Strangers When We Meet

""I LOVE YOU BABY, BUT MY WIFE JUST REFUSES TO UNDERSTAND!""

1960 1h 57m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 45

RomanceDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A suburban architect loves his wife but is bored with his marriage and with his work, so he takes up with the neglected, married beauty who lives down the street.

“"I LOVE YOU BABY, BUT MY WIFE JUST REFUSES TO UNDERSTAND!"”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Kirk Douglas
Larry Coe
Kim Novak
Margaret 'Maggie' Gault
Barbara Rush
Eve Coe
Ernie Kovacs
Roger Altar
Walter Matthau
Felix Anders
Virginia Bruce
Mrs. Wagner
John Bryant
Ken Gault
Kent Smith
Stanley Baxter

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Quine
Writers: Evan Hunter
Languages: English
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

ERA

Did you know

66 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Quine, shot by Charles Lang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kirk Douglas and Kim Novak and Barbara Rush carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: ""I LOVE YOU BABY, BUT MY WIFE JUST REFUSES TO UNDERSTAND!"".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0054345 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Quine directs. Charles Lang behind the camera. George Duning scores. Charles Nelson cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

166 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Richard Quine, shot by Charles Lang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by George Duning. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Charles Nelson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Kirk Douglas and Kim Novak and Barbara Rush carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: ""I LOVE YOU BABY, BUT MY WIFE JUST REFUSES TO UNDERSTAND!"".
8IMDB entry: tt0054345 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 45 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Charles Lang
Original score: George Duning
Editing: Charles Nelson
Costume design: Jean Louis
Runtime: 117 min · 1h 57m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Strangers When We Meet (1960)

Also by

Richard Quine

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-06-02
★ 6/10
When successful architect "Larry" (Kirk Douglas) meets bored "Maggie" (Kim Novak) at the school bus stop after dropping off their respective children, you can just tell that things are going to start smouldering! He's married to "Eve" (Barbara Rush) and she to prominent writer "Roger" (Ernie Kovacks) and it's the latter man who has employed the former to design and build a new hilltop home for his family. So far, it's all just a routine family melodrama that, for my money anyway, Douglas brings very little to. Luckily for us, though, we also have the presence of the rather odious neighbour "Felix" (Walter Matthau) who says very little but sees everything. Of course, the grass is always greener and the cheating couple gradually realise that though there is certainly gratification to be had, happiness is a completely different thing. Their secret, shallow, lives have brought them a sort of love, but it's hollow and unsustainable and the innocent amongst them start to pay the price for their infidelities. There is a degree of chemistry between Douglas and Novak, Ernie Novaks is also quite effective but it's really down to Matthau who features sparingly, but very potently, with even an hint of menace towards the end. It ends with more of a whimper than a bang, which I felt was a bit underwhelming after two hours of a rather stringy score and lots of coastal cinematography. I might have enjoyed this more had Douglas been replaced by a stronger, more characterful actor- but as it is, it's still quite an interesting take on the ramifications of the so called "easy win".

Production companies