Romance
"Alice's Festival Of Romance"
Romantic films often explore the essential themes of love at first sight, young (and older) love, unrequited love, obsessive love, sentimental love, spiritual love, forbidden love, sexual and passionate love, sacrificial love, explosive and destructive love, and tragic love. Romantic films serve as great escapes and fantasies for viewers, especially if the two people finally overcome their difficulties, declare their love, and experience life "happily ever after" - implied by a reunion and final kiss.
Here "Alice's Festival of Romance" has been assembled below as an aphabetical list. Should more precise scrolling be required, one should go to the specific genre, ie "Classic Romance", "Comedy Romance" , "Drama Romance" or even "Queer Cinema"
Right: Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid star in Todd Haynes'
"Far From Heaven"
Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
6.3/10
Director: Jean Negulesco
Starring: Dorothy McGuire, Jean Peters, Clifton Webb, Louis Jourdan
In this charming comedy, three women make wishes for romance at Rome's magnificent Trevi Fountain, spurring several amorous adventures. Won Oscars for... Read more
Forever Darling / The Long, Long Trailer (1954)
Director: Alexander Hall, Vincente Minnelli
Starring: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, James Mason, Marjorie Main
Double Feature: "The Long, Long Trailer" is a riotous comedy in which a cumbersome travel trailer creates havoc for a newlywed couple (Lucille Ball an... Read more
Indiscretion Of An American Wife (1953)
6.3/10
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Starring: Jennifer Jones, Montgomery Clift, Gino Cervi
A married American woman (Jennifer Jones) is torn between leaving her Italian lover (Montgomery Clift) and returning back home. He endeavours to persu... Read more
Roman Holiday (1953)
8.1/10
Director: William Wyler
Starring: Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert, Audrey Hepburn
A delightful comedy about a newspaperman in Rome (Gregory Peck) who meets and falls for a lonely princess (Audrey Hepburn) travelling incognito. Featu... Read more
My Cousin Rachel (1952)
7.2/10
Director: Henry Koster
Starring: Olivia de Havilland, Richard Burton, Ronald Squire, John Sutton
When Philip Ashley's (Richard Burton) wealthy cousin, Ambrose (John Sutton), dies suddenly, his suspicions drift to Ambrose's new and icy wife, Rachel... Read more
Hangman's Knot (1952)
6.8/10
Director: Roy Huggins
Starring: Claude Jarman Jr, Donna Reed, Glenn Langan, Jeanette Nolan, Lee Marvin, Randolph...
Major Matt Stewart (Randolph Scott) leads a troop of Confederate soldiers on a raid, targeting a wagon that is transporting Union gold. All of the Uni... Read more
Moulin Rouge (1952)
7.2/10
Director: John Huston
Starring: Jose Ferrer, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Suzanne Flon
A rich, colourful film based on the life of Toulouse Lautrec, the 19th century Parisian artist whose growth was stunted by a childhood accident. An ex... Read more
Mr Imperium (1951)
5/10
Director: Don Hartman
Starring: Debbie Reynolds, Lana Turner, Barry Sullivan, Ezio Pinza, Marjorie Main
Lush romantic tale starring Ezio Pinza as a charismatic prince who falls for aspiring nightclub singer Lana Turner. When Pinza becomes king of his cou... Read more
The River (1951)
7.6/10
Director: Jean Renoir
Starring: Nora Swinburne, Esmond Knight
In 1949 and 1950, Renoir travelled to Bengal for his first colour film - the story of a large British family living on the banks of the Ganges. Winnin... Read more
The African Queen (1951)
7.9/10
Director: John Huston
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Peter Bull, Robert Morley, Theodore Bikel
One of the all-time greats, "The African Queen" stars Humphrey Bogart (in his Oscar-winning role) and Katharine Hepburn as unlikely lovebirds who enco... Read more