Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

I'd seen this years ago on AMC and remembered little about it, but a revisiting on TCM reveals it to be a surprisingly solid, moving, adult romance. Sure, it's soap opera, and disconcertingly close to "Back Street" (or Capra's "Back Street" ripoff, "Forbidden"), and it's not helped by unexciting cinematography or a soupy, repetitive Victor Young score, like he's trying to be Max Steiner. What lifts it well out of the ordinary are the screenplay and the leads. Ketti Frings was a frequent adapter of literary works (she did the stage drama of "Look Homeward, Angel") who could plumb expertly beneath the surface; her co-screenwriter, Hal Kanter, was more of a sitcom specialist. Together, they probe with remarkable depth this illicit affair between a married industrialist and an unmarried chanteuse. These two behave like grownups, have real conversations on a variety of topics, with a surprising amount of Civil War history, of all things, mixed in, and say unexpected, witty things to each other. Shirley, who's superb, may not be a glamour gal, but it's entirely credible that the handsome Ryan, who underplays effectively, would fall for this intelligent, generous, questioning woman. There's a second couple, Marjie Millar and a not-very-good Alex Nicol, and you may wonder why so much time is being spent on them, but their narrative does complement the first couple nicely, and the other residents of Mrs. Leslie's boarding house provide color and contrast. Soap opera, yes, but I was moved, and ready for a second viewing not long after the first. Too bad Hollywood couldn't find more for the prodigiously gifted Ms. Booth to do, but this is one of her best roles, and you'll long remember her reactions, her delivery, and the way Daniel Mann lovingly lingers on her face.

The story is very believable and likely raised a lot of eyebrows back when it was released. I love older movies because they do not show all the gratuitous sex scenes but rather, hint at the possibility. I also appreciate Shirley Booth and Bob Ryan as actors. However, now here is the part that is going to rebut the previous reviews, I personally feel both of these actors are miscast in this movie. Neither seem to deliver heartfelt lines. It really feels like they are just reading the script. Robert Ryan is exquisite in film noir and this is movie is not his forte. And I don't know why Shirley Booth doesn't put any more feeling into delivering her lines because I know she is capable of doing so. So while I think the movie is a very good story line, I wish they would have cast other actors. Just stating my opinion is all and I do appreciate and respect the previous reviewers felt both were absolutely stunning in their parts.

What a movie. I don't know how or where to start to rave and praise it. The acting, the story. So very believable, and for a woman to live with a man outside of wedlock in the 1930's...well, unheard of then...or maybe not so. This is the story of a woman who accepts a man who can only offer her a six week a year commitment. But, oh, it is so worth it. You have to see this movie to fully understand it. The casting of both Shirley and Robert were perfection. So realistic. A very, very poignant and touching piece. Youth vs. age, many subplots, but done in a superior way of flashbacks. The character of Mrs. Leslie is one who has learned all about life's foibles and disappointments. She has her memories of her "Mr. Leslie, honey," to sustain her. I cannot praise this movie enough. I have it on VHS, recorded from TV. I cannot locate it on DVD. See this if and when it replays on television. It is amazing.

How can one not help but sympathize with Shirley Booth in this story of love that cannot be fulfilled. In these days it seems silly that a divorce would be such a large problem, but I cried over Shirley's position, perhaps since most of us have been in the situation of being in love without the possibility of it being returned in kind. Shirley plays a wonderful woman that puts herself in an emotionally impossible situation. At first glance, the childish antics of Shirley Booth's renter seem to serve no purpose, but her interaction with the rude younger generation reminds us that everyone has a story, a fact that younger people usually fail to see. The idea that everyone needs to love someone to get through this sometimes unfair and angry world, is a huge theme in this tearjerker. I would highly recommend it to couples that sometimes face adversity.