A title like Indiscreet (1958) is one I would typically avoid as a practicing Catholic.  Perhaps this is a function of living in a morally compromised twenty-first century, but such words seem to suggest illicit affairs.  Granted, Catholicism is not about expecting perfection from people, but one does try to be a good person because that is what God wants.  What swayed me to watch this one, which is basically as I have described, is the fact that Cary Grant is in it.  I will watch any of his movies, and because it was made in 1958, you can be sure that there is nothing too scandalous about it.  If this has intrigued you at all, then please continue reading.

The first scene in Indiscreet features a seemingly continuous stream of people walking in on famous stage actress Anna Kalman (Ingrid Bergman) after unexpectedly returning to her London apartment.  Her servants, driver Carl (David Kossof) and maid Doris Banks (Megs Jenkins), are surprised by her sudden return, as are her sister, Margaret Munson (Phyllis Calvert) and brother-in-law, Alfred Munson (Cecil Parker).  Once everyone has recovered from their shock, it is Margaret who notices that Anna is down in the dumps from her trip, the result of a failed relationship.  As it happens, Alfred has come to the newly opened flat with a guest: Philip Adams (Cary Grant).  After a lot of convincing, Anna is finally persuaded to go out with them all, Margaret particularly hoping her sister will hit it off with Philip.  The evening involves attending a banquet at which he is giving a speech in order to impress members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), for whom Alfred works.  While Margaret wants sparks for Anna, Alfred is simply hoping Philip will take a job with the alliance.  As to the former, things are going well until Anna and Philip are finally left alone.  Before anything untoward can happen, he admits that he is married, and that there is no possibility of a divorce.  It appears that this will have to be the accepted state of play until she calls down to the lobby as he is leaving her building and gets him to come to the ballet with her in a few days.  The plan had been to have dinner and then go to the performance, but they get lost in their conversation and are late for the curtain rise.  Nonetheless, they happily give their tickets to a young couple and instead idly walk the streets of London.  In short, it is the beginning of a romance that has him accepting the NATO post so he can stay as close as possible, that being Paris.  So frequent do his trips back and forth across the English Channel that the customs agent knows him by name.  He is somehow independently wealthy, too, buying her a yacht from a duke.  They are evidently in love, but people are wondering as to the legitimacy of what they are doing, and they are asking questions.  For Anna’s part, she dismisses any concerns, even when he obtains accommodations one floor down from her.  It is Carl who predicts something bad is going to happen.  With everything looking so rosy, Philip comes to Anna one evening with distressing news: he has been asked to take a months’ long assignment in New York.  She cannot bear the thought of being separated from him for so long, but there is nothing to be done about the situation.  While her and Margaret get ready for an evening with Alfred and Philip, the men go to Alfred’s club (this does not mean what you might think) to play snooker.  During their conversation, Philip is forced to admit that he has been lying about being married when pressed by Alfred.  According to Philip, he uses this line as a way to maintain a relationship without the need of entering into marriage.  He sees nothing wrong with what he is doing, adding that he does love Anna a great deal.  Alfred remains unconvinced.  Upon getting back to the apartment, while Philip freshens in his quarters, Anna announces that she plans on flying to New York so that she can be on the dock there to greet him when he lands.  Because Philip had revealed to Alfred that the lover intends to surprise Anna at midnight the next day on her birthday, he is forced to tell her about the plan.  The revelation only makes Anna love Philip more.  It is then that Margaret tells her sister about Philip being single, which she found out by snooping in Alfred’s office.  Anna’s happiness turns to rage, but she impetuously decides to go through with their evening.  During it, while Philip has a dance with Margaret, Anna receives a red rose from a former suitor.  The gesture gives her an idea, and when night is through, she tells Alfred and Margaret that she intends to make Philip jealous by inviting the other man over at the time he intends to come to her.  She almost gives away her machinations when Philip visits after Alfred and Margaret’s departure, and Anna behaves peculiarly.  Anna thinks she has Philip right where she wants, but then the person she had invited is unable to come.  Instead, she tries to get Carl to fill in, and he nervously accepts.  Anna is brought up short, though, when Philip is his usual punctual self and immediately asks her to marry him.  Carl plays his part, and Philip angrily leaves before she can explain.  Thankfully for her, Philip comes back a few minutes later and they settle their differences.

I am not sure if Philip deserves credit for finally telling the truth at the end of Indiscreet.  He is using the Sacrament of marriage in order to remain unattached.  I used the Catholic terminology for matrimony in order to emphasize its importance.  It is not that these characters take the subject lightly.  Also, to be fair to Philip, there are some people who are not meant to be husbands or wives.  In Catholicism, we have religious life for such people.  It should also be noted that we never see Anna and Philip do anything as the title would suggest, although the people around them are talking.  It is implied, but never filmed.  Again, this in 1958, and there were rules against such material at that time.  Had this come out today, there would likely have been a sequence or two in the bedroom.  I have maintained for a while that such material is unnecessary.  At the same time, I would not advocate for some kind of ban on explicitness.  If people are forced to avoid sin because of a law, are they truly choosing God?  The same argument can be made about Anna and Philip, although the film makes no mention of Christianity.  The point is that they are choosing their indiscretions because they want to have fun.  That is a rough definition of sin, although that is not to say that everything fun is sinful.  Roughly speaking, sin is opting for something that appears good in the short term, but is bad in the long term, which means bad for our souls.

Once more, it is good that Philip finally tells Anna the truth about his marital status at the end of Indiscreet, but is the lying worth it?  This Catholic would say no, while also saying that this is a decent movie.  You can blame that on my love for Grant’s work, though.