SimonJack 'Love with the Proper Stranger" is much more than a standard comedy-romance and drama. Using elements of these genres it explores and shows aspects of mores, culture, time and place of the past. It's a snapshot of mid-20th century America. More specifically, of city life within boroughs. And explicitly, pregnancy that results from a one-night stand. Other reviewers have noted that this was before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973.I agree with those reviewers who say that this may be Natalie Wood's finest performance. She does a superb job at Angie Rossini, going through a range of emotions and stages. Steve McQueen is Rocky Papesano, and he does very well in an atypical role. The supporting cast all give very good performances as well. Edie Adams is especially good as Barbie, and Penny Santon is very good as Mama Rossini.Judging from reviews I've read, it's clear that different people will view a twist in this plot differently. That has to do with the hero rescuing the heroine from a planned abortion. The title is interesting. "Love with the Proper Stranger" seems to say that if one picks the right person, or type of person, for an affair (even a one night stand), it will lead to love, marriage and a life together. In the case of the woman, the man will stand by her, protect her, and fall for her. In the case of the man, he will find her attractive, be drawn to her and fall for her. And, in the course of that love developing, there is no thought of destroying the baby that brought them together.A nice little subplot in this film looks at an old-fashioned idea of chivalry and decency. That is another man who loves the girl, wants to marry her and will tell his relatives that he is the father of the child. This all may seem strange in the 21st century, especially to younger people. In a society that has few taboos or restrictions on sex, and that espouses equality of gender traits, choice and tolerance – in such a society the time-honored mores of responsibility, honor, sacrifice and fidelity may seem strange indeed.This film deserved the five nominations it received for Academy Awards.

GusF Robert Mulligan and Alan J. Pakula's first collaboration after the huge success of "To Kill a Mockingbird", this is a very good character drama about love, life and the way that they interrelate - or don't. The film is described as a comedy drama but I thought that it was more of a drama with a few elements of comedy, which did not mesh terribly well with the rest of the storyline. In the first hour, the very strong, insightful script by Arnold Schulman treats the occasionally slightly depressing material with a great deal of respect and sensitivity and there is not a false moment. However, in the last 30 minutes or so, the comedic elements come to the fore and it gave me a bit of a jolt as it is rather different from what has come before. The ending does not really ring true when compared to the first hour. In any event, Mulligan's direction is superb but that is hardly a surprise since he was a master when it came to sensitive character dramas.The film stars Natalie Wood in a phenomenal and wonderfully natural performance as Angela Rossini, a Macy's pet shop employee in her early 20s who comes from a strict Italian-American Catholic family in New York City. She is pregnant as a result of a one night stand with a musician named Rocky Papasano, who does not even remember her at first. The night was clearly much more memorable for Angela than him, particularly since he is hinted to be a bit of lothario who mooches off women whereas she has led a very sheltered life. She dreams of a movie star - maybe Robert Wagner? - on a big horse falling madly in love with her and Rocky does not exactly fit the bill. As such, all she wants is money to pay for a backroom abortion. Another complication in Angie's life is that she feels suffocated by her insensitive, loudmouth elder brother Dominick, played very effectively by Herschel Bernardi, who insists on trying to set her up with the nice but uninteresting cook Anthony Columbo, played by Tom Bosley in his film debut. Although she is a grown woman, Dominick seeks to control Angie's life and ignores her frequent demands that he stop interfering in it.Steve McQueen was perhaps not the most obvious choice to play Rocky but he is very good as the irresponsible and initially not very likable expectant father. He and Wood are a great fit. After he learns that Angie is pregnant, Rocky tells his girlfriend Barbie Margolis, played by a sublime Edie Adams, that a friend of his needs to know the name of a doctor who will perform an abortion. However, Barbie did not come down in the last shower and sees through his very transparent lie immediately. She then kicks him out of her apartment and he must resume his life as an itinerant musician. The best scene in the film is the very long one which involves Rocky and Angie hiding from her brothers in his parents' upholstery workshop. It is revealed that Angie lost her virginity to him that night and she found it to be a disappointing, uncomfortable and confusing experience. It was not what she expected from the movies. For his part, he tells her that he has no intention of being tied down and compares being married to being the Prisoner of Zenda. The characters develop an interesting connection in this scene. It is beautifully acted by Wood, who was deservedly nominated for Best Actress, and contains the best acting that I have ever seen from McQueen.The backroom abortion is to take place in a dank little hovel and be conducted by a woman with no medical training but Angie cannot go through with it. This was the right decision as I imagine that the risk of infection would have been high under the circumstances. It is a very tense, upsetting moment which has a terrible effect on both Angie and Rocky. When Rocky explains the situation to Dominick, he receives a black eye for his trouble but they agree that it would be for the best if he married Angie. He offers to do so but Angie is justifiably insulted when he refers to marrying her as taking his medicine. She has no desire to marry a man who will resent her and whom she will come to resent and certainly does not want to raise a child in that environment. The last part of the film is the weakest as the scene in which Angie invites Rocky over to dinner at her new one person apartment almost feels as if it belongs in a different film as the humour quotient is turned up considerably. The scene is certainly well acted by Wood and McQueen but it is too big a change from the earlier parts of the film. At the end of the film, Rocky convinces Angie that his feelings for her are genuine and they embrace outside Macy's in front of dozens of onlookers. I do like the ending but I would have loved a more realistic one which would have matched the tone of the first hour. Quite frankly, I had no idea how the film was going to end as I watched it and I was preparing myself for a sad ending or maybe even a downright depressing one. The happy ending is nice but it feels like one from a movie and, as such, conflicts with Angie's earlier statement that life is not like one.Overall, this is an extremely enjoyable film but a more consistent tone would have it made in an absolutely brilliant one. Much of the credit has to go to Natalie Wood for making the film as successful as it is.

niborskaya changes horses in midstream from a drama to a kind of farce...but that's not a complaint, both aspects are well-done and the change is not jarring. Mulligan's direction is simple and honest and uncluttered by gimmicks. Some observations: The young men in the film all speak with a characteristic "dees, dems and dose" style Italian-American Brooklynese, and the older generation all speak with stereotypical 1st generation Italian accents. However, Angie's accent is almost non-existent. Certainly not like Marisa Tomei's in My Cousin Vinny. Had she had a thicker accent, I think her character would have been less sympathetic...funny how those accents cause one to categorize people. And consequently, Angie comes off like the most intelligent person in the film.Another minor annoyance: if Rocky and Angie had their one-night stand in the summer (as he mentions), and the action takes place sometime in the fall (they are shivering with the cold while waiting outside in one scene)...it seems inconsistent that she would still have an itty-bitty waist (emphasized by the black dress and apron) at the end of the movie, considering she must be at least 3-4 months pregnant. I do love this movie, and I watch it whenever I see it playing.

Ed Uyeshima Coming off the success of their 1962 adaptation of Harper Lee's classic remembrance novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird", director Robert Mulligan and producer Alan J. Pakula immediately teamed again to make this semi-forgotten 1963 blend of topical drama and romantic comedy. Set in working class Manhattan, Alan Schulman's perceptive screenplay focuses on the travails of a couple of young Italian-Americans - Angie Rossini, a Macy's salesgirl feeling suffocated by her family and Rocky Papasano, a loose-cannon jazz musician living with a stripper. A one-night stand has produced an unwanted pregnancy, and the movie is frank in how it deals with abortion, an option that was illegal and done dangerously in backrooms back then. Instead of focusing on the moral questions, the movie deals primarily with how the two stumble toward a relationship that neither are prepared to accept in light of the circumstances. It's this uncommonly mature perspective that prevents the film from feeling overly dated. On the other hand, the plot structure is quite uneven as it moves from a character study to a social drama to a romantic comedy in pretty quick order over its 102-minute running time.Fortunately, the movie boasts two attractive leads, then peaking in their popularity, to carry the storyline to the finish line. Although her pronounced New York accent wavers at times, Natalie Wood gives a strong performance as Angie, especially in the scenes where she silently conveys her character's emotions. Just beginning to take on leading roles, Steve McQueen proves to be a surprisingly adept comic actor as Rocky. Together, their chemistry is combustible. Except for Edie Adams' comic turn as slatternly, dog-loving stripper Barbie, the rest of the cast falls into stereotypical ethnic roles. However, Herschel Bernardi makes a vivid impression as Angie's overprotective brother Dominick, while Tom Bosley (Mr. C on "Happy Days") makes his film debut as the poor, all-thumbs schlub competing with Rocky for Angie's affection. Milton Krasner's crisp black-and-white cinematography is noteworthy here, in particular, with the compelling use of real locations. Still not on DVD, the film is most worthwhile to see Wood and McQueen in their prime. Sadly, they would both die prematurely a year apart in 1980-81.