''The Affair'' is a 1973 American TV movie directed by

Gilbert Cates Gilbert Cates (né Katz; June 6, 1934 – October 31, 2011) was an American film director and television producer, director of the Geffen Playhouse, a member of Cates/Doty Productions, and founding dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Te ...

and starring

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and '' Hart to Hart'' (1979� ...

Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) is an American actor and director. Davison is well known for his starring role as Willard Stiles in the cult horror film '' Willard'' (1971) and his Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning perfor ...

and Jamie Smith-Jackson. The film starred Natalie Wood in her first appearance since ''

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Paul Mazursky, written by Mazursky and Larry Tucker, who also produced the film, and starring Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliott Gould, and Dyan Cannon. The origi ...

''. Her co-star was Robert Wagner, her first husband whom she recently remarried.

Plot

Courtney Patterson is a beautiful 32 year old songwriter who is physically disabled due to polio. Her condition has made her emotionally guarded, but when she meets Marcus Simon, a handsome older attorney, she cautiously moves towards romance. Although Courtney remains wary of intimacy, Marcus slowly wins her over. Unfortunately, her family is not supportive of their relationship, providing yet another obstacle that the couple must overcome. Marcus Simon (Wagner) meets Courtney when he is briefly employed by the family to handle a legal matter for them. Both of them are timid about approaching romance - Courtney because of her medical condition; Marcus because his wife recently left him for another man and took their two sons with her. A family dinner establishes that there is some tension between Courtney's wealthy parents (Kent Smith, Frances Reid) and their two children. Courtney's younger brother (Davison) is an aspiring artist who disdains the family fortune and lives simply with his girlfriend Jennifer (Jackson). Courtney and Marcus rent a luxury cottage and begin seeing each other regularly. Just as Courtney is getting used to the comfort of romance, Marcus attends the wedding of his ex-wife and is made fun of by the new groom for being "inadequate". A jumpy Marcus calls off the relationship. Courtney makes a halfhearted attempt at suicide by slashing her wrists. Her brother looks after her - saying Marcus has been calling regularly and "He'll come if you want him to come". The film ends with the question of their resuming their relationship unanswered.

Cast

as Courtney Patterson *

as Marcus Simon *

as Jamie Patterson * Jamie Smith-Jackson as Jennifer (as Jamie Smith Jackson) * Pat Harrington Jr. as Frank (as Pat Harrington) *

Kent Smith Frank Kent Smith (March 19, 1907 – April 23, 1985) was an American actor who had a lengthy career in film, theatre and television. Early years Smith was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Smith. He was born in New York City and was educated ...

as Mr. Patterson * Paul Ryan as Bobbie *

Frances Reid Frances Reid (December 9, 1914 – February 3, 2010) was an American dramatic actress. Reid acted on television for nearly all of the second half of the 20th century. Her career continued into the early 2000s. Although she starred in ma ...

as Mrs. Patterson * Mark Roberts as Howard * Anna Aries as Annie Simon * Steve Riskas as Peter * Brett Ericson as Evan * Robert Stull as Michael *

Anna Karen Ann Harrison McCall (19 September 1936 – 22 February 2022), professionally known as Anna Karen, was a British actress best known for playing Olive Rudge in the ITV sitcom ''On the Buses'' from 1969 to 1973 including its film spin-offs and s ...

as Willa * Paul Pepper as Engineer * Suzanne Taylor as Hostess (as Sue Taylor) *

Victoria Carroll Victoria Carroll (or Victoria Carrol-Bell; born Mary Carol Lee Ford on January 21, 1941) is an American actress and artist. Best known as Marie Massey in '' Alice'' (1978-1984). Early life Born Mary Carol Lee Ford on January 21, 1941 in Los Angel ...

as First Man's Wife * Keith Walker as First Man * Marland Proctor as Second Man

Production

Wagner and Wood made the film for Spelling-Goldberg Productions, which offered them a development deal for a series in which they did not appear. The series ended up being '' Charlie's Angels''. It was originally called ''Love Song''. The film's budget was twice the normal amount of the typical TV movie with Sir Lew Grade supplying the balance to enable the film to be released theatrically outside the US.Working Vacation for Natalie Wood Smith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 26 Sep 1973: e17.

Reception

The ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote "Natalie Wood turns in what is perhaps her finest performance to date." Wagner and Wood had remarried(2nd time) shortly before shooting began.As "marrieds",this may explain how some daring-for-the-time bedroom scenes remained in the film.

References

External links