An Affair To Remember

My baby and I are heading to New York City for a few days soon. This time we will be hosting five of our nieces and nephews, along with two of their spouses (actually one spouse and one intended as of two days ago - congratulations N&N!) They are all between 20 and 29 years old and I love them dearly, one and all. My one command of them before the trip is that they know the lyrics to Rodgers and Hart's "Manhattan" by the time we arrive. As I told them, someone has to be responsible for introducing them to the great cultural treasures that is their heritage so it might as well be me. We'll see if any of them listen. I'm betting no but with these very special kids I wouldn't be surprised if they get together and learn the song with the intention of serenading me and my wife as we all walk the streets of midtown.

I also asked them to think of what they wanted to do. It's their trip and my wife and I have seen and done it all in NYC so we are open to anything. Alas, I've heard not a word of suggestion yet. Kids. Oh well. I guess they are expecting that I will be their tour guide, which is fine but I'm always afraid what I find interesting will not interest them.

So a week or so ago I made a few suggestions via email: one, a picnic in Central Park, two, a trip to the top of the Empire State Building at night. I told them if they like the idea of the Empire State Building then they ought to watch two movies before we go, An Affair To Remember, with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and Sleepless in Seattle, with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, two movies in which the building plays an important role. Of course, the second movie could almost not exist without the first, as "An Affair To Remember" provides a vital plot element in "Sleepless in Seattle." Anyhow, I am again doubting whether they take me up on my suggestion but yesterday I took myself up on it.

TCM reran "An Affair To Remember" yesterday at 2:00. I had turned the TV on just to check what time the Red Sox game started and came across the movie just before it started. I'd seen it many years ago but had nearly forgotten the plot except for the ending. It's a wonderful movie, as romantic as they get. Cary Grant is his usual perfection but I was also very impressed with Deborah Kerr. I loved her in From Here To Eternity but have seen little else of her. While I can't really call Ms. Kerr beautiful, there is a radiance about her that transcends beauty. That's what they looked for in leading ladies back then, not beauty, but radiance, that something special that lit up the screen. Katherine Hepburn had it, as did Bette Davis, Myrna Loy, Barbara Stanwyck, and others. (Ingrid Bergman had it too, as did Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, but they also were classic beauties.) Recently, Emma Thompson has it. Ms. Kerr had it in abundance. You have no doubt from the very first scene that Cary Grant will fall helplessly for her - who wouldn't? That was one of the simple secrets of the old days of Hollywood. Charming leading men, radiant leading ladies, combined with witty dialogue and romantic settings. Charm, delight, effervescence. That's what the old-timers understood was the secret to box office success and they delivered more often than we have a right to expect. "An Affair To Remember" delivers in spades, its slight plot notwithstanding.

Okay, I'm ready to go to New York now.