Jean Arthur & Marlene Dietrich sq. off in Billy Wilder’s post-war comedy-drama,  1948’s “A International Affair.”

Even for Billy Wilder,
environment an grownup comedy-drama like A
International Affair within the ruins of post-WWII Germany used to be pushing the envelope.
Wilder shot many of the pictures for this movie in Berlin, a town in ruins, making
it a maximum bleak backdrop. Billy’s uniqueness for balancing acerbic comedy combined with
grownup drama miraculously works. Wilder’s humanity is apparent underneath the outside
cynicism over the spoils of post-war lifestyles. A
International Affair is a just about flawless satiric comedy, until you’re anticipating
the slapstick of Howard Hawks’ I Used to be a
Male Struggle Bride.

Love this international poster for Billy Wilder’s 1948 “A International Affair.”

Wilder’s critics
mistake his cynical angle as uncaring. Billy is also a curmudgeon, however he does
cares—very a lot so. Billy Wilder who served the United States as a movie maker all through WWII,
sought after to turn what conflict had wrought.

Jean Arthur as Congresswoman Phoebe Frost, checking at the morale–and morals!– of American infantrymen in post-war Berlin, in Billy Wilder’s “A International Affair.”

Jean Arthur performs the
lone feminine member of a congressional committee despatched to Berlin to test at the
morale of U.S. infantrymen. She quickly reveals it’s their morals that wish to be held
in test! John Lund’s Military captain performs all sides to the center, getting his
process carried out, whilst bending the foundations to benefit from the spoils. Such a is Marlene
Dietrich’s German nightclub singer, whom Lund lavishes with black marketplace presents
for her favors. All 3 disparate characters go through a metamorphosis of center and
angle all through A International Affair.

May well be simply the timing, however Jean Arthur’s frame language appears much less comfy than Marlene Dietrich’s, at the set of Billy Wilder’s “A International Affair.”

It’s commendable that
Billy Wilder forged two actresses he admired, in spite of even by means of the overdue Forties,
with divas in their overdue ‘40s, used to be
greater than a bit of ordinary. Main guy John Lund used to be a decade more youthful than
each—typically such casting used to be the wrong way round!

Marlene Dietrich will get
to make use of her seldom applied aptitude for sardonic comedy because the cynical chanteuse
Erika, whose facet she is on is whoever’s in energy. She is heat, horny,
difficult, pragmatic, and worldly. Marlene will get to warble 3 numbers by means of
Friedrich Hollaender, which underline the motion. “Black Marketplace,” in
specific, offers film audiences an opportunity to watch Dietrich’s interpretation
of a track that will make her a live performance legend.

Billy Wilder watches as Marlene Dietrich’s about to sing a host in “A International Affair.”

Jean Arthur makes her
comedic remaining hurrah because the mid-west flesh presser there to investigate cross-check morale.
Alternatively, she will get stuck up in some questionable morals herself! As Iowa-proud
Phoebe Frost, Jean Arthur is going from comedian perfectionist to a romantic whose
metal lure thoughts slowly opens up for romance. I’m now not a die-hard fan of Jean
Arthur’s eccentric character in any way, however she used to be aces as a comedic actress
who may just segue into drama comfortably.

Not anything escapes Jean Arthur’s congresswoman, excluding that she’s about to fall in love, in 1948’s “A International Affair.”

John Lund, as Captain
John Pringle, used to be regarded as the susceptible hyperlink of A International Affair’s romantic triangle. Paramount used to be then seeking to
give Lund the accumulation, however it’s too dangerous Wilder hadn’t came upon William Holden
but, additionally a Paramount big name. Additionally, Tyrone Energy will have been somewhat excellent, as
Ty and Marlene proved a decade later in Witness
for the Prosecution. Wilder favored John Lund a perfect deal, concept whilst he
used to be a cast actor, however appropriately felt that Lund did not have the big name high quality to
hang up his finish with those two dynamic divas. Particularly since post-war, motion pictures
had been again to the male big name dominating the display.

Marlene Dietrich & John Lund pose for exposure footage, in 1948’s “A International Affair.”

Wilder used to be
disenchanted by means of the reception that A
International Affair won, however it were given most commonly excellent opinions, and it used to be a
average field place of work hit, making round $150 million in nowadays’s bucks. There
are some biting traces by means of screenwriters Wilder and Charles Brackett in regards to the
spoils of conflict that also sting nowadays. A
International Affair is clever, grownup, with some memorable set items. 

Billy Wilder discovered Marlene Dietrich simple to get together with… Jean Arthur, now not such a lot! At the set of “A International Affair.”

Although
two actresses couldn’t be extra reverse, Jean Arthur and Marlene Dietrich
shared some fascinating similarities of their later careers, in spite of their
crucial variations.

Jean
used to be a 12 months older than Marlene. Arthur used to be born in October, 1900 and Dietrich
used to be born in overdue December, 1901. Whilst Marlene Dietrich moved heaven and
earth to appear endlessly younger her whole occupation, Arthur in fact seemed younger
her whole public lifestyles. Now, whilst Jean fretted about how she used to be photographed
(Wilder used to be considered one of a number of who cited this) and he or she most probably used wigs, tapes,
and make-up tips as smartly, Arthur all the time gave the look of “herself.” While as time
went by means of, Marlene’s face gave the look of a glamorous masks of her former self, a lot
just like the latter day Cher. Off-camera footage of older Arthur presentations some traces,
however necessarily taking a look like herself, just like Doris Day when she retired.
Coincidentally, they each retired to Carmel—a showbiz Shangri-la? 

Jean Arthur seemed superb at 66 in her short-lived 1966 sitcom.

Arthur’s
insecurities ended in her handiest performing intermittently from the mid-Forties on.
Unfortunately, Jean dropped out of 2 degree classics, Born The previous day and Peter Pan
(even though she did carry out the latter in short.) Most often, maximum movie stars’ ultimate films
or roles are lowered, but Arthur had the largest hit in her movie finale, 1953’s
Shane. Thereafter, she handiest acted
prior to the digital camera on two TV presentations, Gunsmoke,
and The Jean Arthur Display, cancelled
after 12 episodes. And Jean seemed superb at 66!

Marlene Dietrich segued from film big name to sequined live performance big name. Right here she is, at just about 75, prior to a fall ended her appearing occupation.

Marlene
Dietrich’s motion pictures changed into extra rare after the conflict years, as smartly. Alternatively,
there have been some diamonds among the dross: Hitchcock’s Level Fright, Wilder’s Witness
for the Prosecution, and Stanley Kramer’s Judgment at Nuremberg. Alongside the way in which, Dietrich changed into a live performance
performer, giving her an entire new occupation. Marlene carried out till 1975, when a
ultimate fall brought about her to wreck a hip. 

Jean Arthur at 75, with Melvyn Douglas, on degree in “First Monday in October.”

Each
Jean and Marlene necessarily retired after 1975. Arthur carried out a handful of
degree performances with Melvyn Douglas in First
Monday in October. Marlene handiest made two extra motion pictures after the ’75 fall: a
cameo in 1979’s Only a Gigolo and
then audio recordings by means of director Maximilian Schell for the 1984 documentary, Marlene. 

Marlene Dietrich, giving pesky paparazzi hell, within the early ’70. Pass, Marlene!

Although
Marlene Dietrich loved public lifestyles, Jean Arthur did not. But each changed into
reclusive the remaining years in their lives. When Marlene died, there used to be an enormous
funeral, attended by means of hundreds of other people in Germany. With Jean, at her request,
there used to be no funeral. Jean Arthur died in 1991 at age 90. A 12 months later,
Marlene Dietrich died on the similar age.

A International Affair is an grownup tackle a film love tale, blending
artful comedy with heartfelt romance, with a wise view on lifestyles after conflict.

Right here’s my tackle Jean
Arthur’s remaining movie, the western vintage Shane:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2018/04/shane-1953.html

Right here’s my have a look at one
of Marlene Dietrich’s ultimate motion pictures, Billy Wilder’s all-star court thriller, Witness for the Prosecution:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/11/witness-for-prosecution-1957.html

The cinematic triangle of Billy Wilder’s “A International Affair”: Marlene Dietrich, John Lund, & Jean Arthur.