Never on Sunday
Encyclopedia
Never on Sunday is a 1960 Greek black-and-white film which tells the story of Ilya, a prostitute who lives in the port of Piraeus
in Greece
, and Homer, an American tourist from Middletown, Connecticut
— a classical scholar enamored with all things Greek. Ilya is a character close to the "hooker with a heart of gold
" cliché. Homer feels Ilya's life style typifies the degradation of Greek classical culture and attempts to steer her onto the path of morality. It constitutes a variation of the Pygmalion
story.
The film stars Melina Mercouri
and Jules Dassin
, and it gently submerges the viewer into Greek culture, including dance
, music
, and language (through the use of subtitle
s). The signature song and the bouzouki
theme of the movie became hits of the 1960s and brought the composer, Manos Hadjidakis
, an Academy Award
.
It won the Academy Award for Best Song (Manos Hadjidakis
for "Never on Sunday
"). It was nominated for the Academy Awards for, respectively, Best Actress in a Leading Role
(Melina Mercouri), Best Costume Design, Black-and-White
, Best Director (Jules Dassin) and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay as Written Directly for the Screen (Dassin). Mercouri won the award for Best Actress
at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival
.
The two Soviet sailors arrive when Homer has Ilya out of her room. The name of the Russian ship is on the sailors' caps in the Cyrillic alphabet.
When the American fleet arrives, the destroyer, USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779)
, is shown from stock footage and recognizable by the large numbers 779 painted on her bow section.
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and Homer, an American tourist from Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
— a classical scholar enamored with all things Greek. Ilya is a character close to the "hooker with a heart of gold
Hooker with a heart of gold
The hooker with a heart of gold is a stock character in which a "fallen woman", usually a prostitute, is a kindly and internally wholesome person.-Characteristics:...
" cliché. Homer feels Ilya's life style typifies the degradation of Greek classical culture and attempts to steer her onto the path of morality. It constitutes a variation of the Pygmalion
Pygmalion (mythology)
Pygmalion is a legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name Pumayyaton, he is most familiar from Ovid's Metamorphoses, X, in which Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved.-In Ovid:In Ovid's narrative, Pygmalion was a...
story.
The film stars Melina Mercouri
Melina Mercouri
Melina Mercouri , born as Maria Amalia Mercouri was a Greek actress, singer and politician.As an actress she made her film debut in Stella and met international success with her performances in Never on Sunday, Phaedra, Topkapi and Promise at Dawn...
and Jules Dassin
Jules Dassin
Julius "Jules" Dassin , was an American film director, with Jewish-Russian origins. He was a subject of the Hollywood blacklist in the McCarthy era, and subsequently moved to France where he revived his career.-Early life:...
, and it gently submerges the viewer into Greek culture, including dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, and language (through the use of subtitle
Subtitle (captioning)
Subtitles are textual versions of the dialog in films and television programs, usually displayed at the bottom of the screen. They can either be a form of written translation of a dialog in a foreign language, or a written rendering of the dialog in the same language, with or without added...
s). The signature song and the bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
theme of the movie became hits of the 1960s and brought the composer, Manos Hadjidakis
Manos Hadjidakis
Manos Hatzidakis was a Greek composer and theorist of the Greek music. He was also one of the main prime movers of the "Éntekhno" song ....
, an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
.
It won the Academy Award for Best Song (Manos Hadjidakis
Manos Hadjidakis
Manos Hatzidakis was a Greek composer and theorist of the Greek music. He was also one of the main prime movers of the "Éntekhno" song ....
for "Never on Sunday
Never on Sunday (song)
"Never on Sunday", also known as "Ta Paidia Tou Piraia" is a popular song by Manos Hadjidakis. A vocal version was also released and performed by Melina Mercouri in the film of same name directed by Jules Dassin and starring Mercouri...
"). It was nominated for the Academy Awards for, respectively, Best Actress in a Leading Role
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
(Melina Mercouri), Best Costume Design, Black-and-White
Academy Award for Costume Design
The Academy Award for Best Costume Design is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievement in film costume design....
, Best Director (Jules Dassin) and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay as Written Directly for the Screen (Dassin). Mercouri won the award for Best Actress
Best Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Actress Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of films at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.-Award Winners:-External links:* * ....
at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival
1960 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Georges Simenon *Marc Allégret *Louis Chauvet *Diego Fabbri *Hidemi Ima *Grigori Kozintsev *Maurice Leroux *Max Lippmann *Henry Miller...
.
Cast
- Melina MercouriMelina MercouriMelina Mercouri , born as Maria Amalia Mercouri was a Greek actress, singer and politician.As an actress she made her film debut in Stella and met international success with her performances in Never on Sunday, Phaedra, Topkapi and Promise at Dawn...
as Ilya - Jules DassinJules DassinJulius "Jules" Dassin , was an American film director, with Jewish-Russian origins. He was a subject of the Hollywood blacklist in the McCarthy era, and subsequently moved to France where he revived his career.-Early life:...
as Homer Thrace - Giorgos FountasGiorgos FountasGiorgos Fountas was a Greek actor in film and television.He attended the Dramatic School at the Athens Odeum. He played football for some years for AEK Athens FC. He appeared for the first time in the theatre in Nyfiatiko tragoudi and his first film in 1944...
as Tonio - Titos Vandis as Jorgo
- Mitsos Ligizos as The Captain (as Mitsos Lygizos)
- Despo Diamantidou as Despo
- Dimos Starenios as Poubelle
- Dimitris PapamichaelDimitris PapamichaelDimitris Papamichael born 1934 in Athens; died 8 August 2004 in Athens 12pm at his house) was a famous Greek actor and director. He married Aliki Vougiouklaki, the national star of Greece for a decade,in 1965 and co-starred with her in films that marked the "golden era" of Greek cinema.-External...
as A Sailor (as Dimitri Papamichael) - Alexis Solomos as Noface
- Thanassis VeggosThanassis VeggosThanasis Veggos, alternatively spelt Thanassis and/or Vengos, was a Greek actor and director born in Neo Faliro, Piraeus. He performed in more than 120 films, predominantly comedies in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s...
as (as Thanassis Veggos) - Faidon Georgitsis as Sailor
- Nikos Fermas as Waiter
Trivia
Ilya meets with two British sailors from the HMS MANCHESTER, the younger one offers less money, however, he appeals to Ilya. There was no HMS Manchester in the Royal Navy in 1960.The two Soviet sailors arrive when Homer has Ilya out of her room. The name of the Russian ship is on the sailors' caps in the Cyrillic alphabet.
When the American fleet arrives, the destroyer, USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779)
USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779)
USS Douglas H. Fox an , was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Douglas H. Fox, the commanding officer of the , who went down with his ship when she was torpedoed and sunk in the naval battle of Guadalcanal 13 November 1942...
, is shown from stock footage and recognizable by the large numbers 779 painted on her bow section.