Monday, 19 July 2021

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – LOVE AFFAIR (1939)

 

“Love Affair” is a classic romantic drama Directed by Leo McCarey based on the co-written story by Mildred Cram and Leo McCarey.

A French playboy Michel Marnay (Charles Boyer) full of continental charm and an American, former nightclub singer, Terry McKay (Irene Dunne) meet aboard a ship.

She sees him as just another playboy and he sees her as stand-offish, but inevitably they fall in love.

After visiting his Grandmother (Maria Ouspenskaya) on the island of Madeira he planned to travel to New York to marry a rich heiress, which has been well publicized, as have his many antics and affairs, and Terry was returning home to her long-time boyfriend Kenneth Bradley (Lee Bowman).

However on the crossing their plans change, but he has a poor track record relationship wise and no history of working for a living so in order to give him the chance to earn an honest living and prove himself, which would also give them time to deal with their current relationships.

So, they agree to distance themselves but arrange to reunite six months later on top of the Empire State building.

In the meantime, he returns to painting and is reasonably successful at it and she becomes a music teacher.

On the agreed date, Michel is waiting patiently for Terry, who is racing to join him however fate intervenes resulting in misunderstanding and heartbreak and only fate can correct its intervention to save their relationship.

 

In addition to the fine performances from the stars and the wonderful story telling, the film is also blessed by a number of excellent mini cameo performances, Maurice Moscovitch (Maurice Cobert) as Michel’s agent, Ferike Boros as Terry's Landlady and Tom Dugan as the Drunk with the Christmas Tree, and the Robert Mitchell choir are an absolute delight

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