I saw this film for one reason--it starred Jack Lemmon. Lemmon was a very fine actor and I'd see him in just about anything. "The Notorious Landlady" must surely qualify as 'in just about anything'! The movie starts off very well but then just seems to drag on and on--becoming quite dull. Frankly, by the time it was over, I was more than ready.
The film begins with a low-level American diplomat in London looking for an apartment. He happens upon a flat owned by an American--and it's odd, because practically EVERYONE in London seems to be an American in this film. Lemmon is thrilled to move in, as the landlady (Kim Novak) is very sexy. Soon they fall in love. However, things do NOT go smoothly, as he then is informed by his boss and Scotland Yard that she is suspected in the murder of her husband! What's to happen next? Well, although the film was very good at this point, the exact solution to the problem just never hit home for me. I wish that instead they had kept the film a romance--as the mystery and comedy seemed a bit thin. Overall, the actors tried but the script just wasn't very interesting.
The film begins with a low-level American diplomat in London looking for an apartment. He happens upon a flat owned by an American--and it's odd, because practically EVERYONE in London seems to be an American in this film. Lemmon is thrilled to move in, as the landlady (Kim Novak) is very sexy. Soon they fall in love. However, things do NOT go smoothly, as he then is informed by his boss and Scotland Yard that she is suspected in the murder of her husband! What's to happen next? Well, although the film was very good at this point, the exact solution to the problem just never hit home for me. I wish that instead they had kept the film a romance--as the mystery and comedy seemed a bit thin. Overall, the actors tried but the script just wasn't very interesting.