Love Affair (1939)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Delmer Daves (screenplay) and
Donald Ogden Stewart (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 April 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

French playboy Michel Marnet and American Terry McKay fall in love aboard ship. They arrange to reunite 6 months later...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Singer | French | Cruise | Grandmother

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars.

Cast

Irene Dunne	...	Terry
Charles Boyer	...	Michel
Maria Ouspenskaya	...	Grandmother
Lee Bowman	...	Kenneth Bradley
Astrid Allwyn	...	Lois Clarke
Maurice Moscovitch	...	Maurice Cobert (as Maurice Moscovich)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Spain:T | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #4778)

Filming Locations:

5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

This was Irene Dunne's favorite among her films. This also happened to be Charles Boyer's favorite among his films as well.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer are on the ship during the day and they are next to the railing talking and reading their letters, the ocean is moving behind them. Just after the close up on Dunne, she turns and faces the ocean, but you can see the shadow of her head on the screen that displays the ocean.

Quotes:

Terry McKay: The things we like best are either illegal, immoral or fattening.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Happy Accidents (2000)

Soundtrack:

Sing My Heart

What a wonderful film!

This is a film of two genuine moods. The first half or so is a romantic story in the fine 1930s comedic tradition. The dialogue is witty, the characters charming, and the developing romance a joy to watch. The second half is a drama which is deep and engaging. The dignity with which the characters act through trying circumstances is wonderful, and a marked contrast and relief to the hysterical characters found in contemporary movies. To have two such different moods both handled with such extreme skill in the same movie makes this a rare gem.

The acting is superb; both Dunne and Boyer play with believable subtlety and emotional power. They drew me in so I cared enormously. Maria Ouspenskaya is, as always, superb. Compare her performance here with her blistering performance in her similar-but-opposite role in Dodsworth. The direction is very straightforward in its service to the story, with only the occasional standout moments: look for the superb shots of the couple's first kiss, of the reflected empire state building, and of the double headline. With a story and acting as strong as this, that's exactly as it should be.