writers Guild of America.

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