September Affair

September Affair

Year: 1950

Runtime: 104 mins

Language: English

Director: William Dieterle

RomanceDrama

An industrialist and a pianist meet while traveling and fall in love. A tragic accident is misreported, and they are declared dead even though they missed the doomed flight. Free from their past obligations, they try to build a life together, but the artificial freedom creates tension. Soon each returns to ambitions, their relationship collapses.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – September Affair (1950)

Explore the full timeline and setting of September Affair (1950). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1950s

Set in the early 1950s, the story unfolds in a postwar era when international travel and cosmopolitan city life feel glamorous. The plot uses Rome, Naples, Florence, and New York to create a modern, urban backdrop. Social norms surrounding marriage and reputation drive the lovers to conceal their affair. The era's emphasis on propriety and consequence shapes the ending.

Location

Rome, Naples, Florence, New York

Naples is the diversion point where the couple first intensify their romance after their flight is redirected for engine repairs. Florence becomes the hidden life they establish, away from family and the expectations of society. New York frames Manina's return to performance and the public reckoning with the past they attempted to bury.

✈️ Travel 🏛️ Italian Cities 🎭 Romance

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:16

Main Characters – September Affair (1950)

Meet the key characters of September Affair (1950), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Manina Stuart (Joan Fontaine)

A renowned concert pianist who falls for David during the diverted flight. Clinically poised under the spotlight, she grapples with a growing personal longing for escape and genuine connection. She continues her piano practice and ultimately faces a choice between a private life and her career.

🎭 Drama 🎵 Music 💘 Romance

David Lawrence (Joseph Cotten)

A successful but unhappy businessman, married with a teenage son. He is drawn to Manina’s vitality and seeks a fresh start away from his existing life, using a substantial money transfer to support their secret tenure in Florence. His decisions reveal a longing for passion and a fear of losing his family reputation.

💼 Business 💘 Romance 🕵️ Intrigue

Catherine Lawrence (Jessica Tandy)

David’s wife and a devoted mother who is unaware of the depth of the affair until the truth surfaces. She travels to Florence to uncover what happened, embodying grief, resolve, and the moral weight of keeping a family together. Her pursuit of truth drives the emotional center of the film.

💔 Heartbreak 🕊️ Truth 👪 Family

Maria Salvatini (Françoise Rosay)

A piano teacher who becomes a confidante to Manina and the conduit for keeping the affair secret. She facilitates the money transfer and forms a pivotal link between Manina’s public persona and her private life. Her role underscores how others become complicit in secrets.

🎼 Music 🗝️ Secrecy 💰 Finances

David Lawrence Jr. (Robert Arthur)

David’s son, a perceptive teenager who begins to connect the dots when his father’s mystery deepens. His recognition of Manina’s face from the victim list triggers the unraveling of the couple’s concealed life. He embodies the impact of parental choices on the next generation.

👦 Family 🕵️ Investigation 🗝️ Truth

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:16

Major Themes – September Affair (1950)

Explore the central themes of September Affair (1950), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💘 Forbidden Romance

A chance affair aboard a diverted flight sparks a deep romance between Manina and David. They abandon their existing lives to pursue private happiness, testing the boundaries of social expectations. The relationship rests on secrecy and risk, always threatened by exposure. The theme asks whether love can endure when built on deception.

🗝️ Secrecy & Escape

To escape obligations, the couple creates new identities and a quiet life in Florence. They rely on others, like Maria Salvatini, to safeguard the ruse and to handle the financial arrangements that fund their hideaway. A clerical mix-up of the flight manifest becomes a pivotal moment that exposes their absence. Yet the escape remains fragile, constantly at the mercy of the past catching up with them.

💔 Consequences

The plan unravels when David Jr. recognizes Manina from a published list of presumed dead, bringing truth back into the open. The transfer of money to Maria Salvatini cements the real-world stakes of their deception. Catherine and David Jr. pursue answers, forcing the couple to confront the consequences of their actions. In the end, illusion yields to reality as Manina leaves, acknowledging she cannot stay with David.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:16

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Unlock the Full Story of September Affair

Don't stop at just watching — explore September Affair in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what September Affair is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

September Affair Summary

Read a complete plot summary of September Affair, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

September Affair Summary

September Affair Timeline

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September Affair Timeline

More About September Affair

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