Affair with a Stranger

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.

Having just watched this I thought I'd post a comment.

A fine film, with lots of deft touches.

Victor Mature is very enjoyable to watch in this.

Jean Simmons is perfect for her role.

And supporting the story there is a range of wonderfully talented actors who play their parts so well.

It is old fashioned, sure, but that is no bad thing.

Definitely worth a watch. The script is good.

Highly enjoyable and very entertaining.

I rate this 8 out of 10.

I'm not sure why RKO Pictures entitled this film Affair With A Stranger since what it is is the story of two married people played by Victor Mature and Jean Simmons. It's told from the point of view of their friends who read about it in the Broadway gossip column of Henny Backus and the influence of that other RKO classic Citizen Kane is unmistakable.

Mature is a likable enough fellow who is an aspiring playwright on Broadway who likes to gamble and have a good time as well and Simmons is a girl who nurtures him until he gains success. But then being a Broadway success he falls prey to the usual temptations. A really big temptation comes his way in the form of his latest leading lady, husband collecting Monica Lewis.

The cast has some real scene stealing character players like George Cleveland, Jane Darwell, Wally Vernon and Dabbs Greer all of whom are part of the lives of Simmons and Mature. They form a real rooting section for this marriage and they all care about the two leads and make you care as well. The story is told mostly through their recollections of how the relationship of Mature and Simmons has developed over the years and you get to know them as good if flawed people, especially Mature.

It's not Citizen Kane hardly, but Affair With A Stranger is a good entertaining drama with a great cast even if the title of the film was probably done to sensationalize the film a bit and get folks to plunk down their money thinking it might be something else. It's good enough as it is, on its own merits.

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.

This melodramatic and superamerican "comedy" is now terribly dated, not interesting but made with feeling and thus another routine job done by Roy Rowland. It's nice to see epicman Mature in a setting other than the arena or biblical backgrounds.