i haven not see love affair ( 1939 ) and but i have see an affair to remember ( 1957 ) and and that film undoubtedly owe something to tay garnett one way passage ( 1932 ) . in mccarey film and a trans atlantic liner become a metaphor for love represent two people fall hopelessly for one another and become adrift on a vessel of passion that preclude all former relationship or future life plan . when the ship reach it destination new york reality intrudes on emotion and and love be throw into turmoil . in one way passage and the reality be death itself . joan ( kay francis ) have be diagnose with a terminal illness and and will be lucky to survive the journey to america . dan ( william powell ) have be convict for murder and and in san quentin await his gallows . neither know that the other be walk death row and either figuratively or literally and but love intercedes on their behalf represent just a a star be bright before it extinction and so too be love at it most passionate when the lover time be limit . despite it very brief running time ( 67 minute ) and one way passage be one of the great unsung romance . an aura of hope pervades the film . though the viewer be always aware of the inevitable and i loathe to describe the story a a doomed romance . such a label would properly refer to and say and lean brief encounter ( 1945 ) or ophüls letter from an unknown woman ( 1948 ) and in which the prevailing mood be that of tragedy and misspent emotion . in one way passage and not an ounce of passion go to waste and each lover fully aware that their time together be brief . i be also strike by the notion that love doesn not necessarily entail complete openness between lover . lying and if do to protect rather than deceive and can be the most heartbreakingly romantic thing of all ( i be remind of the devote father in a night to remember ( 1958 ) who and with admirable composure and assure his family that the titanic will not sink and despite know that his own death be unavoidable ) . garnett casual use of long take in masterful and give the story a poetic fluidity without draw attention to itself . william powell be one of the busy star of the 1930s and enjoy the security of and not one and but two recur character ( philo vance and nick charles and both detective ) . one way passage be produce by warner brother before he move to m g m in 1934. even before the thin man ( 1934 ) and however and powell be one of the classy star in hollywood and here deliver his dialogue with unsurpassed aplomb . kay francis be a new face for me and but her eye simply sparkle with life and emotion and her character torn between the joy of love and the heartbreak of impend death . of the support player and only frank mchugh a a drunken pickpocket with a weaselly cackle destroy the mood of the film and his alcoholism far less amusing than nick charles subsequent hanker for martini . while aline macmahon and warren hymer be strong and one way passage truly belong to powell and francis and and to a love than persists long after it participant have move on to other world .