Love with the Proper Stranger (1963)

Angie Rossini is an innocent Italian Catholic Macy's salesgirl, who discovers she's pregnant from a fling with Rocky, a musician. Angie finds Rocky (who doesn't remember her at first) to ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writer:

Arnold Schulman

Stars:

Natalie Wood, Steve McQueen, Edie Adams

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Natalie Wood	...	Angie Rossini
Steve McQueen	...	Rocky Papasano
Edie Adams	...	Barbie
Herschel Bernardi	...	Dominick Rossini
Anne Hegira	...	Beetie
Harvey Lembeck	...	Julio Rossini
Mario Badolati	...	Elio Papasano
Penny Santon	...	Mama Rossini
Elena Karam	...	The Woman
Virginia Vincent	...	Anna
Nina Varela	...	Mrs. Columbo
E. Nick Alexander	...	Guido Rossini
Marilyn Chris	...	Gina
Augusta Ciolli	...	Mrs. Papasano
Wolfe Barzell	...	The Priest

Storyline

Angie Rossini is an innocent Italian Catholic Macy's salesgirl, who discovers she's pregnant from a fling with Rocky, a musician. Angie finds Rocky (who doesn't remember her at first) to tell him she's pregnant and needs a doctor for an abortion. He finds her a doctor and they work together to raise the money. Can these two strangers find love with one another before it's too late?

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Plot Keywords:

love | abortion | italian american | musician | pregnancy | 

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Taglines:

she needed him...he needed her...if they only realize it!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Love with the Proper Stranger

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pakula-Mulligan, Boardwalk Productions, Rona

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Tom Bosley.

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Goofs

When Rocky is lying down on Barbie's bed after she has left to sit at the kitchen table, only the second and third buttons on Rocky's shirt are done up, his shirt not tucked into his pants. In the next shot when he is about to get up, the second, third and fourth buttons on the shirt are done up, the shirt still not tucked into his pants. In the next shot as Rocky is now off the bed, all but the top button on his shirt are done up, the front of his shirt now tucked into his pants.

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Quotes

Rocky Papasano: [on Angie's sexy dress] Man, do you look wild.
Angie Rossini: Thank you.
Rocky Papasano: No, I mean it - I really mean it.
Angie Rossini: Look how surprised he sounds.
Rocky Papasano: You look so - what am I gonna tell 'ya? You look like a woman.
Angie Rossini: How can you manage to make even a compliment sound like a slap in the face?
Rocky Papasano: What did I say? You look like a woman! I apologise - excuse me. You look like a man.

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Connections

Referenced in Alien Nation: Millennium (1996)

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Soundtracks

Love with the Proper Stranger
Written by Johnny Mercer and Elmer Bernstein
Performed by Jack Jones

User Reviews

LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER (Robert Mulligan, 1963) ***1/2

Watched out of necessity rather than choice (due to limitations inherent in my DVD recorder's system), I really did not expect to be bowled over by this one – not least because I had been underwhelmed by the subsequent collaboration between director Mulligan and leading man Steve McQueen, BABY THE RAIN MUST FALL (1965), earlier this year – but I was. That said, I knew of its reputation as one of the best showcases for both McQueen and co-star Natalie Wood (she even received an Oscar nod for her work here) – and I certainly agree, going so far as to say that they were probably never better. In essence, this is MARTY (1955) for a younger and more reckless generation (though the protagonists, in this case, are anything but "dogs") – demonstrating the same feeling for the place (New York) and a particular section of its people (Italian immigrants). The narrative (accompanied by a lovely, yet sturdy, Elmer Bernstein score) basically resolves itself in a series of extended scenes set in domestic, working or urban environments – with the most unusual being the opening sequence at a ballroom-cum-employment agency where musician McQueen hustles his way to the odd engagement and, later, when he and Wood hide from her overprotective brothers inside his family's dilapidated dwelling (where Jack Jones is even briefly heard crooning the film's title tune). In this respect, plaudits must go to Arnold Schulman's exceptional Oscar-nominated script: it is no coincidence that his name atypically precedes even that of the supporting cast! Incidentally, while I included the film among my "Drama" viewing (involving, after all, the attempt to abort an unwanted pregnancy borne of a one-night stand), it features almost as much comedy – that, being just as well-observed, adds another layer to the intended realism. Wood's relationship with her possessive family is especially entertaining but also her efforts to dodge, and later withstand, gawky admirer Tom Bosley (in an impressive debut) – whose equivalent in McQueen's life is played by Edie Adams: the former, in fact, has no qualms about taking 'new' girlfriend Wood to her flat while she is away at work! Also, though the latter stages descend into repetitive confrontations between the stars, this does eventually pay off in a hilarious finale – with McQueen deciding to conform to Wood's idealized view of love (even if it means embarrassing himself in public) rather than lose her. In conclusion, I had tried to get hold of this one back in January to be included in my planned retrospective to commemorate the recently deceased Mulligan: while that attempt did not pan out at the time, I happened again upon it just this week, obviously managing now to acquire a copy of the film; for the record, I still have a couple more of the director's efforts to check out (both also delayed for some reason from that initial tribute) i.e. THE GREAT IMPOSTOR (1961) and BLOODBROTHERS (1978).