A Foreign Affair (1948)

Interesting facts

• Filmed in: Berlin
• Awards: 0 · Nominations: 2

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.

Production

While serving with the United States Army in Germany during World War II, Billy Wilder was promised government assistance if he made a film about Allied-occupied Germany, and he took advantage of the offer by developing A Foreign Affair with Charles Brackett and Richard L. Breen. Erich Pommer, who was responsible for the rebuilding of the German film industry, placed what was left of the facilities at Universum Film AG at Wilder's disposal.

Marlene Dietrich was Wilder's first choice to play Erika, and Friedrich Hollaender already had written three songs—"Black Market", "Illusions" and "The Ruins of Berlin"—for her to sing in the film. Wilder feared that Dietrich would not portray a Nazi collaborator, but he was able to convince her. In the film, Dietrich appears in two gowns designed by Irene that she had worn while entertaining American troops during the war.

Wilder persuaded Jean Arthur, who was attending college, to leave her retirement to play Phoebe. Throughout filming, Arthur felt that Wilder favored Dietrich. After the film, Arthur signed a 12-year, four-picture deal with Paramount.

Location shooting, much of which occurred in the Soviet occupation zone, began in August 1947, and filming continued at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood between December 1947 and February 1948. The film was edited within a week after principal photography was completed, and it premiered at the Paramount Theatre in New York City on June 30, 1948, shortly after Wilder's The Emperor Waltz opened at Radio City Music Hall.

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