The Silver Screen Oasis

Which Leo McCarey classic do you prefer?

I like both but I prefer "Love Affair".

I like Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, but I'd have to pick "Love Affair." Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne are both wonderful and much more believable (and sincere) as a romantic couple. Maria Ouspenskaya is much more heartbreaking than Cathleen Nesbit too. Looking forward to seeing Maria this saturday in "Dodsworth." She received Oscar nods for supporting actress for both of those movies.
I also love the work of art director Van Nest Polglase. He also received an Oscar nod for "Love Affair."

"The things we like the best are either illegal, immoral or fattening."

Oh, Golly, LOVE AFFAIR takes the prize hands down. It is so simple and honest; and beautifully written and scored, both with a light hand. AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER is much more of a soap opera (though I do love Friedhofer's score and his use of the Harry Warren title tune).

Also, Maria Ouspenskaya adds tremendous gravitas to LOVE AFFAIR. It's also a full three reels shorter than the remake.

I just recorded TCM's latest telecast of this film and, for the first time, they've run a transfer of a 35mm print. Certainly not a pristine print (a few light lines here and there) but heretofore there have only been 16mm dupe and reduction prints shown.

I think I should start signing as Oscar the Grouch because this is about the 3rd or 4th time I'm coming in to say I prefer 'The Other One'. Maybe it's because I can't stand Charles Boy-ay. He never strikes me as romantic, more like a sly, oily cad. I would dread running my fingers through his hair! On the other hand, soap opera-ish and all, Cary and Deborah are priceless as far as I'm concerned. Their repartee on the ship is funny every time I see and hear it. I also loved Cathleen Nesbitt, I felt she was so sweet and lovable. Actually it's Richard Denning and Neva Patterson I could do without.

Whichever one you choose, you have to admit that Warren Beatty doesn't come remotely close to being right for that role.

Anne (or Oscar)

P.S. I'm catching up on some of the stuff I missed in the last few weeks.

I like both of them, but I prefer LOVE AFFAIR.

Although both movies are good,they are for different reasons.

'Love Affair' is more light and romantic and 'Affair' has the luxurious color and added 'luxury' of Cary Grant.

I would say that I prefer 'An Affair To Remember' for the simple reason of Cary Grant.

I would have preferred to have seen Kerr with Boyer and Grant with Dunne.

All the leads are among my favorites but it's Love Affair all the way for me. The Madeira interlude makes the film, especially the Plaisir d'Amour duet of Irene and Maria.

Welcome Iscovescu! It's a pleasure to have someone new here. I hope that you'll ask if you need any help finding things.

I've got to pick the sublime Love Affair (1939).

Love most Cary Grant movies, but not that fifties remake.

I think the Ennio Morricone score for the Warren Beatty-Annette Bening version is the best thing about it. Oh yeah, there's also some lovely cinematography of the island where Katharine Hepburn lives, but it's pretty awful otherwise.

I like both, but give my love to Love Affair. I think the weepy nature of the story works better in black & white.

Charles Boyer does the continental thing better than Cary Grant, and Irene Dunne is really funny, though Deborah Kerr certainly isn't bad.

Love Affair is tighter too.

I love both too but if I had to chose just one it would be An Affair To Remember, Cary's acting just clinches it for me, even if he looks a little to tanned in this for me.

Irene Dunne always seems to have a grimace on her face, she just doesn't cut it for me. Cary and Deborah for me!

Nancy

Seeing that Love Affair was going to be on, I pulled out my An Affair to Remember and watched it first to make a true comparison. For one thing, I love the song running through the whole Affair . . ., and I prefer Cathleen Nesbitt, although I adore Ouspenskaya, but the one thing that really put me over the edge for Affair . . . , is at the very end when realization comes to Cary exactly what happened, and who the girl in the wheelchair at the art gallery was. Watch his face . . . the whole story crosses it in a couple of fleeting seconds and the tightening of his shoulders before he turns back to her. I watched for the same reaction from Boyer (or a similar one), and there was nothing. This was supposedly the woman he loved and he acted like he just learned she had a head ache, or a hang nail. Also, I truly didn't see any chemistry between him and Dunne, like the lightness and fun that Kerr and Grant had on the boat, or the urgency when they were parting on the final morning from the ship.

Anne

That look of Cary's, when he realises what has happened, that understated acting to me is what makes Cary one of the best actors to grace the cinema screen.