Love Affair

"They Part as Strangers... to meet again as lovers...! Two people who were true to themselves...and who loved each other...at the expense of those who loved them!"

1939 1h 28m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

🔥

92%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.3

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 132🍅92%Rotten Tomatoes●91Metacritic★7.3IMDB · 6,880

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A French playboy and an American former nightclub singer fall in love aboard a ship. They arrange to reunite six months later, if neither has changed their mind.

“They Part as Strangers... to meet again as lovers...! Two people who were true to themselves...and who loved each other...at the expense of those who loved them!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

fuboTVSubscription

HBO Max Amazon ChannelSubscription

MGM+ Amazon ChannelSubscription

PhiloSubscription

BrewSubscription

MGM Plus Roku Premium ChannelSubscription

MGM PlusSubscription

IndieFlixSubscription

HBO MaxSubscription

IndieFlix Shorts Amazon ChannelSubscription

Cast

Irene Dunne
Terry McKay
Charles Boyer
Michel Marnet
Maria Ouspenskaya
Grandmother
Lee Bowman
Kenneth Bradley
Astrid Allwyn
Lois Clarke
Maurice Moscovitch
Maurice Cobert
Mary Bayless
Theatre Patron (uncredited)
Scotty Beckett
Boy on Ship (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Leo McCarey
Writers: Delmer Daves, Donald Ogden Stewart, Mildred Cram
Languages: English, French
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

87 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Leo McCarey, shot by Rudolph Maté. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Edward Dmytryk shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer and Maria Ouspenskaya carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They Part as Strangers... to meet again as lovers...! Two people who were true to themselves...and who loved each other...at the expense of those who loved them!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Leo McCarey directs. Rudolph Maté behind the camera. Roy Webb scores. Edward Dmytryk cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
287 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
4Directed by Leo McCarey, shot by Rudolph Maté. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Edward Dmytryk shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer and Maria Ouspenskaya carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "They Part as Strangers... to meet again as lovers...! Two people who were true to themselves...and who loved each other...at the expense of those who loved them!".
9IMDB entry: tt0031593 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 15 themes, including "new york city", "orphanage", "madeira", "artist".

The technical file

Cinematography: Rudolph Maté
Original score: Roy Webb
Editing: Edward Dmytryk
Costume design: Howard Greer
Makeup / hair: Mel Berns
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Love Affair (1939)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 91/100
IMDB rating: 7.3/10 · 6,880 votes
MPAA: Approved

Awards

Nominated for 6 Oscars. 3 wins & 6 nominations total

Also by

Leo McCarey

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-22
★ 7/10
A classy feature from Leo McCarey, this one. Charles Boyer is a playboy crossing the Atlantic on a luxury liner; he meets and falls in love with Irene Dunne, a talented chanteuse heading to New York. They agree to meet six months later once he has become less of a rake and is able to support them both. On that fateful day, she arrives at the Empire State Building only to be involved in a paralysing car accident of which he - already at the top of the tower - is and remains unaware. It's a gentle, well acted melodrama with a simple, engaging plot and two charismatic leads. The writing is a touch on the sentimental side at times, but it's still a lovely film to watch 80 years after it was made.

Production companies