An Affair to Remember

directed by Leo McCarey
U.S. 1957

Handsome playboy Nicky Ferrante and beautiful night club singer Terry McKay have a romance while on a cruise from Europe to New York. Despite being engaged to other people, both agree to reunite at the top of the Empire State Building in six months. However, an unfortunate accident keeps Terry from the reunion, and Nicky fears that she has married or does not love him anymore. Will he discover the truth behind her absence and reunite with his one true love, or has fate and destiny passed them by?

Posters

Theatrical Release Date: July 11, 1957

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DVD Comparison:

20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC vs. RESTORED 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC vs. 20th Century Fox (50th Anniversary) - Region 1 - NTSC

1) 20th Century Fox R1 - NTSC ORIGINAL LEFT

2) 20th Century Fox R1 - NTSC RESTORED STUDIO CLASSICS MIDDLE

3) 20th Century Fox R1 - NTSC 2-disc 50th ANNIVERSARY RIGHT

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Twentieth Century Fox Region 1 - NTSC	Twentieth Century Fox Region 1 - NTSC	Twentieth Century Fox Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:54:36	1:54:36	1:54:36
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.49 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.6 NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.6 NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: 20th Century Fox - old
Bitrate: 20th Century Fox - RESTORED
Bitrate: 20th Century Fox - 50th Anniversary
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French DUB (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), DUBS: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), DUBS: French (Dolby Digital mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital Mono)
Subtitles	English, Spanish and none	English, Spanish and none	English, Spanish and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterbox - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • An Affair to Remember non-anamorphic widescreen 2:52 • Love is a Many-Splendored Thing - non-anamorphic widescreen 2:35 • How Green Was My Valley - black and white (very scratched) 4:3 - 1:44 • Gentleman's Agreement - 4:3 - black and white - 2:57 • All About Eve - 4:3 - b+w - 2:56 •Photo Gallery with 4 static screens • Widescreen letterbox format DVD Release Date: March 7, 2000 Keep Case Chapters 20	Release Information: Studio: Fox Home Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Commentary by Singer Marni Nixon and Film Historian Joseph McBride • AMC Backstory Episode: "An Affair to Remember" ( 24:00 ) • Movietone Newsreel (Shipboard Premiere) ( :56 ) • Stills Gallery ( 22 Black and White static stills ) • An Affair to Remember non-anamorphic widescreen 2:52 DVD Release Date: February 4, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 20	Release Information: Studio: Fox Home Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Commentary by Singer Marni Nixon and Film Historian Joseph McBride Disc 2 • Featurette: Affairs to Remember - Deborah Kerr (5:32) • Featurette: Affairs to Remember - Cary Grant (9:47) • Featurette: Directed by Leo McCarey (22:32) • Featurette: A Producer to Remember: Jerry Wald (15:59) • Featurette: The Look of Affair to Remember (8:53) • AMC Backstory Episode: "An Affair to Remember" ( 24:00 ) • Movietone Newsreel (Shipboard Premiere) ( :56 ) • Poster Gallery ( 2 static stills ) • Stills Gallery ( 22 Black and White static stills ) • An Affair to Remember non-anamorphic widescreen 2:52 DVD Release Date: January 15th, 2008 Keep Case Chapters 20

Comments:

Checking the Feature disc's VOB files - it indicates that they are from Oct 15th, 2007 - so they are new compared to the five year old Studio Classics edition. The bitrate is also significantly improved but I honestly don't notice any intense differences or improvements. There are less artifacts and it is a bit smoother but I'll wager the updating will be unnoticeable on most systems. The higher bitrate may be indicative that the feature does not share the dual-layered disc with any of the extras as they have been relegated to disc 2. It does seem marginally tighter. Aspects of audio and subtitles remain the same.

I always felt the restored (and now the 50th Anniversary edition) was a bit over-digitized but it's a vast improvement over the non-anamorphic original especially in the way of artifacts (digital noise) and colors. It is easily apparent. Perhaps this is the best An Affair to Remember can look on SD DVD.

Supplements include the excellent 2003 commentary with Joseph McBride and Marni Nixon. Also duplicated (but on disc 2) are the 25 minute 'AMC Backstory Episode: "An Affair to Remember" which is quite good, and a stills gallery with 22 black and white images and the 'MovieTone newsreel' - which is less than a minute.

New in the way of extras, additional from the Studio Classics version, are five new featurettes: Affairs to Remember - Deborah Kerr (5:32) , Affairs to Remember - Cary Grant (9:47), Directed by Leo McCarey (22:32), A Producer to Remember: Jerry Wald (15:59) and The Look of Affair to Remember (8:53) plus there is a new poster gallery (with but two images). The first two featurettes have fond remembrances from still-living spouses - I think I enjoyed the third on McCarey the best of them all as it had a lot of pertinent information about the director - and I feel I learned a little something.

Overall the only reason for an endorsement would be the fabulous price. It's certainly a must-have if you don't own the Studio Classics edition already... but if you do - it would depend on your adoration of the film. Let me tell you - as the classic tear-jerker this makes a great gift for any female friend or relative (co-worker, sister, mother etc.). This film - looking and sounding as good as it probably ever will on standard DVD is worth a lot more than $15. An essential part of any DVD collection.