''Affair with a Stranger'' is a 1953 American comedy-drama directed by Roy Rowland and starring Jean Simmons 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 Darlin ...

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

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' 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. Lewis was the longtime voice of Chiquita Banana in that company's animated ad campaign, beginning in 1947. Biography Early life Lewis was ...

), an actress from his play. But, when wife Carolyn ( Jean Simmons) decides not to join him, Bill makes a dinner date with Janet, who plants a story with a gossip columnist 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 promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Thoug ...

who bought a

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

, 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 rains and they will have to find a hotel, she drops the hanky into the garbage.

Cast

as Bill Blakeley * Jean Simmons 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. With nearly 100 film roles and appearances in nearly 600 television episodes of various series, Greer ...

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 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 Lillian Rumsey Bronson (October 21, 1902 - August 2, 1995) was an American character actress. She performed in more than 80 films and 100 television productions. Biography Bronson was born in Lockport, New York, the daughter of a carriage build ...

as Miss Crutcher *

George Cleveland 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 the stage ...

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 Harry Carey may refer to: *Harry Carey (actor) (1878–1947), American actor * Harry Carey Jr. (1921–2012), American actor * Harry Carey (footballer) (1916–1991), Australian rules footballer See also * Henry Carey (disambiguation) * Harry Car ...

, 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'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' 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