Falling in love with a prostitute?

Cafe Society
1

Hello,

I’m looking for stories where a man falls in love with a prostitute. Primarily I’m interested in a man falling for a female prostitute, though I wouldn’t mind hearing about other combinations.

I’m mostly interested in novels/short stories, but any other medium is of interest too–movies, music, opera, plays, etc.

I’m not going to be strict about the definition of “love”–it could be obsession, a crush, real intimacy, or anything else under a big umbrella.

Obviously, Pretty Woman leaps to mind, so I’ll get that one out of the way myself…

Thanks very much in advance for all help.

2

Mindkiller, by Spider Robinson.

Pretty Baby.

3

In Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder mystery series, the main character’s girlfriend is a prostitute who continues her career even after they establish a relationship.

4

This was a weakness of Wojciehowicz from Barney Miller. That was the main plot of the “Wojo’s Girl” episode, and I think it was mentioned in other episodes as well.

There’s Christ and Mary Magdalene too, but you have to read way sub rosa to believe that one.

5

Leaving Las Vegas.

Book and movie.

6

Since you mention music, there are several songs about men in love with prostitutes- “Roxanne” by the Police and “Mama” by Genesis come to mind.

7

There was a very interesting thread right her on the SDMB a few months back. He loved her. She had a boyfriend. Drugs were involved.

8

Operas, with prostitutes and people who fall in love with them, which immediately leap to mind are Lulu and La Traviata.

9

This page lists a number of famous novels about prostitutes. I haven’t read all, or even most, but I’ll bet large bucks that somebody falls in love with a prostitute is just about 100% of them.

10

My first thought was Of Human Bondage, though Mildred becomes a prostitute later, so I’m not sure that counts.

11

There’s Jack Lemmon and Shirley Maclaine in Irma La Douce.

12

Mat falls in love with a prostitute in Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie.

13

Dan Aykroyd plays an investment banker who falls in love with a hooker played by Jamie Lee Curtis in Trading Places.

14

The novel The World of Suzie Wong is about an Englishman who falls in love with a Chinese prostitute.

15

Klute, Sharkey’s Machine

16

By William Somerset Maughm, who wrote very well about mad obsession, in novels and short stories. Usually some hapless upper crust man falling for a woman far ‘below him’, often a native girl.

I’m afraid I can’t remember the exact name of the story, but Maughm wrote a collection of short stories about a spy,“Ashenden: Or The British Agent”, based on Maughm’s own experience in WWI. One of the stories is about an aristocrat type, engaged to a society girl, who fell madly in love with a cheap circus performer (she was a prostitute on the side). He took off and travelled with her and her shabby crew. Then he went back and had his proper marriage - and lived very unhappily ever after.

17

Frank falls for a prostitute in S7E1 of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (“Frank’s Pretty Woman”).

18

And…

Taxi Driver

19

And if novels are of more interest than operas, La Traviata is based on the novel The Lady of the Camellias by Dumas (fils).

20

In Magnum P.I., the character Rick falls for a prostitute and marries her I believe.

In the movie Trading Places, Dan Ackroyd falls for a prostitute who is a major character. (sorry , missed earlier post)

And what about the Jack Lemmon movie “The Apartment” although the girl’s status as a prostitute is a little vague.