AFI’s 100 Years…100 Passions

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CASABLANCA TOPS THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE'S LIST OF THE 100 GREATEST LOVE STORIES OF ALL TIME

AFI's 100 YEARS...100 PASSIONS AFFIRMS 'A KISS IS STILL A KISS' WITH GONE WITH THE WIND, WEST SIDE STORY, ROMAN HOLIDAY AND AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER IGNITING THE TOP OF THE LIST

The American Film Institute (AFI) revealed the 100 greatest love stories of all time during AFI’s 100 Years…100 Passions, a three-hour special television event. Of all the films, CASABLANCA walked in the joint at number one. The 1942 classic starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman was followed by GONE WITH THE WIND (#2), WEST SIDE STORY (#3), ROMAN HOLIDAY (#4), AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (#5), THE WAY WE WERE (#6), DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (#7), IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (#8), LOVE STORY (#9) and CITY LIGHTS (#10).

"Last year, AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills counted down America’s most heart-pounding films and focused on how those films viscerally effect an audience," stated AFI Director and CEO Jean Picker Firstenberg. "This year, AFI’s 100 Years…100 Passions celebrates matters of the heart in a whole different way—more heartbreaks, heartaches and hearts bursting with love, rather than heart attacks and hearts in the throat. It’s a wonderful and broad list of films and I hope this fifth installment of AFI’s centennial celebration of cinema will prompt people to watch these classics, either for the first time or the fortieth."

The 100 most passionate films of all time were selected by a blue-ribbon panel of leaders from the film community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers, etc.), critics, historians and film executives.


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The jurors were asked to consider the following criteria while making their selections:

Feature-Length Fiction Film: The film must be in narrative format, typically more than 60 minutes in length.
American Film: The film must be in the English language with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States.
Love Story: Regardless of genre, a romantic bond between two or more characters, whose actions and/or intentions provide the heart of the film’s narrative.
Legacy: Films whose "passion" have enriched America’s film and cultural heritage while continuing to inspire contemporary artists and audiences.

The final list of passionate films produced some interesting facts:
Cary Grant is the most celebrated actor, starring in the following six films in the top 100: AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, THE AWFUL TRUTH, BRINGING UP BABY, NOTORIOUS, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, TO CATCH A THIEF. Humphrey Bogart is next with THE AFRICAN QUEEN, CASABLANCA,
DARK VICTORY, SABRINA, TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT.
Hepburns make up 11% of America’s Greatest Love Stories. Katharine stars in GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER, ON GOLDEN POND, BRINGING UP BABY, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, WOMAN OF THE YEAR, THE AFRICAN QUEEN, while Audrey graces TWO FOR THE ROAD, ROMAN HOLIDAY, SABRINA, BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S, MY FAIR LADY.
Marni Nixon's singing voice sang for Eliza Doolittle in MY FAIR LADY, Maria in WEST SIDE STORY, Terry McKay in AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER and Anna in
THE KIND AND I. Marni accompanies her voice while playing Sister Sophia in THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
William Wyler (ROMAN HOLIDAY, FUNNY GIRL, JEZEBEL, WUTHERING HEIGHTS) and George Cukor (A STAR IS BORN, MY FAIR LADY, CAMILLE, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY) were the most represented directors. Mike Nichols,
Rob Reiner, George Stevens and Billy Wilder helmed three love stories respectively.
Seven of AFI’s top 10 greatest love stories feature couples that do not end up together in the end.
The AFI countdown contains approximately 187 fights and 260 kissing scenes, proving that lovers quarrel, but more often than not, they make up.


The special is the fifth installment in AFI's centennial celebration of American cinema, following the four critically-acclaimed Network specials—AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies, AFI's 100 Years…100 Stars, AFI's 100 Years…100 Laughs and AFI's 100 Years…100 Thrills—which, each year, spark a national discussion of America's film history among movie lovers across the nation. The last four AFI specials were watched by an average of more than 11 million people.

Multi Emmy Award-winner Gary Smith (THE TONY AWARDS) is the executive producer and director of AFI's 100 Years…100 Passions for Smith-Hemion Productions. Former AFI Board Chair Frederick S. Pierce is the executive producer for AFI. Dann Netter (THE MARY TYLER MOORE REUNION, 50 YEARS OF TELEVISION), Fred A. Rappoport ("THE KENNEDY CENTER’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME 25TH ANNIVERSARY) and Bob Gazzale (AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, A TRIBUTE TO BARBRA STREISAND) are the producers, with Gazzale also serving as writer. Multiple Emmy Award-winner Candice Bergen (MURPHY BROWN, MISS CONGENIALITY) hosted the special. SFM Entertainment LLC is the distributor of the program.

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