September Affair (1950)

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Two years before Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck tripped the light fantastic in Roman Holiday, Paramount was already exploring the possibilities of shooting in Italy with September Affair. One only wishes that Paramount had splurged for color the way 20th Century Fox did in Three Coins In A Fountain.Using the Kurt Weill-Maxwell Anderson as a theme, a pair of mature individuals have a mid life fling in Italy. What Joseph Cotten and Joan Fontaine are handed is a one in a million chance to escape their lives and responsibilities when they miss an airplane flight going to the United States and their families and friends think they've died.Cotten is an engineer who is going through his usual midlife crisis as his marriage to Jessica Tandy has grown stale. Fontaine is unmarried and has not seen America since 1938. She's devoted herself to preparing for a career as a concert pianist. I wish the film had devoted some explanation as to why she was stuck in an enemy country during World War II and what she did to survive. They meet on the plane, but don't reboard when it comes down in Naples for repairs that obviously were not successful.In order to support them. Cotten pre-dates a check to Francoise Rosay who is Fontaine's mentor for a large palazzo in Florence. Pre-dates to before the crash and when the estate is being tallied up, Tandy notices it, but let's it slide through. It's an idyllic setting for lovers, but pretty soon conscience calls and it practically shouts when Tandy and their son Robert Arthur visit Italy.September Affair is a wonderful picture about mature people for mature people. Cotten and Fontaine have a wonderful chemistry and Jessica Tandy's performance is pure poignancy. It holds up very well after 60 years.Just wish it was in color.

What can I say? This is a wonderful, gentle film, the kind, sadly, Hollywood no longer makes. I saw it first twenty years ago, and it haunted me ever since; I try to watch it once every couple of years. Fontaine and Cotten are in top form here, as are all the supporting actors (especially Tandy). The plot is absolute escapist romantic fare, which I'll leave others to describe. While on the surface the main catch may seem far-fetched, it's handled with surprising credibility; one cannot help but feel caught up in the lovers' dilemma. Given their once-in-a-million opportunity, would any of us have done anything different? Can we judge them? But, despite the outstanding acting and story, the real stars here are the music and the Italian settings. The haunting song "September Affair," played in the film, was recorded shortly before Walter Huston's death and released posthumously; the poignancy of this fact, and the skillful usage in the film, made both a huge sensation. The captivating black-and-white Italian scenery, especially in Rome and Capri (check out the awesome sequence in the cave at Capri) is worth watching just by itself - much of the same would be captured later in Technicolor (but not as effectively) in the film Rome Adventure. An unforgettable viewing experience; if you love escapism and romance, don't miss this one.

All the comments about this film are favorable except for Mr. Neil Doyle's. I wonder what grumpy pill he took when he watched this or maybe he just isn't a romantic guy. Not one person said his review was "helpful."This film is well-acted, scripted, and an interesting premise. The music is fabulous and the setting great. Like another reviewer said, Joan Fontaine's facial expressions say as much or more than the words she was given to speak. She is one excellent actress and Joseph Cotten is a veteran actor who once again turns in a fabulous performance.I unconditionally recommend this movie to all classic movie lovers to fans of Joan Fontaine and/or Joseph Cotten and to all romantics everywhere.

This is one great romantic film. Joan Fontaine and Joseph Cotten who are presumed to be passengers on a ill-fated flight and, though listed as among the dead, are actually alive. They fall in love and spend time together in a villa in Florence. The wonderful "September Song" weaves its magic throughout the film. Joan Fontaine is vivacious, luminous and charming in her role as Manina Stewart and Joseph Cotten is great as David Lawrence. This is one of my all-time favorite films. It is available on video.