| Greek actress Melina Mercouri made her international reputation in the film Never on Sunday (1960) and subsequently became a major force in the country's cultural life. Never On Sunday, motion picture about an American who comes to live in Greece and meets a happy prostitute with a heart of gold. Released in 1960, this Academy Award-winning Greek film began as a small art-house release and became a box-office sensation. Director Jules Dassin also stars as Homer, the American who falls in love with Ilya (played by Melina Mercouri), a prostitute who takes pride in her labors. Ilya works happily six days a week, then on Sundays she goes to the theater to see the classic Greek plays, although she does not understand them. Homer attempts to reform the woman and give her a taste of culture beyond bouzouki music and the plays she can't comprehend, but her old habits die hard. Text from Microsoft Encarta |
