Personal Affair (1953)

The wife (Gene Tierney) of a small town school teacher (Leo Genn, QUO VADIS) accuses one of his students (Glynis Johns) of being in love with her husband. When the girl disappears, gossip and innuendo run rampant that he and the girl were lovers and that she either committed suicide or he killed her. As he loses his teaching position and his marriage unravels, will the truth ever come out? While the film touches on some interesting and valid points (first love, small minds, guilt and innocence), eventually its laborious execution does it in. It's based on the play A DAY'S MISCHIEF by Lesley Storm (who also did the screenplay) and it's a talky piece that might well play better on the stage. Genn is rather dull and Tierney is wasted in the "wife" role and Johns (who's good) is absent for a good portion of the film. The most interesting character is the young girl's spinster aunt with ulterior motives of her own played by Pamela Brown. Directed by Anthony Pelissier (ROCKING HORSE WINNER). With Nanette Newman, Megs Jenkins, Thora Hird and Walter Fitzgerald.