A House Is Not a Home (film)

A House Is Not a Home is a 1964 American drama film directed by Russell Rouse and written by Steve Jankowski, loosely based on the 1953 autobiography by madam Polly Adler. The film stars Shelley Winters, Robert Taylor, Cesar Romero, and Kaye Ballard, with Raquel Welch in her film debut as a call girl. The song of the same name, written for the film by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, has become a standard.

A House Is Not a Home
Film poster
Directed by	Russell Rouse
Written by	Steve Jankowski
Based on	A House Is Not a Home 1953 autobiography by Polly Adler
Produced by	Clarence Greene
Starring	Shelley Winters Robert Taylor Cesar Romero Ralph Taeger Kaye Ballard Broderick Crawford
Cinematography	Harold E. Stine
Edited by	Chester W. Schaeffer
Music by	Joseph Weiss
Distributed by	Embassy Pictures Corporation
Release dates	August 12, 1964 (1964-08-12) (San Francisco) September 1, 1964 (1964-09-01) (New York)
Running time	98 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

Polly Adler is a poor Polish immigrant who works in a sweatshop. She loses her job after she is sexually assaulted by her boss, for which her housemates blame her. She then is forced to move out.

Her next apartment is in a building owned by Frank Costigan, a gangster. Frank approves of Polly's attractive girlfriends and pays her to have the ladies go out socially with his friends.

One thing leads to another, and soon Polly is the madam of a bordello. She has genuine feelings for musician Casey Booth, but does not reveal her true occupation to him.

Costigan becomes the top enforcer for mob boss Lucky Luciano and backs Polly's business, which ends up on Park Avenue offering high-class call girls. Casey proposes marriage, so Polly finally confesses what she does for a living. He is willing to overlook it, but Polly feels it is for the best if they part.

Cast

Actor	Role
Shelley Winters	Polly Adler
Robert Taylor	Frank Costigan
Cesar Romero	Lucky Luciano
Ralph Taeger	Casey Booth
Kaye Ballard	Sidonia
Broderick Crawford	Harrigan
Mickey Shaughnessy	Police Sgt. Riordan
Jesse White	Rafferty
Lisa Seagram	Madge
Meri Welles	Lorraine
Connie Gilchrist	Hattie Miller
Constance Dane	Laura
Allyson Ames	Gwen
Lewis Charles	Angelo
Steve Peck	Vince
Roger C. Carmel	Dixie Keeler
J. Pat O'Malley	Muldoon
Sandra Grant	Call Girl
Raquel Welch	Call Girl
Francine Pyne	Red-Call Girl
Edy Williams	Call Girl
Charles Fredericks	Bert
Danica d'Hondt	Vicki

Award nominations

Edith Head was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.

External links

• A House Is Not a Home at IMDb