From Sarah: "Love Affair" or "An Affair to Remember," a classic movie battle.

Hello everyone!

With COVID-19 limiting just about everyone's entertainment options, I have, it should surprise no one, delved deeply into the lower layers of my streaming services' offerings.  Which is how I ran across the Irene  Dunne/Charles Boyer 1939 movie: Love Affair.

"Love Affair," as some of you may know, is the ORIGINAL film version of "An Affair to Remember," which popped up, with the same director, in 1957 starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.  (And it was the second version made ultra famous in the Nora Ephron masterpiece (Sleepless in Seattle.")

I'm like almost everyone else, I'm sure. I've see "Affair to Remember" several times. And yes, I've cried.

But the 1939 Dunne/Boyer version?  Ummmm, nope, never seen it.

Until this weekend.

So, side by side, how do these two movies compare?  Which one is better?

First of all, the movies have the same director. Which means the pacing, the angles, the basic overall aesthetic is the same. The same. Basically, it's the same movie with different faces.

Except it isn't.

Watching these two movies is the best (and possibly only) chance we movie lovers have to say, "well, if this actor had that part, the movie would have been better," and really get to see if that works. All things being equal, who's better: Boyer or Grant?  Dunne or Kerr?

Because Boyer is French, like really French, he might be a little tiny bit hampered for American audiences with his accent.  And, let's face it, he's not as good looking as Cary Grant. But for those of us who know Cary Grant's work as a comedic actor, it's a little challenging to take him seriously in that final scene.  Which, by the way, Boyer SLAYS.

So...the male lead...complete toss up.

Which brings us to the ladies.  Irene Dunne and Deborah Kerr.  Both are lovely, snarky, and hold up well against their male counterparts. Here's the one difference:  Deborah Kerr didn't sing the songs her character sings in the movie. Irene Dunne did.  BUT...I really didn't love Irene Dunne's singing (I'm not a fan of soprano solos...it's a personal thing.) so that sort of evens out.

Which means...the female lead...toss up.

Since both movies are the same scene for scene and the director is the same, I really found only one other element in the movies I could compare, and it's a tough one:  The orphan choir.

Really, Sarah?  You're judging singing orphans?

Yep, I am.

And the winner is...An Affair to Remember.  Why?  Because their orphan choir sounds like kids.  As opposed to Love Affair which literally has a trio of grammar school girls singing like they're all 20 year old Broadway stars.  And the choir of kids toward the end also sounds pretty much like a college group.  I mean, you're going to try and sell me the idea that those rag tag kindergartners can sing base?  Really?

That said, movie lovers, comedy lovers, romance lovers, you cannot go wrong with either film. I'm not saying you're going to have the same reaction Rosie O'Donnell and Meg Ryan had in "Sleepless in Seattle."  But if you've got a rainy day on your hands and you need something charming and sweet to watch...either of these movie will fit the bill.