LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER (1963) B/W 101m dir: Robert Mulligan

w/Natalie Wood, Steve McQueen, Edie Adams, Herschel Bernardi, Tom Bosley, Harvey Lembeck, Penny Santon, Virginia Vincent, Nick Alexander, Augusta Ciolli

In this contemporary love story, McQueen is a musician, very much his own man, until he becomes involved with Wood.

From The Movie Guide: "The theme of unmarried pregnancy had been seen often before (e.g., in BLUE DENIM) but was not usually handled so deftly as in this picture, which not only dares to deal with the subject of abortion but has lots of down-to-earth, Italian humor from Bosley, Lembeck, and Bernardi. Adams is outstanding as McQueen's stripper girlfriend. She always had a way with comedy and showed it early when playing the foil for her genius husband, Ernie Kovacs. In small roles, look for Richard Mulligan, Arlene Golonka, Vic Tayback, and Richard Dysart, all of whom later achieved success on TV. Not perfect, but touching and adult; with fine work from the two leads, this is one of Mulligan's better films."

The film was nominated for Oscars for Best Actress (Wood, her third nomination), Original Screenplay (Arnold Schulman), Cinematography (Milton Krasner), Art Direction, and Costume Design (Edith Head).