Irma la Douce (1963): cast, story & where to watch
1963 · Film · ★ 7.5
Released in 1963, Irma la Douce is a comedy and romance film directed by Billy Wilder, running about 147 minutes. “A story of passion, bloodshed, desire and death... everything, in fact, that makes life worth living.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Nester Patou, a naive police officer, is transferred to the red light district in Paris and organizes a raid on a dodgy hotel running as a brothel. In doing so he inadvertently disrupts the corrupt system of the police and the pimps union, and even nets his station superior. Fired from his job, Nester goes to the local bar for a drink and befriends a pretty young lady named Irma la Douce. Upon realizing she is a prostitute, Nester invents a crazy scheme to keep her from seeing other men.
Who’s in it. Irma la Douce stars Shirley MacLaine as Irma La Douce, Jack Lemmon as Nestor Patou, Lou Jacobi as Moustache and Bruce Yarnell as Hippolyte, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 7.5/10, Irma la Douce has been warmly received by audiences. It went on to earn $25.2M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo and MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Irma la Douce page.
If you liked it. Fans of Irma la Douce tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Irma la Douce (1963)?
- In US, Irma la Douce is available to stream on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel and Philo, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Irma la Douce worth watching?
- Irma la Douce holds an audience score of 7.5 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy comedy and romance. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in Irma la Douce?
- Irma la Douce stars Shirley MacLaine, Jack Lemmon, Lou Jacobi, Bruce Yarnell and Herschel Bernardi.
- When was Irma la Douce released?
- Irma la Douce was released in 1963, with a runtime of about 147 minutes.