The No. 1 Movie On July 16, 1961 Is A Classic With Leslie Caron And Charles Boyer

The most popular movie in the nation is always a big deal, and sometimes it's interesting to look back to see what people were watching on the same date many years ago. For instance, did you know that on July 19, 1961, the U.S. box office was dominated by a very particular movie that has gone on to become a well-known representative of the romantic drama genre? The flick in question is director Joshua Logan's and screenwriter Julius J. Epstein's "Fanny," an unconventional love story that was on its second week at the top of the box office at the time. Since even some 1960s box office bombs are worth watching, a movie of this stature should surely go on any aficionado's watch list. 

The story of "Fanny" takes us to the port town of Marseille, France, where César's (Charles Boyer) teenage son Marius (Horst Buchholz) dreams of a better, more adventurous future. He wants to go to sea, but his naval aspirations are kept in check by childhood friend Fanny (Leslie Caron), who has loved Marius for a long time while the boy has kept an emotional distance. From these beginnings, we witness a dance of inheritances, long absences, marriages of convenience, and star-crossed lover antics that seems to work toward an inevitable conclusion. Despite the decades between its setting and today, "Fanny" remains an entertaining watch that arguably belongs in the discussion of the best romantic movies of all time.

"Fanny" avoids the usual trappings of a romantic drama with the amount of effort it puts into keeping the central couple apart from each other. Marius' willingness to spend years at sea, Fanny's peculiar marriage of convenience to César's gentle friend Panisse (Maurice Chevalier), and a secret child are only some of the hurdles the story throws between the protagonists. This is a delightfully frustrating approach because the film also takes some pains to make clear that the two should really, really be together. There are no huge twists. "Fanny" relies on telling a story of two people who care for each other but whose decisions send them down radically different paths, and that's enough. 

Full of sentiment, charm, and even some humor, "Fanny" was more than a box office success. While it may not have been one of the 10 best movies released during the 1960s, it was still good enough to be nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor in a leading role nods for Joshua Logan and Charles Boyer, respectively. It was also nominated for best cinematography, best editing, and best music. As such, the movie is still well worth a watch over six decades after its premiere — just make sure you don't get it confused with the distinctly 2013 remake of the same name.