While he arguably reached his comedic peak in 1959 with the release of Some Like It Hot (where he turned in the funniest performance of all time in his dual role of Jerry and Daphne), Jack Lemmon continued to push the boundaries of his craft well into the 1960s, which was one of his most prolific – and certainly interesting – decades of work. There are a number of well-received comedies he made during this time, but there are even more that have gone somewhat underpraised, especially in terms of how they showcase arguably the greatest actor to ever work in the medium of English-language cinema (or at least one of them). Among some major films exists The Notorious Landlady, which features Lemmon at his most charming and endearing, alongside two other classic-era stars who are doing brilliant work in their own right. This film, directed by the woefully underrated Richard Quine, is a fascinating piece of storytelling, a  combination of romantic comedy and Hitchcockian thriller, with the director (working from a script by Larry Gelbart and the legendary Blake Edwards) establishing a very specific atmosphere, from which some truly hilarious situations manage to arise. It’s not as well-known as some of the other vaguely experimental comedies produced at this time when many daring filmmakers took the risk of combining genres (with varying degrees of success) – and The Notorious Landlady manages to be one of the more endearing of them, functioning as a delightfully camp and irreverent addition to a burgeoning sub-genre that benefitted from Quine’s assured hand, the cast’s magnificent performances and the fantastic script that ties it all together and gives us an abundance of laughs and surprises that carry this wonderful film along.

Whether or not The Notorious Landlady was inspired by the work of Alfred Hitchcock is entirely up to the discretion of the viewer – as someone who has been religiously working through the esteemed director’s body of work, it’s difficult not to see the obvious correlations between his iconic suspense films, and this particular story. However, Quine was a chameleonic director who approached his films in the form of paying homage to the work of his influences rather than outright copying (which was a common problem with many comedies at this time) – and much of what connects this film to its inspirations are a series of nudges and winks, paying tribute to some of the most iconic moments in Hitchcock’s career (such as the shot of a drain mirroring the iconic Psycho shower scene from a mere two years earlier). It makes The Notorious Landlady quite an enthralling film to watch since everything is contained within this simple story, but there are so many clever references and inside jokes, that it feels like multiple viewings are not only recommended but entirely necessary, to embrace this film and understand the full scope of the brilliance that underpins it and makes it so deeply meaningful. There are so many details embedded in every frame and line of dialogue, that we constantly find ourselves reworking the content we see on screen to make sense of this peculiar world in which we’re immersed – and credit absolutely must go to Quine for managing to shepherd together so many complex moving parts, while still producing a film that is as buoyant as the romance at its heart.

The fact that The Notorious Landlady was produced in the same year that Lemmon appeared in Days of Wine and Roses (interestingly directed by Blake Edwards, who wrote this film), one of his most serious and sobering roles, is even further proof of not only his deep talents but his seemingly endless range. He is so effortlessly charming when he is given the right material, and he has rarely been more likeable than in his role as the hapless but optimistic American diplomat who finds himself in London on an assignment, only to fall in love with a mysterious woman who harbours many secrets. This woman is played by Kim Novak, who is giving top-billing, presumably as a way of capitalizing on the fact that she was at her peak in the years following Vertigo, many of her roles banking on her status as one of Hollywood’s most enduring female stars. This didn’t last long, but even in a film designed to be a star vehicle for the actress, Novak turns out quite a memorable performance that is a lot deeper than the roles many of her peers were given. It’s a character-based film, and while a lot of the successes rely on her ability to stir controversy, and Lemmon to react to her actions, she’s undeniably very good, if not slightly underused when it comes to finding a precise focus for the film. Fred Astaire rounds out the cast as Lemmon’s superior who can’t help falling in love with the enigmatic Mrs Hardwicke himself, leading to a complicated love triangle that is even more peculiar considering how this film does ultimately take the form of a complex murder mystery. Each one of the actors is excellent, their chemistry together being spellbinding, helping define this film as far more than just a mindless comedy with brief touches of suspense.

The key to the success of The Notorious Landlady comes in the form of the balance between genres, which is essential to defining this film as more than just a delightfully effervescent comedy. Quine understands the very clear boundary between the two central genres, and ensures that each one is showcased appropriately – every joke hits its target, while every moment of suspense adds to the tensions simmering throughout the film, creating a symbiotic relationship between genres that frequently makes for absolutely enthralling viewing – how else can we justify a film that makes us laugh as hard as this does, while still submerging us in the paranoid state that these characters frequently find themselves experiencing? This film is a lot of fun, but not only because it is hilarious – every moment is brimming with madcap energy that allows both the comedy and thriller aspects of the story to manifest in a way that genuinely keeps us engaged and entertained. How Quine managed to pull all of this off, and never convey any sense of laborious effort (keeping it as upbeat and lightweight as a psychological thriller about cold-blooded murder and conspiracy theories can be) is a mystery, but one that we relish in experiencing for ourselves throughout this tremendously entertaining comedy that carries a lot of weight, especially in the areas in which we least expect it to show up, only adding to the unexpected depth that persists throughout the film and makes it such an absolute delight from beginning to end.

The Notorious Landlady is a charming film, and that’s not a bit of praise that comes easily – considering the length (which is a slightly excessive 123 minutes) and the nature of the story, this could’ve easily have been a minor effort, one without much depth or nuance – but mercifully, all the right components were operating at peak capacity in the creation of this film, which starts as an endearing comedy with overtures of romance, and gradually rises in tension, to the point where it becomes just as much a suspensful thriller as it does a screwball comedy. The elements that make this film so brilliant are very clear to even the most casual viewer – the reunion of Jack Lemmon and Kim Novak was always going to be worth seeing (especially when both of them are at their peak in terms of charisma and youthful energy), and when you have them interpreting a script that crackles with the kind of wit that only classic era Hollywood comedies could achieve, you have the formula for something truly special, which is the most simple way to describe The Notorious Landlady, a film built on nothing but a bold premise, a strong screenplay and a series of interesting performances – but like any great comedy, it says what it needs to say before moving along at a rapid pace. The multilayered approach to the genre, and the genuinely insightful manner of telling this story, all make for an enthralling and intricately-woven film that is simultaneously hilarious and thrilling, which is a perfect recipe for love and murder in the shimmering streets of Old London, at least from this film’s perspective.