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O Grande Amor da Minha Vida (1957)

An Affair to Remember (original title)
Trailer
2:52 | Trailer
A couple falls in love and agrees to meet in six months at the Empire State Building - but will it happen?

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Delmer Daves (screenplay), Leo McCarey (screenplay) | 3 more credits »
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Popularity
4,491 ( 2,247)
Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Cary Grant ... Nickie Ferrante
Deborah Kerr ... Terry McKay
Richard Denning ... Kenneth Bradley
Neva Patterson ... Lois Clark
Cathleen Nesbitt ... Grandmother Janou
Robert Q. Lewis ... Self - Announcer
Charles Watts Charles Watts ... Ned Hathaway
Fortunio Bonanova ... Courbet
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Storyline

Nickie Ferrante's return to New York to marry a rich heiress is well publicized as are his many antics and affairs. He meets a nightclub singer Terry McKay who is also on her way home to her longtime boyfriend. She sees him as just another playboy and he sees her as stand-offish but over several days they soon find they've fallen in love. Nickie has never really worked in his life so they agree that they will meet again in six months time atop the Empire State building. This will give them time to deal with their current relationships and for Nickie to see if he can actually earn a living. He returns to painting and is reasonably successful. On the agreed date, Nickie is waiting patiently for Terry who is racing to join him. Fate intervenes however resulting in misunderstanding and heartbreak and only fate can save their relationship. Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

A motion picture all your friends will tell you to see ... and you'll tell all your friends to see! See more »

Genres:

Drama | Musical | Romance

Certificate:

M/12 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

References to this movie in Nora Ephron's Sintonia de Amor (1993), revitalized interest in the film, and led to 2 million additional sales of the 1957 classic on VHS. See more »

Goofs

A camera shadow falls on a man and a plant when Terry comes out of the dress shop. See more »

Quotes

Terry McKay: Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories... we've already missed the spring!
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Connections

Referenced in Father, Dear Father: An Affair to Forget (1971) See more »

Soundtracks

Tomorrow Land
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Harold Adamson and Leo McCarey
Sung by Marni Nixon (dubbing for Deborah Kerr)
reprised by children's chorus
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User Reviews

 
Lovely, Lilting Romance
25 March 2001 | by twanuritSee all my reviews

What one has to consider about the Deborah Kerr/Cary Grant characters is that they are both "kept" individuals: Kerr by a wealthy Texan named Ken (-doll, played by Richard Denning), Grant a gigolo engaged to an heiress (Neva Patterson). They meet on an ocean cruise, with this some cute and also silly comedy thrown in. Kerr & Grant are British and speak the accents yet their characters are from the U.S.; a not too distracting error, however. An unusually touching scene is when they de-bark in Italy and visit Grant's 82-year-old grandmother (Cathleen Nesbitt). It's a beautiful setting with wonderful music and pathos. Back in the states the couple agree to meet atop the Empire State Building in 6 months. One wonders why Kerr won't marry the handsome Denning, athletic, wealthy and kind (in real-life the actor was married to the British-raised actress Evelyn Ankers, a beauty in the Kerr-mold). Much of the second half is infused with un-necessary scenes of singing children but this all leads up the the final, long scene, beautifully acted and directed (by Leo McCarey). A mystery is very slowly unraveled in layers until the peak of the scene, scored by the emotional title theme song. This scene "gets" one every time, that's how effective it is. Beautiful costumes, scenery, clever photography (note the scene where the open patio door reveals the Empire State Building in its reflection), great cast make this an enduring, never-forgotten golden classic.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Italian

Release Date:

7 October 1957 (Portugal) See more »

Also Known As:

O Grande Amor da Minha Vida See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jerry Wald Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.40 : 1
See full technical specs »

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