Jean Arthur... - A Foreign Affair (1948) Discussion

[–] w22nuschler 15 years ago

I am watching it right now. I recorded it the other night when it aired. I have never seen Jean Arthur look so beautiful. She has definitely dominated the first half of the film. Millard Mitchell is also a delight to watch. I never cared for Marlene Dietrich and I don't see what people see in her. John Wayne is my favorite movie star ever and he loved her. John Lund also does a fine job. Hopefully the second half is as good as the first. I think Jean's hairstyle is what makes her so attractive. I've never seen her look better in a film.

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[–] Wakanohana 15 years ago

She is just as good, maybe better, in the second half.

Dietrich is very good too, but this movie belongs to Jean Arthur.

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[–] csu16387 15 years ago

As good as Marlene is in this film, Jean Arthur steals the show. I still get a kick out of the Iowa song!

"Now what kind of man are YOU dude?"

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[–] gbromberg 15 years ago

I loved Jean Arthur's performances in a lot of movies. She is so underrated as an actress. I truly believe she's one of the greatest of all time. My favorite was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

I wonder if the sound of her voice worked against her?

She should be in the list of top 10 greatest actresses of all time IMO. I think she was great.

By the way, I can't think of any actress who was a beautiful as she was in her 40s. Remember, she's was 48 years old in A Foreign Affair. She was 52 years old in Shane, and looked like she was in her early 30s. She was a naturally beautiful woman.

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[–] generalusgrant 15 years ago

Wow, I hate to dissent but I find Jean extremely annoying in this film. Almost impossible to watch, mostly because of her grating, whining voice. I am also no fan of Dietrich (who treated Jean horrifically throughout the filming of this movie). Her contempt for Jean was huge.

I enjoyed Jean in Mr. Deeds, Shane and Mr. Smith, but in this film I find her difficult to watch.

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[–] Filmrabid 15 years ago

I have to agree about Jean Arthur being irritating in this film. It might just be the morally righteous character she's playing that grated on my nerves because I have loved her in other roles.

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[–] Forlorn_Rage 8 years ago

I have to agree about Jean Arthur being irritating in this film. It might just be the morally righteous character she's playing that grated on my nerves because I have loved her in other roles.

You think she's bad in this this movie? She was insufferable in The More The Merrier. She's so stuck and utterly lacking in humor, it makes me wonder what Joel McCrea (who falls for her at first sight) sees in her! And for the last 10-20 minutes or so, she does nothing but screeching sobs! I wanted to slap her so hard! At least, in this movie she was put in her place now and then!

On the other hand, I adored her in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Devil and Miss Jones, and Shane. I wish her other characters showed as much resolve and strength as these characters instead of *screeching* to show their so-called vulnerability!

I am also no fan of Dietrich (who treated Jean horrifically throughout the filming of this movie). Her contempt for Jean was huge.

I honestly don't understand Dietrich at all. She can be so arrogant, vicious, and catty, but there are also stories of her being just as generous and helpful to people as she is catty. According to her daughter, she always had this image of herself that she tried to live up to whether it's the nurturing, self-sacrificing mother, lover, or patriot, etc. She really was quite the character.

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[–] lorrainearmstrongfl 8 years ago

I loved her in The More The Merrier and am looking forward to seeing it again tonight on TCM.

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[–] Wakanohana 8 years ago

I try to watch "The More The Merrier" every time it is shown. Joel McCrea was great, Charles Coburn was great and Jean Arthur was lovely as always. It may not have been the #1 screwball comedy, but it belongs in the top 10 or 20 -- the plot was contrived, the dialogue corny in places, but the film is still funny and sexy.

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[–] ChickWhisperer 14 years ago

She was OK in earlier films, but not very prety and HUGELY annoying in Foreign Affair. Was she trying to talk thru her nose?

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[–] gbennett5 14 years ago

Then why did you watch the film? It's Arthur's piece from beginning to
end, stealing it from even Marlene herself. Arthur's genius was her
ability to take an unlikable character (and Miss Frost had an icicle up
her...all through the picture, let's face it). She was also rare in
that, unlike many film comics, she could ACT. Can't say the same for
Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Cary Grant, Steve Martin, and even the great
Woody Allen. She was a unique presence in films. She was also 47 when
this was made. Astonishing.

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[–] melnar1 8 years ago

http://nitroflare.com/view/12328423659B187/1250076765.epub

Perhaps because it was a Billy Wilder film.

I think that's a good enough reason to watch it.

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[–] melnar1 8 years ago

Then why did you watch the film?

Perhaps because it was a Billy Wilder film.

I think that's a good enough reason to watch it.

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[–] ElenaP-3 14 years ago

I have to agree, and I usually liked her in the older films - especially Capra, where her no-nonsense American pragmatism usually won the day, and "Shane", as well. But here, she's totally grating, acting prim, then pedantic, then, the drunken little schoolgirl, and then, the woman betrayed by the bitchy Dietrich's reveal of John Lund's little game of duplicity. As for Marlene Dietrich, I always saw her more as a "face" or a "presence", than a genuine acting talent, and her meanness and real-life contempt for Arthur (in most cases, a far better talent than the former) comes through in the dialogue and her general attitude. Did Billy Wilder exploit this dislike purposely to get stronger performances out of the two female leads (rivals)? I never cared much for his films either, always sensing the cynical smarminess right below the surface; I don't get why Robert Osborne of TCM is always singing his praises.
If I had to encapsulate my opinion of this rather tasteless, annoying film, I'd call it "The Kitchen Floor (Dietrich's cruel verbal assessment of Arthur) versus The German Whore."

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[–] JuniusLord 14 years ago

Personally I think this is Jean Arthurs best performance and i love when she sings too!

hit your crickets

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[–] gbennett5 14 years ago

Agree.

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[–] rudeboy_murray 14 years ago

I hate to be the one to spoil the party - and this is from one who adores Jean Arthur - but having finally seen this movie today, this is the one performance of hers that really didn't work for me at all. She's thoroughly miscast and mannered, and overdoes Phoebe's no-nonsense line delivery and eccentricities, particularly in the early scenes of the film. A disappointment from a brilliant actress.

That said, she looks terrific in the film considering she was in her late 40s at the time.

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[–] gbennett5 14 years ago

Lol! Well, you're not spoiling MY party. You can go watch Sarah Jessica
Parker in a rerun of "Square Pegs", or something.

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[–] rudeboy_murray 14 years ago

Sarah Jessica Parker? Hardly!

I'm honestly a huge Jean Arthur fan. I adore her in Mr Smith, Mr Deeds, The More the Merrier, Shane snd - my personal favourite - Only Angels Have Wings. I was just disappointed this one and only time...

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Errington_92 14 years ago

I'll have to admit out of all the films I've seen starring Jean Arthur, A Foreign Affair was not my favorite. I wouldn't say it was because of her performance but more of her character, Phoebe was pretty naive for a congresswoman. Jean Arthur has her usual charm within the characters she plays in A Foreign Affair but in my opinion this charm doesn't fit well into the story, since Phoebe seems out of place with the corrupt figures around her. Also I felt that some of the characters were self righteous, which put me off from liking the film.

"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not".

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[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 14 years ago

I'm surprised at the people who disliked her in 'A Foreign Affair'; just goes to show...you say Cla-MAY-toe, I say Cla-MAH-toe; I loved Jean Arthur in this, so much that, since I have 'Mr. Deeds' sitting here on dvd, and 'Only Angels Have Wings', 'You Can't Take It With You', and 'Mr. Smith' on my TiVo, it looks like today is about to turn into a Jean Arthur film festival.

Before seeing 'A Foreign Affair' today, I don't think I'd seen her in anything but 'Shane', but that was years ago, and I don't remember much about her other than her character was in love with Alan Ladd's; I love "discovering" these old-time stars.

"How do you feel?"
"Like the Kling-Klang King of the Rim-Ram Room!"

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[–] cjbarrett 9 years ago

Absolutely agree.
Fan of Ms. Arthur but just not her film.
That said she's always enjoyable but really not much of a film.
I've always thought A Foreign Affair was one of Wilder's weaker efforts..
Maybe he was just to close to the material. The humor seems to vanish periodically.
And it didn't help anything that Lund was a stiff.

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[–] NewtonFigg 8 years ago

I imagine that a sophisticated Viennese would look with condescension on a naïve, Iowa Republican Congresswoman.

Nobody has mentioned my favorite Jean Arthur movie: Easy Living.

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[–] cjbarrett 8 years ago

Yeah, Easy Living.
Great film. Written by Preston Sturges.
How could it not be...

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[–] janedannertangens 12 years ago

Too bad her character in the movie is so damn annoying. I was rooting for Dietrich throughout the whole movie from the moment we first see her character. I wanted Arthur's annoying character to go away. Dietrich has more screen presence in just 3 musicals numbers than Arthur does throughout the entire movie. Dietrich had that striking animal-like presence that infiltrated all of her characters. Arthur's character is plain as oatmeal. She's supposed to be, but boy, they must've really been desperate for "stability" shortly after the war for them to choose Arthur's character over Dietrich's wisecracking, been around the block and seen it all dame. The movie was excruciating for me to watch when its perspective shifted to Arthur's character because I hated the character and wanted to see Dietrich's character instead. Dietrich just pulls you in with her screen presence, Arthur is uninteresting.

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[–] blassoulis 11 years ago

The same happened to me,too.I was like "just switch back to Dietrich" throughout the whole thing.That being said,I thoroughly enjoyed the film

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[–] Errington_92 11 years ago

I wouldn't say it was because of her performance but more of her character, Phoebe was pretty naive for a congresswoman. Jean Arthur has her usual charm within the characters she plays in A Foreign Affair but in my opinion this charm doesn't fit well into the story, since Phoebe seems out of place with the corrupt figures around her.

This was part of my comment when I first saw A Foreign Affair three years ago, now that I've seen it again my opinion has changed. Phoebe's charm really does work within interactions with other characters, pretending to be German for the two GIs was hilarious!

"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not".

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[–] 11 years ago

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[–] 8 years ago

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