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The 1954 classic film Sabrina, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden, is arguably one of the most enduring romantic comedies of Hollywood’s Golden Age—and one deeply rooted in Long Island’s legacy of elegance and affluence. The story follows Sabrina Fairchild, the daughter of a chauffeur employed by a wealthy Long Island family, as she becomes entangled in a love triangle with the two sons of her father’s employers. Beneath its sophisticated humor and sparkling dialogue, the film captures the class divides and romantic ideals that have long been part of Long Island’s cultural mythos, setting its tale among the grand estates and social hierarchies reminiscent of the region’s storied Gold Coast. Sabrina’s connection to Long Island extends beyond its narrative—it was filmed on location in Glen Cove, one of Nassau County’s most picturesque and historically affluent areas. The production used Welland House, an elegant waterfront mansion that perfectly embodied the exclusivity and opulence of the fictional Larrabee estate.
Nearly 40 years later, the 1995 remake of Sabrina, starring Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond, and Greg Kinnear, returned to the same area, this time filming at Salutations House, another Glen Cove mansion known for its grandeur and connection to Long Island’s Gilded Age architecture. The continuity of filming in Glen Cove underscores the area’s timeless cinematic appeal as a symbol of East Coast wealth and romantic fantasy.
Beyond its visual splendor, Sabrina helped to cement Long Island’s place in American film as shorthand for high society and aspiration. The original film’s preservation by the Library of Congress in 2002 as part of the National Film Registry further attests to its enduring cultural significance.
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on October 11, 2025.