Take Her, She's Mine


Take Her, She's Mine is a 1963 American comedy film starring James Stewart and Sandra Dee based on the 1961 Broadway comedy written by Henry Ephron and Phoebe Ephron. The film was directed by Henry Koster with a screenplay by Nunnally Johnson. It features an early film score by prolific composer Jerry Goldsmith. The character of Mollie, played by Elizabeth Ashley on Broadway and in the film by Sandra Dee, was based on the then 22-year-old Nora Ephron. Ashley's performance won her a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and served as the launchpad for her career.

Premise

A father is overprotective toward his teenage daughter as she leaves home to go to college and study abroad in Paris.

Cast

The film was based on a popular play with Art Carney. It was written by Henry and Phoebe Ephron based on Phoebe's correspondence with their daughter Nora when the latter was at college. They wrote the script in six weeks and sent it to their agent. Both Josh Logan and Hal Prince wanted to produce it; the Ephrons decided to go with Prince as Logan wanted big stars.

Production

Film rights were bought by 20th Century Fox who hired Nunally Johnson to write the script. Johnson handed in a draft then Fox was taken over by Darryl F. Zanuck who demanded Johnson rewrite the script so the last act was set in Paris to give the film more international appeal. Johnson later called it "a very lousy third act, all taken on the back lot and the French didn't understand that any more than the Americans either, by that time. But he insisted on it."

Reception

According to Fox records, the film needed to earn $6,100,000 in film rentals to break even and made $5 million, resulting in a loss.