Le retour à l'amour

When a television personality provides announces the breakup of a famous married couple, Bill Blakely (Victor Mature ) and wife.... their friends talk and think about the couple and their relationship. Jean Simmons is the young starlet on the rise, who is apparently coming between the married couple. This one has a lot in common with "A Star is Born".. which was first made in 1937. And of course, the Judy remake in 1954, right after THIS film. It's a little confusing. Seems to end a bit abruptly. Not a lot of rhyme or reason. Directed by Roy Rowland. Didn't win any Oscars, but made some pretty well known films. Was also married to Louis Mayer's neice. One fun note: Alvy Moore apparently filmed scenes for the film, but they were left on the floor... he was Hank Kimball in Green Acres ! It might have been fun to leave those scenes in.... guess we'll never see them now. So many roles in the cast list here were uncredited or deleted. The kid "Timmy" was child actor Billy Chapin... appears to have quit hollywood before he hit age 20.

AFFAIR WITH A STRANGER tells a familiar tale of a rags-to-riches playwright William Blakeley (Victor Mature), who falls in love with and marries Carolyn Parker (Jean Simmons). After a few years of blissfully happy marriage, their impending divorce is announce in the gossip- columns. Through a series of flashbacks we see how their affair started and blossomed, then find out more about the cause of the divorce rumors, as Blakeley has a stillborn love affair with manipulative starlet Janet Boothe (Monica Lewis). Roy Rowland's film unfolds at a brisk pace, with plenty of opportunity for comic moments from Mature himself (in a surprisingly witty role), supported by Mary Jo Tarola and Dabbs Greer as the Murrays, close friends of the Blakeleys. Simmons doesn't have to do much, but she does have one frenetically comic scene where she prepares for William's first visit, falls over a living-room rug, tears her dress and ends up nearly upsetting a freshly-prepared plate of chicken. It is only due to Ma Stanton's (Jane Darwell's) timely intervention that Carolyn eventually composes herself sufficiently to receive her would-be suitor. For anyone interested in film history, AFFAIR WITH A STRANGER offers a fascinating insight into early Fifties attitudes towards marriage, in which the woman is expected to remain faithful at all times, while men are inevitably accepted as being frail-natures; they are always liable to have extra-marital affairs. The wife must accept this, and upbraid her husband for his transgression, but never dangle the prospect of divorce in front of him. It seems as if males have the freedom to let their eyes wander, but women must remain loyal at all times, even when they are as attractive as Simmons in this film.

"Affair with a Stranger" is an excellent, though poorly named, movie. It's really not about an affair but what could become one unless both the husband and wife attend to their marriage instead of their respective careers. And, it's a good object lesson for couples.

When the film begins, the star of William Blakeley's latest play calls a gossip columnist to announce that she is about to run off with married Blakeley (Victor Mature). It seems, however, a tad premature as no affair has yet occurred...but the lady's 'female intuition' tell her he'll soon be hers. What follows is a very interesting story....told through flashbacks as the couple's friends read the gossip column and then recall the ups and downs of the Blakeley marriage. And, in every case, the folks love the Mr. and Mrs. (Jean Simmons) and wish the story wasn't true...which, it really isn't...though the marriage is in trouble though neither the husband nor wife realize it. It seems over time, they both began focusing too much on their own careers...and this puts the marriage in serious jeopardy.

I liked this film for many reasons. The leads were both at their best and the story really was intelligently written and adult--and I mean that in the best possible way. In other words, it's not sleazy but a good drama illustrating a great object lesson couples could learn from and avoid. Well worth seeing.

I do not like Victor Mature (VM) in films - put it down to his greasy hair, chain-smoking habit and uncultured voice.He seems particularly miscast in this film as a playwright.A modern playwright should be like Arthur Miller, Robert Bolt or Tennesee Williams.I just did not "buy" our delightful export to Hollywood, Miss Jean Simmons (JS) wanting to have a relationship with VM's character which sponged off her, took her chicken legs food and generally forced his attentions onto her.However I did not buy the DVD to see VM but to see the beautiful brunette JS at the peak of her looks.Basically "Affair With a Stranger" is the story of a struggling playwright who cannot sell his plays to the producers of commercial theatres.He meets JS on New Years eve and starts a relationship poncing off her job as a model.JS has faith in his ability to produce a hit play and of course Hollywood comes to his predictable aid when "Venus Films" agrees to buy the screen rights.During his life of penury VM gets a job as a waiter at a posh restaurant and slips his manuscript into the pile a famous producer is considering at his table.To keep body and soul together VM visits a restaurant and mixes together a soup from various condiments with hot water.This scene has always stayed in my mind over the years when I only saw it on TV (although you do not have access to hot water today in the restaurants I know).

JS and VM marry but lose the child they wanted and VM is told by the male doctor dealing with JS that she cannot have any more children.I laughed when I saw them both lighting up in his surgery.I will not reveal any more of the plot which is predictable.I rated it 6/10.It is one of two JS films I taped off the TV some time ago - the other was Adam and Evelynne (1949) which is the better of the two.My rating reflects the performance of JS and the able supporting actors who did a good job with the script.

I really enjoyed this film. I have never seen a black and white movie filmed with the theme of flashbacks. the plotline is interesting and even though it is from the 50's everyone can relate. It is clearly a movie that will stand the test of time. The best thing about the movie is the way the lead actor can so eloquently portray the man who lives off a dream. The lead actress also does a great job, in my opinion she is very good and i would like to see more of her movies. This film is special because it was the first to film a child actor. That was told to me by my grandmother so I am sincerely sorry if I am wrong about the child actor thing. All in all this is a great movie and I give it 9 stars.