Affair with a Stranger (1953)

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The first must-see film of the year.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

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.

This film was recently shown by BBC.I cannot recall that i have ever seen it televised before.This film supposes that Jean Simmons then just turned 23 would fall for a 40 year old Mature,looking nearer 60,and then stick with him through thick and thin.Now Mature was a good action hero but light comedian or dramatic actor he was not.How this role yearns to be played by Cary Grant.As it is Mature plays a fairly unlikeable character who has a penchant for gambling that the Simmons character abhors.So why does she stick with him?Given that this film was made under the Hughes regime it is little surprise that it comes off as a very lacklustre effort.

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.

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.