Adam and Evelyne (1949)

Please don't spend money on this.

People are voting emotionally.

Let's be realistic.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Despite the title, this movie has nothing to do with the famous "first couple". Somewhat resembling the story of Daddy Long Legs, this quirky May-December romance between Jean Simmons and Stewart Granger has some awkward moments that prevent it from joining the ranks of classic love stories.To start, Jean is a young girl in boarding school who receives letters from her father. Her father isn't writing the letters, though; his best friend is writing them to be nice. When the real father dies, the friend takes pity on the child and practically adopts her. Only, she doesn't know he's not her father. So, she comes home to live with a man she thinks is her father, and when she starts maturing, they become attracted to one another. See what I mean? It's a little creepy.The two co-stars were actually dating at the time, and they married the next year, but whatever chemistry they have is just cringe-worthy because of the plot. You can watch it if you like really silly old movies, but it's not one I'd really recommend for any other reason.

The men in this picture are gamblers and killers. They play dirty and resort to violence. The women who associate with them do not seem to be much better. But despite all this, the characters still manage to exhibit a proper manner of behaving (at least on the surface). In an ironic way, that serves to make this type of story work. Maybe, it is because such composure lends itself perfectly to spoofing the life of hardened criminals. And ultimately, that is exactly what this film seems to be: a sharp satire.It comes off rather smoothly, too, thanks to the wonderful chemistry of the two leads: Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons (married in real life). Check these two performers out in YOUNG BESS and in FOOTSTEPS IN THE FOG, entirely different productions that indicate if anything their tremendous range and talent.

It all basically began with Adam and Eve. We've seen the young, innocent girl maturing into the young lady and falling in love with the older man in "My Fair Lady," and "Gigi." This is basically the same story in "Adam and Evelynne."When Stewart Granger's friend dies, he takes his daughter in. The latter, Jean Simmons, believes that Granger is his father until she is told otherwise by Granger's girlfriend who senses Simmons as future competition. That sense proves correct when Simmons returns from finishing school in Switzerland all grown up. Problem is that Granger has never told her his true vocation: illegal gambling.The story unfolds how they fall in love and the eventual treachery of his girlfriend and younger brother to destroy him over this love.The film is nicely done. Jean Simmons goes from an unhappy child, looking for her father to the mature young woman searching for love.

OK so this film does not break any new ground but its worth watching to see the effortless way the two principal actors (Jean Simmons and Stewart Granger) give an impressive performance overcoming the somewhat well worn themes dealt with in the script. Jean Simmons turns from a backward English schoolgirl of the 50's into a stunning deliciously irresistible asexual goddess which will leave all men with a revived faith in the female of the species, at least for a few minutes after watching the film.