1939 – Love Affair – Academy Award Best Picture Winners
Author Snugglecub
Love Affair – 1939

Love Affair was a mildly interesting story. It is supposed to be this great romance that everyone loves. They love it so much that it has been remade at least twice. First came 1957’s An Affair to Remember with Carry Grant and Deborah Kerr. Next came Love Affair with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening in 1994. But this was the original film adaptation which starred Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne.

The film is about a famous French playboy, Michael Marnet, played by Boyer, who is on a slow boat to New York City where he is to meet his wealthy heiress fiancée. While on the ocean, he meets American singer Terry McKay, who is already engaged as well. But apparently, neither of them are terribly enthused about their impending marriages because, you guessed it, they begin a discrete love affair together. But what starts out as a light fling turns into true love.

So far, the plot is fairly straight forward. But here is what I found interesting. The two lovers actually used their heads and were not blinded by mind-blowing bliss. They both realized that their brief affair was not only wrong while they were engaged to other people, but impractical because neither of them had much money and he had never worked a day in his life.

I liked how the movie acknowledged that love is not enough to build a successful relationship. You must have common interests, common social dynamics, and equal temperaments. Both people involved must be at a place in their lives where a new long-term relationship is a viable option. Now, I know that I am being uncommonly idealistic, but the movie gave these things consideration, which I appreciated.

The two lovers made an agreement. They would part for 6 months, each to get their lives and relationships in order. If they were able to separate from their fiancées, and if Michael was able to successfully earn a living so that he could financially contribute to the union, they would meet at the top of the Empire State Building, which, at the time, was the tallest building in the world, so that they could turn their affair into a marriage.

To me, that gave the two characters a strong sense of honesty and integrity. But there wouldn’t be much drama if something didn’t go wrong, and when it came, I was completely blind-sided. Well, actually it was Terry who was blind-sided… by a car as she was running to the Empire State Building. The actual accident happened off-camera, so we didn’t see the collision, but the sound of screeching tires and screams was enough to get the point across.

But here is where the script-writers, and by extension, the characters, dropped the ball. First, as a small side-note, the evening after the accident, we see Terry in a hospital bed. The team of doctors are talking in hushed voices, saying that she may never walk again. Behind them we can see Terry’s flawless face and her perfect hair. The accident was enough to prevent her from ever walking again, and there were no scars no scrapes, and no bruises. OK, I had to roll my eyes at that.

But then, what she should have done if she had really loved him, was to contact Michael to let him know what had happened. But instead, she remains silent, letting him think that she had truly stood him up on top of the Empire State Building. Apparently she is too embarrassed by her injured state to return to him. So, Michael goes into depression because he thinks she no long loves him. He has already ended his relationship with the heiress, and on top of all that, his beloved grandmother has died.

Speaking of the grandmother, she was one of the best parts of the film. You see, while on the original voyage, while the initial affair was still going on, the boat stops at Maderia, home of Michaels Grandmother, Janou, beautifully played by Maria Ouspenskaya. There was a gentleness about her that was wonderful to watch, especially in the way she interacted with Michael. Well done Maria.

But back to the plot. When the two finally get back together, as we all knew they would, the relationship is now under the weight of Terry’s inability to walk. But true love conquers all. Michael loves her so much that he is ready to marry her and become her sole provider and caretaker. Sweet. Unrealistic and sappy, but sweet.