William Holden

Sabrina Fairchild and Linus Larrabee, 'Sabrina' (1954)

We know that chauffeur's daughter Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) shouldn't fall for insincere playboy David Larrabee (William Holden), though we're pretty sure she'd look back on David as a mistake worth making. We're not sure Sabrina ... more will feel the same way about her "happy ending" with David's dull, undertaker-like brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart). Imagine if this generation's would-be Hepburn, Carey Mulligan, had walked off with Peter Sarsgaard in "An Education," and you have an idea of the mismatch, though at least Sarsgaard had a certain hollow allure. (And don't even get us started on the 1995 "Sabrina" remake.)

"Sabrina" writer-director Billy Wilder wasn't really aiming for the heart here. Bogart and Holden represent the extremes of male behavior, neither suitable unless you're hell-bent on having Larrabee as your last name. If that's the case, Sabrina won, though given the chasm of vitality that exists between her and Linus, Sabrina's victory will likely be delayed until the divorce settlement arrives. Close