Un grande amore

Love Affair is one of my favorite movies. Irene Dunne is a lovely lady, who sings beautifully. Charles Boyer is a subtle, elegant actor who wins my heart every time. Maria Ouspenskaya is lovely as Boyer's grandmother. I understand from Boyer's biography, that he suggested the scene with her as a method of making his character more sympathetic. What an addition to the film! I prefer this version of the story to the later one. Watch the scene near the end when Boyer realizes that his painting was given to Dunne and understands what happened the night he waited at the Empire State Building. What acting!

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.

I can't believe that this film is so forgotten by the film viewing public. This film is one of the better romances of the 1930s but, thanks to a mention of AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER in the movie SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER is now considered a "classic"--But how can this be...?! After all, LOVE AFFAIR is the original and AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER is a by-the-numbers and relatively boring remake. Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne are wonderful in this film. And, the direction and writing were excellent. However, doing NEARLY the exact same film two decades later seems pointless. I like Cary Grant and have nothing in particular against Deborah Kerr--but they just aren't as good as the originals.

Do yourself a favor. If you haven't seen either film, watch this one first. And, if you have seen only AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, see this film and find out how beautiful and well-made this film is. Also, if you like LOVE AFFAIR, try seeing another great romance, SMILIN' THROUGH (1932). It has a lot in common with LOVE AFFAIR and you can even see that the writers of this later film "borrowed" one of the plot twists from SMILIN' THROUGH.

"Love Affair", the fabulously romantic film of 1939, is the model in which two other remakes were fashioned, yet, this classic film stands out in our memory because the great chemistry between Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.

The stars of "Love affair" exuded charm and sophistication, as well as good looks. It's easy to see why Michel falls for the beautiful Terry on board the luxury liner that is bringing them back to New York. The passengers' curiosity play well in the ship sequences. It's a great fun to watch Michel and Terry fall madly in love with one another, yet they must resolve their own entanglements with other people in order to be able to be together. Fate gets in their way.

Irene Dunne was an exquisite woman that played everything with enormous panache. Charles Boyer matches his co-star as the suave playboy who suddenly finds the love of his life. It's a joy to watch these two actors filling the screen. They made it so easy that their acting seems effortless.

In minor roles Maria Ouspenskaya, is seen as Michel's grandmother Janou, a lady who saw in Terry the perfect woman for her grandson. Lee Bowman is Kenneth, and Astrid Allwyn is the elegant Lois.

Thanks to Leo McCarey, this is a timeless film that will bring joy to audiences forever.

I'd always been curious about this original version of the romantic 1957 hit, "An Affair to Remember" which was a bona fide box-office success, made so memorable by the classy pairing of Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. That CinemaScope remake in Color by DeLuxe, of this black-and-white original, was also co-written and directed by Leo McCarey, a man who wasn't afraid to regularly mix genuine sentiment with some fairly gloppy sentimentality in the same (admittedly tasty) cinematic dish.

I join those who prefer the original, thanks mostly to the restrained and very professional performances of a quite young-looking Charles Boyer and Miss Irene Dunne, who looks quite ravishing throughout (modelling some gowns that are as chic today as the first time this film was shown). And what a set of pearly whites she had... the better to charm the stuffing out of us with that glowing smile!

Anyway, Turner Classic Movies showed it the other evening and I couldn't believe the terrible condition of the print. Scratches, skips, muddiness, sound problems, every possible defect seemed to be in appalling evidence! Apparently the DVD now in circulation is every bit as bad. Hey! Come on guys! This film is considered one of the better ones during a year (1939) when Hollywood studios unleashed a cornucopia of goodies. How about giving us a version worth watching, for heaven's sake!