A Foreign Affair is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by
Billy Wilder and starring Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich, and John
Lund. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen
is based on a story by David Shaw adapted by Robert Harari. The film
is about a United States Army captain in occupied Berlin who is torn
between an ex-Nazi cafe singer and the United States congresswoman
investigating her. Though a comedy, the overall project had a cynical,
serious tone.In 1947, a United States congressional committee which
includes prim Phoebe Frost of Iowa (Jean Arthur) arrives in post-World
War II Berlin to visit the American troops stationed there. Phoebe
hears rumors that cabaret torch singer Erika von Schlütow (Marlene
Dietrich), suspected of being the former mistress of either Hermann
Göring or Joseph Goebbels, is being protected by an unidentified
American officer. She enlists Captain John Pringle (John Lund),
another Iowan, to assist in her investigation, unaware that he is
Erika's current lover.After seeing Erika with Adolf Hitler in a
newsreel filmed during the war, Phoebe asks John to take her to army
headquarters after hours to retrieve the singer's official file. In
order to distract her, John woos Phoebe, who initially resists his
romantic advances but eventually succumbs to his charms.Colonel Rufus
J. Plummer (Millard Mitchell) advises John he is aware of his
relationship with Erika and orders him to continue seeing her in the
hope she will lead them to another of her ex-lovers, ex-Gestapo agent
Hans Otto Birgel (Peter von Zerneck), believed to be hiding in the
American occupation zone. Meanwhile, Erika and Phoebe are arrested
during a raid designed to catch Germans without proper identification
papers at the Lorelei, the nightclub where Erika performs. At the
police station, Erika claims Phoebe as her cousin in order to secure
her release.
Billy Wilder and starring Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich, and John
Lund. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen
is based on a story by David Shaw adapted by Robert Harari. The film
is about a United States Army captain in occupied Berlin who is torn
between an ex-Nazi cafe singer and the United States congresswoman
investigating her. Though a comedy, the overall project had a cynical,
serious tone.In 1947, a United States congressional committee which
includes prim Phoebe Frost of Iowa (Jean Arthur) arrives in post-World
War II Berlin to visit the American troops stationed there. Phoebe
hears rumors that cabaret torch singer Erika von Schlütow (Marlene
Dietrich), suspected of being the former mistress of either Hermann
Göring or Joseph Goebbels, is being protected by an unidentified
American officer. She enlists Captain John Pringle (John Lund),
another Iowan, to assist in her investigation, unaware that he is
Erika's current lover.After seeing Erika with Adolf Hitler in a
newsreel filmed during the war, Phoebe asks John to take her to army
headquarters after hours to retrieve the singer's official file. In
order to distract her, John woos Phoebe, who initially resists his
romantic advances but eventually succumbs to his charms.Colonel Rufus
J. Plummer (Millard Mitchell) advises John he is aware of his
relationship with Erika and orders him to continue seeing her in the
hope she will lead them to another of her ex-lovers, ex-Gestapo agent
Hans Otto Birgel (Peter von Zerneck), believed to be hiding in the
American occupation zone. Meanwhile, Erika and Phoebe are arrested
during a raid designed to catch Germans without proper identification
papers at the Lorelei, the nightclub where Erika performs. At the
police station, Erika claims Phoebe as her cousin in order to secure
her release.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.