Strangers When We Meet | |
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Directed by | Richard Quine |
Produced by |
Richard Quine Bryna Productions Richard Quine Productions |
Written by | Evan Hunter |
Starring |
Kirk Douglas Kim Novak Ernie Kovacs Barbara Rush Walter Matthau |
Music by | George Duning |
Cinematography | Charles Lang |
Edited by | Charles Nelson |
Production
company |
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Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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117 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $3,400,000 (US/ Canada) |
Strangers When We Meet is a 1960 drama film about two married neighbors who have an affair. The movie was adapted by Evan Hunter from his novel of the same name and directed by Richard Quine. The film stars Kirk Douglas, Kim Novak, Ernie Kovacs, Barbara Rush, and Walter Matthau.
The picture was filmed in Los Angeles, with scenes shot in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Santa Monica, and Malibu.
Larry Coe is a Los Angeles architect who is married with two kids. He has a very bright wife, Eve. She is ambitious for him, but he wants to do work more imaginative than the commercial buildings he's been designing. He meets with Roger Altar, an author, to discuss building a house that will be an "experiment" and something Coe wants to do more of, something original.
Maggie Gault is one of his neighbors whose son is friends with his. She tells Larry she has seen some of his previous houses and thinks that the more unconventional houses are the best. This encouragement is what he needs from his wife but hasn't been able to get.
Both Larry and Maggie grow dissatisfied in their marriages. Larry's wife is too hard-headed and practical and Maggie's husband isn't interested in having sex with her. So they have an affair that involves meeting in secret. They both know what they're doing is wrong, and they are devoted to their children.
Felix Anders is a neighbor who snoops around and finds out about their affair. His leering and insinuations make Larry realize the risks he's taking. He tells Maggie that they shouldn't see each other for a while. Felix, in the meantime, makes a play for Larry's wife. In a way, Felix is a personification of the tawdriness of Larry and Maggie's affair.