Chance Meeting (1954) a.k.a. The Young Lovers DVD-R

Starring Odile Versois, David Knight, Joseph Tomelty, Theodore Bikel, Paul Carpenter
Directed by Anthony Asquith

Print: black/white
Runtime: 96 min.
Genre: drama

Released in England as The Young Lovers, Chance Meeting is a contemporary "Romeo and Juliet" set against the uneasy political climate of Eastern Europe in the 1950s. David Knight stars as the son of a US Embassy official. Through the chance meeting of the title, the young man falls in love with Odile Versois, daughter of a Communist politico. As the music of Tchaikovsky hammers away on the soundtrack, the star-crossed lovers conduct their clandestine affair, spied upon all the while by the girl's governess. A thrilling "across the checkpoint" climax caps this otherwise meandering effort.