Indiscretion of an American Wife (1953) in Color — Starring Jennifer Jones & Montgomery Clift

Intermezzo: A Love Story (1939) — Buy This Classic in Color

Buy Intermezzo: A Love Story (1939) in color — Gregory Ratoff’s enchanting romantic drama that introduced the luminous Ingrid Bergman to American audiences and remains one of Hollywood’s most beautifully crafted love stories. Starring Leslie Howard, Ingrid Bergman, Edna Best, John Halliday, and Cecil Kellaway. A burning love that stirred two hearts — available now as an instant, DRM-free digital download.

Plot Summary

Holger Brandt (Leslie Howard) is one of the world’s most celebrated concert violinists, a man whose artistry has brought him fame, wealth, and the adoration of audiences across Europe. He returns to his elegant Stockholm home after a long tour to be reunited with his devoted wife Margit (Edna Best) and their adoring children. The homecoming is warm and tender — Margit has arranged a welcoming party, and Holger’s close friend and accompanist Thomas Stenborg (John Halliday) is there to greet him. Life seems perfect, settled, and complete. Then Holger meets Anita Hoffman (Ingrid Bergman), his daughter’s young piano teacher. Anita is brilliant, passionate about music, and radiantly beautiful — and from the moment she and Holger play together, something ignites between them that neither can control. Their shared devotion to music becomes the language of an attraction that quickly deepens into an overwhelming love affair. Anita is everything that excites Holger artistically — young, daring, ablaze with creative fire — while Holger represents to Anita the pinnacle of the musical world she dreams of conquering. Under the concerned eye of Charles Dodd (Cecil Kellaway), Holger’s shrewd and worldly manager who recognizes the danger before either lover does, the relationship intensifies. Holger makes the devastating decision to leave Margit and his children to travel Europe with Anita as his new accompanist and lover, scandalizing the concert world and shattering his family. The lovers’ journey through concert halls and romantic European landscapes is intoxicating at first — their musical partnership produces electrifying performances, and their passion burns with the intensity of a great romantic symphony. But reality encroaches relentlessly. Holger is haunted by guilt over his abandoned family. Anita begins to sense that she is building her happiness on another woman’s heartbreak. Thomas, who remains loyal to both Holger and Margit, serves as the voice of conscience that neither lover wants to hear. The mounting emotional cost of their affair — the loneliness, the social disapproval, the knowledge that they have caused terrible pain — transforms their love from liberation into imprisonment. The film builds to a wrenching climax as Holger must choose between the passionate new love that has reawakened his artistic soul and the family whose devotion he has betrayed, forcing both Holger and Anita to confront the difference between the love that thrills and the love that endures.

Cast & Crew

• Director: Gregory Ratoff
• Starring: Leslie Howard as Holger Brandt, Ingrid Bergman as Anita Hoffman, Edna Best as Margit Brandt, John Halliday as Thomas Stenborg, Cecil Kellaway as Charles Dodd
• Runtime: 70 minutes
• Year: 1939
• Rated: Approved
• Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
• Country: USA

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

This professionally colorized version of Intermezzo: A Love Story reveals the full romantic splendor of one of Hollywood’s most visually elegant productions. The frame-by-frame colorization process transforms the film’s luminous cinematography into a feast of warm, golden tones that perfectly match the passionate musical romance at the story’s heart. Ingrid Bergman, in the role that launched her to international stardom, is breathtaking in color — her radiant complexion, soft honey-blonde hair, and expressive eyes gain an almost ethereal quality that makes her screen debut an even more astonishing experience. Leslie Howard’s aristocratic elegance is heightened by the rich, muted palette of his concert attire — the deep black of formal evening wear, the warm ivory of rehearsal shirts, the subtle grey of his distinguished temples. The contrast between the domestic warmth of the Brandt family home — rendered in cozy ambers, deep reds, and polished wood — and the glamorous but emotionally sterile world of European concert halls and hotel suites becomes a powerful visual metaphor for the choice Holger must make. The Swedish and European landscapes through which the lovers travel glow with the soft light of northern summers and the golden warmth of Mediterranean evenings. Edna Best’s Margit radiates quiet strength in the warm, grounded earth tones of home and hearth. This colorized version of the classic movie preserves every frame of this golden-age masterwork while unlocking the visual beauty hidden within the original black and white photography.

Historical Significance

Intermezzo: A Love Story holds a landmark place in cinema history as the film that brought Ingrid Bergman to Hollywood and changed the course of American movies forever. Producer David O. Selznick, fresh from producing Gone with the Wind, saw the original 1936 Swedish version starring Bergman and was so captivated by her natural beauty and emotional transparency that he brought her to America specifically to remake the film. The gamble was extraordinary — Bergman spoke English with a noticeable accent, and Selznick insisted she not alter her appearance or adopt Hollywood glamour conventions. The result was a revelation: audiences and critics fell instantly in love with Bergman’s unaffected radiance, launching a career that would produce Casablanca, Notorious, Gaslight, and four Academy Award nominations in her first decade in Hollywood alone. Leslie Howard, at the height of his fame following The Scarlet Pimpernel and soon to immortalize Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind, brought impeccable refinement to the role of the tormented violinist. The classic film’s gorgeous Gregg Toland cinematography and the lush musical score — built around a hauntingly beautiful theme that became a pop standard — established a template for sophisticated romantic drama that influenced Hollywood for decades. Gregory Ratoff directed with restrained European sensibility, creating a classic film that bridges the gap between the intimacy of Scandinavian cinema and the polish of golden-age Hollywood.

Technical Details

• Original Format: Black and White (1939)
• Colorized: Professional frame-by-frame HD colorization and restoration
• Resolution: HD 720p
• File Format: MP4 / MKV
• Running Time: 70 minutes
• Language: English
• Delivery: Instant download link on-screen and sent to your email upon purchase
• Price: €15.00
• License: Personal, non-commercial use

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is Intermezzo: A Love Story Ingrid Bergman’s first American film?
Yes, this is the film that introduced Ingrid Bergman to American audiences. Producer David O. Selznick discovered her in the 1936 Swedish original (also titled Intermezzo) and brought her to Hollywood specifically for this remake. Her natural beauty and emotionally transparent performance made her an overnight sensation and launched one of the most celebrated careers in cinema history, leading to iconic roles in Casablanca, Notorious, and Gaslight.

Is this a remake of a Swedish film?
Yes, the 1939 Hollywood version is a remake of the 1936 Swedish film Intermezzo, which also starred Ingrid Bergman. This American version, produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Gregory Ratoff, reimagines the story with Leslie Howard as Holger Brandt and features entirely new production design, cinematography, and an original Hollywood orchestral score while preserving the emotional core of the original story.

What makes Leslie Howard’s performance special?
Leslie Howard brings his characteristic combination of intellectual refinement and emotional vulnerability to the role of Holger Brandt. His portrayal of a brilliant artist torn between passion and duty is subtle and deeply moving, and his musical scenes — though performed by professional violinists on the soundtrack — are convincingly embodied through Howard’s graceful physical performance. Howard and Bergman share an understated chemistry that feels authentic and achingly real.

How important is the musical score?
The film’s main musical theme, composed by Heinz Provost for the original Swedish version and re-orchestrated for the Hollywood production, became one of the most recognized melodies in classical-popular crossover music. It has been recorded hundreds of times by orchestras and soloists worldwide and remains instantly recognizable today, a testament to the enduring emotional power of the film that made it famous.

Is this the original film with added color?
Yes, this is the complete, uncut original 1939 film that has been restored and enhanced with professional colorization technology. Every scene and all original dialogue are preserved exactly as intended.

What devices can I watch this on?
You can watch this colorized version on any device that plays MP4 or MKV files, including computers, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, and media players like Roku or Apple TV.

Is the download DRM-free?
Absolutely. Your purchase is completely DRM-free, meaning you own the file outright with no restrictions on how many times you watch it or on which devices you play it.

How and when will I receive my download?
You will receive your download link instantly on-screen after purchase, and a backup link will also be sent to your email address. No waiting period — you can start watching immediately.

How much does it cost to buy this colorized classic?
The price for this restored and professionally colorized edition is €15.00 — a one-time payment for a permanent, DRM-free download you can watch anytime.

Also available in colour for international viewers. This restored and professionally colorized edition of Intermezzo: A Love Story brings Gregory Ratoff’s exquisite romantic drama to radiant new life for a generation of classic film fans. Watch this landmark classic movie and experience the colorization that reveals every detail of the film that made Ingrid Bergman a star.

Related Colorized Classics

• Casablanca (1942) Full Movie in Color —
• Brief Encounter (1945)
• Beat the Devil (1953)
• Wuthering Heights (1939)
• Now, Voyager (1942)