Edgar Allan Pooh . . . for the money-grubbing miserly weasels that they are in this Depression Era LOVE AFFAIR. By the close of this story, Bogart's "Jim Leonard" character is told that the same Two-Timing Rich Dude has knocked up his little sister, filched his invention, and stolen his fiancée. Since Mr. Moneybags only cares about his Mountain of Gold, he rides off into the LOVE AFFAIR sunset with 100% ownership of Jim's Brain Child, leaving little sis Linda ruined in a Fate Worse Than Death (if she's even still alive), and Jim settling for sloppy seconds from the Big Shot's Beauty School Drop-Out. LOVE AFFAIR is just one example of many movies from this era urging Everyman from Anytown, USA, to grab his pitchfork and skedaddle on over to the next C of C meeting to straighten out America. Now with the Citizen's United Decision and the Rich Party's declaration that they'll never again vote on Supreme Court nominees save their own, it's too late for pitchforks to do any good. As the ending of LOVE AFFAIR suggests, One-Way Missions will be required of most every normal American to reclaim our Homeland for our children from the Vacuous Villain Class, represented here by "Bruce Hardy."

bkoganbing On Humphrey Bogart's first trip to Hollywood, he got his first leading man role in this B picture Love Affair. The first thing you ought to realize is that this film has absolutely nothing to do with the classic Love Affair later in the decade with Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne or the two remakes that followed. It's not half as good any of those films.In fact Bogey is second billed to Dorothy Mackaill as a spoiled heiress who finds out she's been living her extravagant lifestyle courtesy of her late father's best friend and financial adviser Hale Hamilton. It comes as quite a shock to Mackaill. She considers a show business career as a way for an income.Bogart is a test pilot who is also an aeronautical engineer and he's designing an ultimate airplane motor and is looking for investors. Mackaill is willing to do it, besides she likes what she sees in Bogey.Considering the cynical roles that Bogart later made a specialty, it's a bit disconcerting to see him as this highly moral and self righteous character in Love Affair. The part doesn't wear well on him.Love Affair is your average B program second feature, nothing terribly special about it.

ksf-2 "You were on your way up and you tripped on a skirt !" Gilligan says to Jim Leonard. That sums up the plot of this story of up and coming Leonard (a YOUNG Humphrey Bogart) when his dream gets sidetracked by the bombshell heiress Carol, played by Dorothy Mackaill. Leonard has been working on a new and improved motor, but now his love life and motor company both have their ups and downs in this 68 minute shortie. Bogart hadn't developed the quiet, brooding style yet. Good performances by most of the supporting characters - her butler, his co-workers, a sister, interlopers along the way. Some adult themes, since it was done just before they really enforced the film code, but it's still tame compared to what is on TV today. Directed by Thornton Freeland, a year before Freeland directed the incredible "Flying Down to Rio".

classicsoncall Filmed in 1932, "Love Affair" has traces of the silent film era coming to a close, particularly in the wide eyed and innocent faces of the two female leads, Dorothy Mackaill as free wheeling socialite Carol Owen, and Astrid Allwyn as struggling actress Linda Lee. Linda is the sister of Humphrey Bogart's character Jim Leonard, a former flight instructor with bigger things on his mind, as he seeks financial backing for his new airplane motor that he touts as the "greatest motor in the world".The only trouble is, wealthy businessman Bruce Hardy (Hale Hamilton), who's willing to back Leonard, is also backing the penniless Carol Owen, who is completely in the dark about her financial situation. Hardy wants to marry Owen, even as he entertains an occasional dalliance with actress Lee, all without the knowledge of any of the other players. When Jim Leonard meets Carol, he is immediately smitten with her looks and charm, and begins spending time with her at the expense of the new company he's just formed. But there's a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he's just not worthy of big spender and girl about town Carol.There's a well done counterpoint at the beginning of the film when Carol first meets Jim. She requests him for her first flying lesson, and he obliges by performing some daring flight stunts, chock full of rolls and dives. As Carol turns green (you can tell, even though the film is black and white), she returns the favor once on the ground by giving Jim a harrowing ride into town in her roadster.At sixty eight minutes, the film is probably just a bit too short to effectively tell it's tale. There are a number of quick cuts and fades that create a somewhat choppy feel, though they are coherently done and maintain the flow of the story.In what could have been a disastrous ending, Carol, unwilling to marry Hardy for his money, and too embarrassed to come crawling to Jim, leaves a suicide note for airport manager Gilligan. As can be guessed, Jim races after Carol who's about to take off for a one way solo flight, and manages to create some tension as he hangs on for dear life of his own before scrambling into the cockpit of the airborne plane. The movie closes on the two lovebirds as they head off into the skies, Bogey thumbs up to indicate everything will be A-OK.Humphrey Bogart had five films under his belt by the time "Love Affair" was released. This would actually be his first leading role, and though capably done, it would be a few more years before he got to portray real meaty characters like Duke Mantee in "The Petrified Forest" (1936), and "Bugs" Fenner in the gangster drama "Bullets or Ballots" (1936). As a Bogey fan, I recommend them all, even if you're not.