Billy Wilder obviously had a cynical point of view in mind when he directed A FOREIGN AFFAIR and cast JEAN ARTHUR, MARLENE DIETRICH and JOHN LUND in the leads for a story about an American congresswoman (Arthur) investigating conditions for GIs in post-WWII Berlin.
The rather bleak atmosphere seems to work against the material at times, but the script is witty enough to overcome any such distractions after awhile. There's even a song for Dietrich called "The Ruins of Berlin" which she delivers in her own sultry style.
I'm sure fans of JEAN ARTHUR must have enjoyed seeing her as a prim woman without any obvious romantic inclinations but it seems clear that here she's repeating the same sort of role she played many times, usually opposite stars like Joel McCrea or James Stewart. She was away from the screen for four years before she returned for this one, undoubtedly aware that it was a clever script.
And while she's good, it's MARLENE DIETRICH who steals the spotlight, not only with her glamor and intriguing persona, but a couple of songs she performs in Dietrich style in the Berlin nightclub scenes. And for a leading man, neither actress can complain about JOHN LUND, who proves that his studio never made him a big enough star. He's more than able to share the limelight with the female stars and has enough masculine presence and likability to carry the day.
The story has staid Arthur discovering that she's falling in love with Lund, while at the same time aware that he's been courting a German nightclub singer--so that things get a little heated before they're straightened out for a happy ending.
Summing up: The Charles Brackett script proves that the Brackett/Wilder combination was something to deal with.
The rather bleak atmosphere seems to work against the material at times, but the script is witty enough to overcome any such distractions after awhile. There's even a song for Dietrich called "The Ruins of Berlin" which she delivers in her own sultry style.
I'm sure fans of JEAN ARTHUR must have enjoyed seeing her as a prim woman without any obvious romantic inclinations but it seems clear that here she's repeating the same sort of role she played many times, usually opposite stars like Joel McCrea or James Stewart. She was away from the screen for four years before she returned for this one, undoubtedly aware that it was a clever script.
And while she's good, it's MARLENE DIETRICH who steals the spotlight, not only with her glamor and intriguing persona, but a couple of songs she performs in Dietrich style in the Berlin nightclub scenes. And for a leading man, neither actress can complain about JOHN LUND, who proves that his studio never made him a big enough star. He's more than able to share the limelight with the female stars and has enough masculine presence and likability to carry the day.
The story has staid Arthur discovering that she's falling in love with Lund, while at the same time aware that he's been courting a German nightclub singer--so that things get a little heated before they're straightened out for a happy ending.
Summing up: The Charles Brackett script proves that the Brackett/Wilder combination was something to deal with.