''Top Secret Affair'' is a 1957 American

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film made by Carrollton Inc. and distributed by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

that stars

Susan Hayward Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrener; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American actress best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories. After working as a fashion model for the Walter Clarence Thornton, Walt ...

and

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...

. It was directed by H. C. Potter and produced by Martin Rackin and Milton Sperling from a screenplay by

Roland Kibbee Roland Kibbee (15 February 1914 in Monongahela, Pennsylvania – 5 August 1984 in Encino, California) was an American screenwriter and producer. He was a frequent collaborator and friend of actor-producer Burt Lancaster. Career Kibbee began ...

and Allan Scott. (Carrollton Inc. was Hayward's own production company, named for her adopted hometown in Georgia.) The story is very loosely adapted from the 1951 novel ''Melville Goodwin, U.S.A.'' by John P. Marquand, which had previously been adapted in 1952 for television's "Pulitzer Prize Playhouse." Hollywood avoided filming the novel for years because of its touchy subject matter: a married general's affair with a wealthy journalist. The screenwriters finally wound up rewriting the plot. The names of the two characters—Melville Goodwin and Dottie Peale—were retained, but both were made single. The film's credits state that it is "based on characters" in Marquand's book, rather than on the book itself. The music score was by Roy Webb, the cinematography by Stanley Cortez and costume design by Charles LeMaire. The film co-stars Paul Stewart and Jim Backus. The original leads were to be

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...

and wife

Lauren Bacall Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...

, and they were filmed doing a wardrobe test in 1956. But Bogart's illness forced his withdrawal from the project, and Bacall opted to remain at home to care for him until his death in 1957.

Plot

Melville Goodwin (

), a decorated U.S. Army general, is appointed chairman of the Joint Atomic International Commission by the President. But headstrong Dottie Peale (

), a high-powered media mogul, wants a close friend of her father's to get the position. So she plots to torpedo Goodwin's reputation. She invites him to her Long Island estate for an interview and photo session. Moreover, she assigns a cameraman to photograph Goodwin in compromising situations. However, every attempt to catch Goodwin off guard fails. Dottie even takes the general nightclubbing, hoping to get him drunk. Yet nothing works. Later, back in Long Island, Dottie, a little tipsy herself, falls off the diving board of her estate's swimming pool. Goodwin rescues her, and this leads to a night of romance. Dottie's attitude is changed. She plans to marry Goodwin. But to her surprise, the general has no plans to continue the romance. He tells her about a love affair with a woman named Yvette to whom he revealed top-secret information during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. When he found out Yvette was an enemy spy, he ordered her shot. A rejected Dottie is now determined to ruin Goodwin. Her magazine's story, "Blabbermouth Goodwin", results in a Senate inquiry into his behavior. Unfortunately for the general, the Yvette spy case is still top secret, and he is forbidden to discuss it. It is only after the President's intervention that the story is declassified. Now Goodwin can defend his reputation and does so successfully. Goodwin is publicly cleared of wrongdoing and recognized as a bigger hero than ever. In front of a gaggle of Washington reporters, he drags a protesting but obviously willing Dottie into a waiting car, signaling that their romance is on again.

Cast

as Dorothy "Dottie" Peale *

as Maj. Gen. Melville A. Goodwin * Paul Stewart as Phil Bentley, Dottie's assistant and conscience * Jim Backus as Col. Homer W. Gooch, Goodwin's Public Information Officer * John Cromwell as General Daniel A. Grimshaw, Goodwin's commanding officer * Roland Winters as Sen. Burdick * Arthur Gould-Porter as Holmes, Dottie's butler * Michael Fox as Reporter Laszlo "Lotzie" Kovach * Frank Gerstle as Sgt. Kruger * Charles Lane as Bill Hadley * Ivan Triesault as the German field marshal (uncredited)

Reception

Susan Hayward later said the film was "very good – but nobody went to see it."

References

External links

* * * {{H. C. Potter 1957 films 1957 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films American black-and-white films 1950s English-language films Films scored by Roy Webb Films based on American novels Films directed by H. C. Potter 1950s American films English-language romantic comedy films