September Affair (1950)
An industrialist and a pianist meet on a trip and fall in love. Through a quirk of fate, they are reported dead in a crash though they weren't on the plane. This gives them the opportunity to live together free from their previous lives. Unfortunately, this artificial arrangement leads to greater and greater stress. Eventually the situation collapses when they come to pursue their original, individual interests without choosing a common path.
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Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.
Better Late Then Never
Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
This romance classic is truly enjoyable to watch. Joan Fontaine and Joseph Cotten play American passengers in Europe who miss their flight home-- a flight that crashes and kills all on board. They decide to take advantage of the opportunity to start a new life together under new identities, free of commitments back home. Of course, we start to wonder what will happen when September ends. When October and their rest of their life together is put to the test.Hal Wallis produced this lavish what-if that showcases several Italian locations. And Walter Huston recorded the film's theme song, which became a hit. Speaking of Huston, if you enjoy this type of film, you may want to check out DODSWORTH, an earlier story where he played a role not unlike Cotten's.
I like both Joseph Cotton and Joan Fontaine and happened to pick up a VHS copy of this film (beautifully transferred). It is excellent on all accounts: well produced; sumptuously photographed; literate; well-acted; and moving. The story line is wildly romantic but keeps within the bounds of possibility, and Fontaine and Cotton are the perfect pair to play these mature lovers-- they're both subtle actors who manage to convey (especially Fontaine) the sub- text that lies beneath the situation in which the two find themselves. Jessica Tandy is also excellent. The location scenes filmed in Florence and Rome, while commonplace now, were not back in 1950, so it's a treat to see them here, with the cast actually roaming the streets of the two cities. Without giving the plot away, suffice it to say that the ending satisfies in a way that is believable as the story progresses. The beautiful "September Song" serves as a romantic motif throughout the film and is sung/played several times.
An unhappily married industrialist and a pianist engage in a passionate romance after they are presumed dead in a plane crash. It gets off to a slow start, with the early scenes feeling more like a travelogue than a drama, as the lovers take a tour of Italy. However, things start to get interesting about half way through as the plot thickens. Fontaine and Cotten are charming as the lovers who find a second chance for happiness. A young and pretty Tandy plays Cotten's long-suffering wife. Given all that has transpired, the ending seems contrived and unsatisfying, perhaps restricted by the censorship in effect at the time. Rachmaninov's second piano concerto is effectively used as Fontaine's signature piece.
I've been a Joan fan for a while now, so when I saw the laser disc for this movie I got it right away. I was definitely not disappointed.This movie has got a great story that could actually happen in real life. Joan gives a great performance as usual, of course Joseph is also perfect as the man she falls in love with at the same time saving her life. A great movie to watch if you like romance and a beautiful setting for a movie Italy.