Meet-Cute

Yes, that’s the great Billy Wilder.  Legendary cinema screenwriter, brilliant director, auteur.  Although he didn’t invent the “meet-cute,” (when boy meets girl in an adorable way on the big screen) here’s one clever example he came up with for that other rom com legend, his mentor and hero, Ernst Lubitsch.

“One day (Charles) Brackett and I were called in to see Lubitsch.  He told us he was thinking about doing an adaptation of a French play about a millionaire- a very law-abiding guy who would never have an affair with a woman without marrying her.  So he married seven times!

Author’s Note:  Hmmm. Sounds familiar.

As the meeting was being adjourned I said, ‘I have a meet-cute for your story.  Let’s say your millionaire is an American who is stingy. He goes to a department store in Nice on the French Riviera where he wants to buy a pajama top, but just the top because he never wears the pants.   The girl comes to the same counter to buy pajamas for her father, who as it happens only wears the pants.’

That broke the ice and we were put to work on that picture that became Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife.”

Author’s  Second Note: Sorry, but this was the only clip I could find of the “pajama” scene. Tune in at 4:00 if you don’t want to see the other movie clips featured.

Billy Wilder had dozens of meet-cutes filed away in a little notebook for future reference.

Here is another Wilder gem from one of the best movies of all time   Boy (?) and boy (?) meet girl (oh boy!) in Some Like it Hot.

Now let his boss show off the famous “Lubitsch Touch.” Here’s how clever Ernst thought Melvin Douglas and Greta Garbo should get acquainted in the fabulous Ninotchka.

Preston Sturges was another auteur and genius in the art of movie-making. Here’s his classic take on “boy meets girl” in his masterpiece Sullivan’s Travels.

Cinematic history was also made when Tracy met Hepburn in Woman of the Year. Movie lore has it that when Kate met Spence in real life for the first time on the MGM lot, she looked him over and said, “Mr. Tracy, I’m afraid I’ll be too tall for you.”  Joe Mankiewicz then piped up, “Don’t worry, sister. He’ll cut you down to size.’

Here’s the proof.

And here they go again in Pat and Mike. (Let Aldo Ray do the introductions, but do stick around for the end. It’s a classic line.)

Kate Hepburn also paired up with Cary Grant in the screwball fun fest Bringing Up Baby.

Here’s how “boy meets leopard” in that wonderful romp.

Not all meet-cutes happen in comedies.

Take a gander at the definitive one in the wonderful English weeper Brief Encounter. Watch how Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard are brought together in true British stiff upper lip style.

And here’s the historic encounter when Rhett meets Scarlett for the very first time. Talk about fireworks!

My generation had their own pair of iconic lovers who met in a different library.

At Radcliffe.

Yes, that’s Ryan and Ali.  Aka Ollie and Jennifer in Love Story.

And I like how bumbling but adorable Hugh Grant met playing-herself-as-a-famous-movie star Julia Roberts in Notting Hill.

And here’s Hugh again in Love Actually. Watch as the Prime Minister meets Natalie, played by delicious Martine McCutcheon, an aide on his household staff at 10 Downing Street.

I started with Billy but I think I’ll give Preston the last word.

This may be the meet-cute of all time. Barbara Stanwyck meeting Henry Fonda in THE screwball to end all screwballs, The Lady Eve.

That’s all, folks.

I’ve got to go forth and have some meet-cutes of my own.  Now where did I put my ski boots?