''Affair with a Stranger'' is a 1953 American

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

directed by Roy Rowland and starring

Jean Simmons Jean Merilyn Simmons (31 January 1929 – 22 January 2010) was a British actress and singer. One of J. Arthur Rank's "well-spoken young starlets", she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in Britain during and after the ...

and

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include '' One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darli ...

. It was originally to be released as ''Kiss and Run''. The film centres on the rumoured marital troubles of a successful

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

. As various people who came into contact with the couple reminisce about the couple's past, the story of the relationship and the budding

affair An affair is a relationship typically between two people, one or both of whom are either married or in a long-term Monogamy, monogamous or emotionally-exclusive relationship with someone else. The affair can be solely sexual, solely physical or ...

that is potentially destroying it is told through a series of flashbacks. Upon release, the film was met with lukewarm reviews,

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' calling it "a virtual collection of cliches".

Plot

On a train, playwright Bill Blakeley (

) fends off the romantic flirtations of Janet Boothe (

Monica Lewis Monica Lewis (born May Lewis; May 5, 1922 – June 12, 2015) was an American jazz singer and film actress. Between 1947 and 1961, she was the voice for Chiquita Banana's animated ad campaign. Biography Early life Lewis was born in Chicago on Ma ...

), an actress from his play. But, when wife Carolyn (

) decides not to join him, Bill makes a dinner date with Janet, who plants a story with a

gossip columnist A gossip columnist is someone who writes a gossip column in a newspaper or magazine, especially in a gossip magazine. Gossip columns are written in a light, informal style, and relate opinions about the personal lives or conduct of celebrities fr ...

about the Blakeleys possibly heading for a divorce. Friends and acquaintances begin recalling how the couple met. Carolyn Parker was a

fashion model A model is a person with a role either to display commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as an artist's model. Modelling ("modeling" in American English) entails using one's body to represent someone ...

who bought a

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

, newspaper each day. Bill pretended to be from Toledo as well to get to know her, only to learn that Carolyn's actually from England and has been buying the papers for a neighbor. After their marriage, Bill's struggles to find work, combined with his gambling, force Carolyn to support them. He finally takes a job as a waiter and slips a copy of a manuscript to a customer, a producer who makes Bill's play a success. One night, Carolyn must miss the opening of a play because she is having a baby. The child dies, and she can have no more. Bill is as supportive in her hour of need as she had been in his. Concerned that he might be vulnerable to an ambitious actress, however, Carolyn takes the next train to New York. She runs into Bill at the station and into his arms. They both deny leaking the information. Bill realizes the trains are leaving and talks to the station master. Meanwhile Carolyn looks at the hanky she used to wipe her tears. It has lipstick on it. As Bill returns to tell her there are no more trains and they will have to find a hotel, she drops the hanky into the garbage.

Cast

as Bill Blakeley *

as Carolyn Parker *

as Janet Boothe *

Jane Darwell Jane Darwell (born Patti Woodard; October 15, 1879 – August 13, 1967) was an American actress of stage, film, and television. With appearances in more than 100 major movies spanning half a century, Darwell is perhaps best remembered for her p ...

as Ma Stanton * Linda Douglas as Dolly Murray *

Dabbs Greer Robert William "Dabbs" Greer (April 2, 1917 – April 28, 2007) was an American character actor in film and television for over 60 years. Greer appeared in nearly 100 film roles and in nearly 600 television episodes of various series. He pl ...

as Happy Murray *

Wally Vernon Walter J. Vernon (May 27, 1905 – March 7, 1970) was an American comic and character actor and dancer. Early life Vernon was born in New York City in 1905. He was in show business from the age of three, appearing in vaudeville and stock thea ...

as Joe, Taxi Driver * Nicholas Joy as Producer George W. Craig *

Olive Carey Olive Carey (born Olive Fuller Golden; January 31, 1896 – March 13, 1988) was an American film and television actress, and the mother of actor Harry Carey Jr. Early life Carey was born Olive Fuller Golden in New York City, the daughter ...

as Cynthia Craig *

Victoria Horne Victoria Horne (November 1, 1911 – October 10, 2003) was an American character actress, appearing in 49 films (uncredited in 25 of these) during the 1940s and 1950s. Early years Horne was born on November 1, 1911, in New York City, to Ig ...

as Mrs. Wallace * Lillian Bronson as Miss Crutcher *

George Cleveland Grover "George" Alan Cleveland (September 17, 1885 – July 15, 1957) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1930 and 1954. Career Cleveland was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. His first appearance on ...

as Pop * Billy Chapin as Timmy

Production

Victor Mature was going to star in ''Split Second''. However he assigned to this instead and production on ''Split Second'' was pushed back. Filming started 9 July 1952 and papers reported it being "rushed before the cameras". The original title was ''Break up''. This was changed to ''Kiss and Run'' in April 1953 before becoming ''Affair with a Stranger''. The film was the fourth Jean Simmons made for Howard Hughes and RKO. Simmons and her husband Stewart Granger sued Hughes to get out of the contract. It settled out of court. Part of the final arrangement was she would do this film for no extra money. Also, Simmons agreed to make three more movies under the auspices of RKO, but not actually at that studio – she would be loaned out. She would make an additional picture for 20th Century Fox while RKO got the services of Victor Mature for one film. (Simmons and Mature would team two other times, on Fox's enormously popular ''The Robe'' and in ''The Egyptian'') Olive Carey, widow of Harry Carey, had a small role. Steve Rowland, son of director Roy Rowland, made his debut in the film.

Reception

The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' called the story "quite ordinary" and said the film "can't seem to make up its mind if it's comedy or drama."

References

External links

* * *
Review of film
at

''Affair with a Stranger''
at Victormature.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Affair With A Stranger 1953 films 1953 comedy-drama films American comedy-drama films American black-and-white films Films scored by Roy Webb Films about writers Films directed by Roy Rowland RKO Pictures films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films English-language comedy-drama films