A Foreign Affair

This article is about the 1948 film. For other uses, see Foreign affairs (disambiguation).
A Foreign Affair
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBilly Wilder
Screenplay by
Story byDavid Shaw
Produced byCharles Brackett
Starring
CinematographyCharles B. Lang Jr.
Edited byDoane Harrison
Music byFrederick Hollander
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
  • June 30, 1948 (1948-06-30) (New York)
  • [1] ([1])
  • July 22, 1948 (1948-07-22) (Los Angeles)
  • [2] ([2])
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • German
Box office$2.5 million (US rentals)[3]

A Foreign Affair is a 1948 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich and John Lund. The screenplay by Charles Brackett, Wilder 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 post-World War II Berlin, occupied by the Allies during the early days of the Cold War, who is torn between a former Nazi cafe singer and the American congresswoman investigating her. Though a comedy, the film has a serious and cynical political tone, attesting to the fascination of both Wilder and American audiences with the multiple legacies of Berlin.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference nytreview2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference lat was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Top Grosses of 1948". Variety. January 5, 1949. p. 46.
  4. ^ Daum, Andreas W. (2000). "America's Berlin, 1945‒2000: Between Myths and Visions". In Trommler, Frank (ed.). Berlin: The New Capital in the East (PDF). Johns Hopkins University. pp. 49–73.