Set in a shady district adjoining the wholesale markets of Les Halles, described in a dazzling opening sequence as “the stomach of Paris,” prostitute Irma la Douce (Shirley MacLaine) is the most prosperous “poule” (prostitute) working out of the Hotel Casanova. Dressed in green stockings and carrying a poodle, Irma is carefree and imaginative, employing an array of sob stories to get bigger tips from her clientele.

The poules and “mecs” (pimps) have an arrangement with the cops, who look the other way with frequent bribes. The local economy is threatened by the arrival of Nestor Patout (Jack Lemmon), an honest policeman new to the beat. He takes a while to figure out what so many women are doing on the streets so early in the day, but when he finally does – “Something tells me those girls are streetwalkers. I can spot em from six blocks away!” – he arrests all the poules.

Thrown out of the barracks for his blunder, Patout returns to Les Halles and finds himself talking to the gold-hearted Irma. When her mec starts pushing her around, Patout beats him in a bar fight. Irma invites Patout back to her place and asks him to become her new business manager.

The money is rolling in, but Patout becomes jealous of Irma’s clientele. The proprietor of the neighborhood bar, a jack of all trades named Moustache (Lou Jacobi) suggests that Patout disguise himself as a wealthy client and book all of Irma’s time with himself. Hijinks ensue.

Directed by Billy Wilder, from a screenplay Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond adapted from a 1956 French stage musical, Irma la Douce was a box office hit – grossing more green than even Dr. No or The Great Escape that year – and went on to become the biggest financial success in Wilder’s career. Critically, it has fallen by the wayside, one of many flawed or problematic comedies the director would attempt in his autumn years.

Wilder abandoned black and white format for Technicolor, but nothing in this farce is really believable. It starts off on the good foot, with scenes of Paris in the wee hours, and narration promising “Passion, bloodshed, desire and death. Everything that makes life worth living.” After a whirlwind introduction to the food markets of Les Halles, the film settles onto an expensive set on the Sam Goldwyn lot in Hollywood.

The nuance Wilder & Diamond brought to The Apartment and Some Like It Hot is missing in all but the opening narration here. The style is overblown and the characters are cartoon, chief among them, MacLaine’s hooker with a heart of gold. Lemmon, though terrific, is asked to do a little much. His caricature of a British lord bombs out right, but Wilder keeps going back to it.

That said, this is still worth watching if you catch it on Turner Classic Movies. Produced during the death rattle of the Hays Code, it was one of the first Hollywood movies to feature overt prostitution, even though a variety of code words are employed to call things something else. Lemmon & MacLaine’s chemistry is undeniable, and watching them race through Wilder & Diamond’s dialogue is always a treat.

Wilder’s films usually feature lush romantic music, and Irma la Douce was no exception. Andre Previn won an Academy Award for his musical score, while MacLaine was nominated for Best Actress. The eagle eyed viewer can spot James Caan, playing a sailor being led into the Hotel Casanova with a transistor radio at his ear.