An Affair to Remember

An Affair to Remember
Directed by	Leo McCarey
Screenplay by	Delmer Daves Donald Ogden Stewart Leo McCarey
Story by	Leo McCarey Mildred Cram
Produced by	Leo McCarey Jerry Wald
Starring	Cary Grant Deborah Kerr Richard Denning
Cinematography	Milton Krasner
Edited by	James B. Clark
Music by	Hugo Friedhofer
Color process	DeLuxe Color
Production company	Jerry Wald Productions
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date	July 19, 1957(1957-07-19)
Running time	115 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$2.1 million
Box office	$3.85 million (U.S./Canada rentals)

An Affair to Rememberis a 1957 Americanromance filmdirected byLeo McCareyand starringCary GrantandDeborah Kerr.Filmed inCinemaScope,it was distributed by20th Century Fox.It is considered amongthe most romantic films of all timeaccording to theAmerican Film Institute.The film was a remake of McCarey's 1939 filmLove Affair,starringIrene DunneandCharles Boyer.

Plot

Nickie Ferrante, a well-knownplayboy,meets Terry McKay aboard the transatlantic ocean linerSSConstitutionen route from Europe to New York. Each is romantically involved with someone else. After a series of meetings aboard the ship, they establish a friendship. When Terry joins Nickie on a brief visit to his grandmother Janou while the ship is anchored near her home atVillefranche-sur-Meron the Mediterranean coast, she sees Nickie with new eyes and their feelings become deeper. During their visit, Janou tells Terry that Nickie is a talented painter but destroys most of his paintings because they don't meet his standards. As the ship returns to New York City, they agree to reunite at the top of theEmpire State Buildingin six months' time if they have succeeded in ending their relationships and starting new careers.

On the day of their rendezvous, Terry, hurrying to reach the Empire State Building, is struck down by a car while crossing a street. Gravely injured, she is rushed to the hospital. Meanwhile, Nickie, waiting for her at the observation deck at the top of the building, is unaware of the accident and, after many hours, leaves at midnight, believing that she has rejected him.

After the accident, Terry, now unable to walk, refuses to contact Nickie because of her disability. Instead, she finds work as a music teacher. Nickie has pursued his painting and has his work displayed by Courbet, an art gallery owner. Six months after the accident, Terry sees Nickie with his former fiancée at the ballet. Nickie does not notice her condition because she is seated, and they both say hello.

Nickie learns Terry's address and on Christmas Eve pays her a surprise visit. Although he tries to coax her to explain her actions, Terry dodges the subject, never leaving the couch on which she lies. He gives Terry a shawl that Janou, who has died, left for her. As he is leaving, Nickie mentions a painting on which he had been working when they first met, and that it was just given away to a woman who liked it but had no money. He is about to say that the woman was in a wheelchair when he pauses, suddenly suspecting why Terry has been lying still on the couch. He walks into her bedroom and sees the painting hanging on the wall, realizing that she was the woman in the wheelchair. The film ends with the two in a tight embrace as Terry says, "If you can paint, I can walk. Anything can happen, don't you think?"

Cast

• Cary Grantas Nickie Ferrante
• Deborah Kerras Terry McKay
• Richard Denningas Kenneth Bradley
• Neva Pattersonas Lois Clark
• Cathleen Nesbittas Janou (Nickie's grandmother)
• Robert Q. Lewisas himself (announcer)
• Charles Watts as Ned Hathaway
• Fortunio Bonanovaas Courbet
• Marni Nixonas Terry McKay's singing voice

Production

The film was a remake of McCarey's 1939 filmLove Affair,starringIrene Dunneas Terry andCharles Boyeras the Gallic playboy Michel Marnet. Plans for aLove Affairremake were first reported in 1952, which hadFernando LamasandArlene Dahlattached to the project.

Cary Grant first worked with McCarey onThe Awful Truthand did not like McCarey'simprovisationalstrategy, but after eventually warming to it, he wished that he had starred inLove Affair,and he often visited the set during production.He enjoyed the film when it was released and convinced McCarey years later to remake it starring Grant in Boyer's role.McCarey later commented: "Hollywood filmsall seem to be trying to find a trick way of saying 'I love you.' What are they trying to prove? Love is the oldest and noblest emotion. "An Affair to Rememberwas almost identical to the original on a scene-to-scene basis.McCarey used the same screenplay as was employed for the original film, written byDelmer DavesandDonald Ogden Stewart,but Stewart was not included in the credits because he had beenblacklisted.Filming took place between February and April 1957.

Grant was reportedly grumpy during filming because hishypnotherapywith his wife caused him to dislike smoking.He also underwent an operation during production to treat a lump on his forehead that resulted from a childhood injury.

The theme song "An Affair to Remember (Our Love Affair),"composed byHarry Warrenand with lyrics byLeo McCareyandHarold Adamson,was sung byVic Damoneover the opening credits and byMarni Nixon(whodubbedKerr)during the film.

Songs

• "Continué," sung byMarni Nixon(dubbing for Deborah Kerr)
• "The Tiny Scout (He Knows You Inside Out)"
• "Tomorrow Land"
• "You Make It Easy to Be True"

Novelization

In anticipation of the film's release,Avon Bookspublished a paperback novelization of the screenplay. The byline Owen Aherne was a pseudonym for American novelistR.V. Cassill.

Reception

Critical reaction

Bosley CrowtherofThe New York Timesfound the early part of the film fairly enjoyable, with "plenty of humorous conversation that is handled crisply" by the leads, but concluded that the picture goes wrong after the couple disembarks, writing: "The marriage pact seems ridiculously childish for a couple of adult people to make. The lady's failure to notify her fiancé of her accident seems absurd. The fact that the man does not hear of it in some way is beyond belief. And the slowness with which he grasps the obvious when he calls upon the lady is just too thick."Richard L. CoeofThe Washington Postagreed, writing that the film "boasts early amusing reels that ultimately become unbelievably foolish in the quest for audience tears."Varietydisagreed, calling the romance "never maudlin" and "wholly believable" in a positive review of what it called "a winning film" with "all the ingredients that should make it an ideal women's picture."Harrison's Reportswas also positive, calling it "more enchanting and delightful than the original" and "so powerful in the closing scenes that one is unable to fight back the tears."John McCartenofThe New Yorkerwas dismissive, writing that the actors were "tolerable, but the movie is really awfully maudlin."A generally positive review inThe Monthly Film Bulletincalled the film "a lush slice of Hollywood romanticism, unashamedly following most of the familiar conventions of glossy magazine fiction. To judge it on a higher level would normally seem unfair if it were not that here the script does succeed in cutting rather deeper. The relationship between Ferrante and Terry McKay is briskly developed, with an attractive, often touching humor."ThePhiladelphia Inquirerreview invoked the 1939 original: "18 years ago we wept and worried over the romantic pangs of Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer in 'Love Affair.' It seems distinctly unimportant now when misunderstandings disrupt the billing and cooing of Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant in 'An Affair to Remember,' Leo McCarey's interminably extended version of 'Love Affair'."

The film holds a 67% rating onRotten Tomatoesbased on 33 reviews.In 1998,Jonathan Rosenbaumof theChicago Readerincluded the film in his unranked list of the best American films not included on theAFI Top 100.It is one of theBFI's "50 great Christmas films currently streaming".

Accolades

Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
Academy Awards	Best Cinematography	Milton Krasner	Nominated
	Best Costume Design	Charles LeMaire	Nominated
	Best Scoring	Hugo Friedhofer	Nominated
	Best Song	"An Affair to Remember" Music byHarry Warren; Lyrics byLeo McCareyandHarold Adamson	Nominated
Boxoffice Magazine Awards	Best Picture of the Month for the Whole Family (August)	Leo McCarey	Won
Directors Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures		Nominated
Laurel Awards	Top Music Composer	Hugo Friedhofer	5th Place
Photoplay Awards	Gold Medal		Won

• AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions– #5

Legacy

• Nora Ephron's 1993 filmSleepless in Seattle,starringTom HanksandMeg Ryan,was partly inspired byAn Affair to Remember,particularly the ending. References, clips and the theme song from the earlier film are used throughout.
• A1994 remake,reverting to the original title ofLove Affair,starredWarren Beatty(who also wrote and produced) and his wifeAnnette Bening.The film featuredKatharine Hepburnin her last screen appearance, portraying the male protagonist's aunt; this character replaces the grandmother from the original film.
• İlk Aşk,a 1960 Turkish film, was an adaptation of the film.
• Bheegi Raat,a 1965Bollywoodfilm starringAshok KumarandMeena Kumari,was an adaptation of the film.
• Yağmur,a 1971 Turkish film starringHülya KoçyiğitandEdiz Hun,was an adaptation of the film.
• Mann,a 1999 Bollywood film starringAamir KhanandManisha Koiralawas almost a scene-by-scene copy of the film.
• The 1999 IndianTelugu-language filmRavoyi Chandamamawas an adaptation of the film.
• In 2009, the HBO filmGrey Gardenslicensed an aerial shot ofThe Pierrehotel from this film.
• The climax of the 1980 Bollywood filmEk Baar Kahois inspired by this film's climax.
• A sound clip from the film was used onBasement's2011 albumI Wish I Could Stay Herein the song "Fading."
• In a Season 3 episode ofGossip Girl,characters Chuck and Blair rekindle their love and agree to meet on top of the Empire State Building at 7:01 p.m., as in the film.
• In the TV series30 Rock,Tracy Jordan claims to have starred in a remake ofAn Affair to RemembertitledA Blaffair to Rememblack.
• In an episode of the TV seriesFamily Guy,there is acutaway gagof what the film would be like in the age of cell phones. After being struck, Terry tells Nickie that she is paralyzed, and he abruptly ends the call and tosses the phone off the observation deck.
• In the episode Meanwhile of the TV seriesFuturama,After proposing to Leela, Fry invites her to meet him atop the Vampire State Building at 6:30 pm if she agrees to marry him. If she does not arrive, he will infer rejection.

External links

• An Affair to Rememberat theAFI Catalog of Feature Films
• An Affair to RememberatIMDb
• An Affair to Rememberat theTCM Movie Database
• An Affair to RememberatAllMovie
• An Affair to RememberatRotten Tomatoes