A New Kind of Love (1963) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story unfolds in two major cities: New York City, where Sam works as a head buyer for a department store, and Paris, the glamorous fashion capital where the central romance and deception occur. Paris serves as the backdrop for Sam's transformation into Mimi and the elaborate romantic games between Steve and Sam.

• paris
• new york
• setting
• fashion capital

The film is set in the contemporary 1960s, capturing the era's fashion culture, social norms, and media-driven approach to romance. The time period shapes the characters' pursuit of status, appearances, and love, with department-store life, beauty salons, and newspaper columns driving the narrative.

• 1960s
• era
• time period
• fashion

Deception and performance are central to the plot, as Sam adopts the Mimi persona and Steve uses her fabricated tales for a sensational column. The film explores how appearances influence judgment and fate, especially in fashion-forward Parisian society. Characters test different identities to gain power, romance, or revenge, ultimately examining whether truth and trust can survive beneath the masks people wear.

• identity
• deception
• performance
• masks

The makeover motif marks a turning point for Sam, fundamentally altering how she is perceived and treated by others. Fashion and beauty become tools of both agency and vulnerability. The transformation creates tension between honesty and illusion in her relationships with Steve and Joe, while also probing whether true self-identity can emerge beyond outward appearance.

• makeover
• transformation
• appearance
• identity

Steve's sensational newspaper column demonstrates the power and peril of the press in shaping reputations. Sam's fabricated anecdotes show how rumors can rewrite personal narratives. The plot uses media as both a weapon and a mirror, exposing the fragility of fame and the consequences of sensationalism, though forgiveness ultimately supersedes exposure in the evolving romance.

• media
• press
• newspaper
• column
• reputation

Steve Sherman is a flamboyant, womanizing American newspaper columnist played by Paul Newman who has been exiled to Paris after a scandal. He uses Sam's fabricated stories to fuel a sensational new column, initially viewing her as a target but gradually discovering genuine feelings for her as their relationship evolves.

• steve sherman
• paul newman
• columnist
• paris

Samantha Blake is a career-driven head buyer for a New York department store who masterminds her own Paris makeover and adopts the alias Mimi. She uses deception partly as a means of revenge, but her feelings for Steve deepen as the story unfolds, driving the central romantic arc.

• samantha blake
• mimi
• joanne woodward
• makeover

A fraught romance develops from initial antagonism to genuine affection between Steve and Sam. Their bond is tested when Steve discovers Mimi's true identity, but love endures through reconciliation. The story culminates in a confession of love and a commitment to a shared future, punctuated by a fantasy sequence that underscores their longing.

• steve
• samantha
• romance
• relationship
• love

Joe Bergner is Sam's boss at the New York department store who becomes involved with Felicienne in Paris, experiencing a shifting engagement dynamic. Lena O'Connor is Sam's colleague who is secretly in love with Joe. She witnesses the romance between Joe and Felicienne and becomes entangled in the larger web of relationships and deceptions.

• joe bergner
• lena oconnor
• supporting characters

Felicienne Courbeau is the store's French agent whose past resurfaces in Steve's column after Sam relays one of her tales. Her presence catalyzes complications in Joe and Lena's relationships as well as in Sam and Steve's dynamic, adding to the web of deceiptions that drive the plot.

• felicienne courbeau
• eva gabor
• french agent

The film has a consistently light, whimsical tone characterized by witty dialogue, a glamorous Parisian setting, and a central premise built on a playful ruse rather than serious emotional turmoil. The intensity remains low, with the primary conflict being personal deception that creates comedic tension rather than genuine distress.

• tone
• mood
• comedy
• romance
• lighthearted