Title: Love With the Proper Stranger, 1963.
Leads: Natalie Wood, Steve McQueen.
Director: Robert Mulligan, who also directed the incredible To Kill a Mockingbird (Gregory Peck).

Single sentence synposis: Boy gets girl pregnant and tries to do right by her, only to get put off by her mind games - but for only a while.

Natalie Wood, the daughter of Russian immigrants, is one of those rare stars that’s just so strikingly beautiful that it emanates from her. Her career started at just four years of age and unlike many other child actors, she transitioned just nicely. She was one of my father’s favorite actresses and when I watch her movies - even the lesser ones - I can see why. She was also one of my favorites, but I remember her more for West Side Story and Rebel Without a Cause.

The chemistry alone between Natalie Wood and Steve McQueen is reason enough to see this movie, which leans towards the moralistic. Wood’s pregnant character, Angie Rossini, says no to marriage mainly because of the way Rocky Papasano (McQueen) initially asks. Though her point is valid, she unwittingly leans towards mind games which confuse McQueen.

Wood was 25 in this movie and McQueen was 33. Their chemistry in fact might be what gives away the sense to the viewer that they willultimately get together. In fact, you’ll probably root for them, feeling the same emotions they’re feeling. That’s how good both actors are in this otherwise  low-tension but oddly enjoyable movie that probably represents the feelings about marriage of that era - just pre “women’s movement”.

Still, the message is “better wed than dead” - the very words on a sign that Rocky finally makes, propped above a small drum that he’s playing in the street, to the amusement of many passersby. Even during that last bit, Angie is still wondering how sincere Rocky is, and tries to get away from him. But he lets the sign drop, grabs her by the arms and kisses her. She relents. And they lived happily ever after.

And if that’s all it took, you wonder why she put him through all that. Well, I know the answer, but if you want to, you’ll have to watch the movie. Despite any knocks I might have given above, this a movie worth watching, to see two tremendous actors in action.

Wood’s career included roles in Miracle on 34th Street, Rebel Without a Cause, Splendor in the Grass, West Side Story, Bob & Carol & Ted & ALice, and the TV movie From Here to Eternity, amongst others. She drowned in 1981 when fell off the yacht that she was sailing on with husband Robert Wagner - whom she married twice - and family friend Christopher Walken. Her last movie, done with Walken, was Brainstorm (1983).

Wood is the sister of Lana Wood - mostly a TV actress (Peyton Place and numerous other series) with some upcoming theatrical movies - and the mother of actress Natasha Gregson Wagner (by Richard Gregson) and Courtney Brooke Wagner (by Robert Wagner). Side note: the current-day actress who most reminds me of Wood is Anna Friel (listed in our 10 TV Hotties), who is in the leading actress role of “Chuck” in the brilliant new TV series Pushing Daisies.

McQueen died in 1980 of lung cancer and his career included both TV series appearances and well-known movies such as The Magnificent Seven, Hell is for Heroes, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, Papillon, and Towering Inferno. His last two movies were The Hunter and Tom Horn, both released in 1980. IMDB reports “1 in-development credit,” so I assume someone is working on a bio-pic or TV segment about McQueen.

Note: Love With the Proper Stranger - which was nominated for five Oscars and a Golden Globe - will supposedly air again on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) on Feb 14th, according to a YouTube user comment - which also states that the movie is not on DVD. I have seen it on TV, but it’s not shown all that often. So watch the complete video clip below, because it’s the only kissing scene in the movie, and when it comes, so much tension drains aways, then returns.

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