An Affair to Remember

Cheap sentimentality. Mawkish religiousity. Exploitation of children. An offensive racist scene. Patronizingly pious grandmother. Annoyingly fabricated on a sound stage -- and that distracting knot in the middle of Grant's forehead.

Aside from that, its passable, lowbrow soap opera. Here's the story:

Celebrity gigolo is engaged to ultrawealthy heiress but weasels out by 'falling' for another of his serial conquests. He is never turned down, so when she stands him up, his life is ruined (he becomes an unsuccessful painter). That is, until he discovers that she really didn't MEAN to stand him up and still finds him irresistible.

Meanwhile, she is a lowclass broad who is a 'kept lady' of five years for a rich businessman who pays for some social polishing. She was clearly never in love with him, simply going along for the money and attention. When she runs across a professional seducer, she runs from her situation with her sugar daddy.

A pious grandmother (his) works through prayer from both sides of the grave to influence a priest (hers) to support and encourage her to eventually come to him.

This is what 50's America called a love story. No wonder the fifties invented the sixties.

I do admit to admiring Grant's comic timing. What many call suaveness was his cool winking at the audience while playing a character -- a common stage technique. But it is charming and opened the door for Brando to reinvent film acting.