Since You Went Away

"Since You Went Away" would make an amazingly fitting film to watch along with "The Best Years of Our Lives". "Since You Went Away" is an incredibly well-crafted tale about one family as they deal with losses and separations caused by having the men in their lives serving in the armed forces. And, just as well-crafted, "The Best Years of Our Lives" shows men returning home to their families--like a fitting conclusion to "Since You Went Away". Both are highly emotional films, so be sure to have a Kleenex handy--but it's well worth it, as they are two of the very best films of the 1940s. While "The Best Years of Our Lives" won many Oscars (which it richly deserved), "Since You Went Away" only earned one--as the more schmaltzy "Going My Way" swept the Oscars that years. I really like "Going My Way", but it's simply not in the same league as this film--truly a must-see film of the era. The film begins with the man of the house having just left for the war. You never see the guy--just photos of the actor Neil Hamilton. Left behind are his adoring family--his wife (Claudette Colbert) and two daughters (Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple). Through the course of the film, the oldest daughter falls in love (with her real life husband at the time, Robert Walker), the family takes in a cranky boarder (Monty Woolley) and the wife entertains an old friend (Joseph Cotten). While the film is very deliberately paced and lacks excitement like a traditional movie, it is completely engaging throughout because the film is so well made. The acting is tops. The direction (more about that in a moment) is tops. And, the writing is tops. The film really pulls you into what it must have been like for the folks at home and your heart breaks several times through the course of the film--just like it happened with families during the war. In a way, it's like vicariously living through their lives. It's interesting that this David O. Selznick film is shear perfection--just like "Gone With the Wind". I say interesting because the meddling Selznick did EXACTLY what he did with this earlier film--he kept changing directors and actually filmed parts of the film himself because he was such a control freak. It paid off very well in both case--you'd never suspect multiple directors as the camera-work and mood are consistently wonderful. The bottom line is that the film is amazing and there is NOTHING negative in the least I could say about it. The film comes off as sincere, beautifully crafted and a wonderful glimpse into the past. See this film and you'll enjoy it from start to finish. By the way, as you watch the film, listen to the wonderful Max Steiner music. He is considered a genius at his craft and here he is at his best. Another thing to listen for are the wonderful nonsense words used by Hattie McDaniel in the film.

As a piece of inspiration and moral instrruction for the folks at home, this is far inferior to either Mrs. Miniver or The Fighting Sullivans. A very talented cast struggles gamely with a ham-handed script and overwrought direction. As Ann Hilton, Claudette Colbert is way too emotional as the upper middle class wife of an advertising executive who chucked his job to volunteer for the Army. She's portrayed as completely unstrung by his departure and as initially helpless inside her bubble of privilege. I can't help comparing the role as written unfavorably with the way I visualize Myrna Loy's Millie Stevenson having coped with the same situation while Al was away, before the beginning of The Best Years of Our Lives. Jennifer Jones's burgeoning and barely controlled sexuality as Jane, the older daughter. is similarly over the top, compared with Teresa Wright's cool, sensible Peggy Stevenson. Joseph Cotten's man about town Navy officer and family friend emits almost the full too clever by half serial killer vibe he had in Shadow of a Doubt, and his "Uncle Tony" relationship with Jane, who keeps throwing him none too subtle invitations, is as sexually cringe-worthy as his uncle-niece relationship with Wrignt in Shadow. Hattie McDaniel is stuck in another broadly played faithful maid role, right down to the name Fidelia, but then Hollywood never allowed her to do anything else. The script hits every patriotic beat required -- taking in a boarder, growing a victory garden, volunteering for war work, eschewing the black market -- with Agnes Moorehead as the snobbish exemplar of what not to think, say and do. The nice young men you can see will be killed duly are, to the grief of the women left behind and the service of the plot, and the same is true of the ones you know have to survive. It perfectly suited the taste of the time, but unlike The Fighting Sullivans, Mrs. Miniver, and the Best Years of Our Lives -- which are also true to the values of their day -- it has dated badly and is only of historical interest.

The cast is tremendous in here; lots of big names. That's the good news, at least for most male viewers, because the bad news is that this is a woman's movie from start-to-finish. From the moment Claudette Colbert comes home after seeing her husband off for war, the tears start and the women's soap opera begins. It goes on and on, too, because this film is almost three hours long. That is a lot of time for a lot of heartaches. How many hankies is that? It has to be the whole Kleenex box! I'm not making fun of it. The topic - women seeing their men off to war and never knowing if they'll come back alive - has been a tragic one since mankind began. The cast in here was astonishing with people such as Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Guy Madison, Shirley Temple, Monty Whooley, Hattie McDaniel, Agnes Moorhead, Craig Stevens, Keenan Wynn, Robert Walker and Lionel Barrymore. I found no fault with any of them expect perhaps Temple, whose young-adult roles never matched her little girl performances, except for "The Bachelor and The Bobbysoxer." It was interesting to see a young Stevens, who 15 years later starred in television's "Peter Gunn" series. It also was a bit odd seeing Jones and Walker together because they got divorced in 1944, the same year this movie was released. This must have been awkward for them to film since they obviously were not doing well in their real-life marriage. This movie isn't all tears. There are some genuinely warm moments in here, including a very nice Christmas scene. People generations ago were more hopeful and optimistic, too. Today's world is much more cynical, so this film makes some critics unhappy because they think the people are too goody-goody. Well, too bad for them. For me, that's part of the charm of classic era movies: nicer attitudes. The photography was pretty good, too. There are lots of lights-and-shadows. Is the too long and should it have been edited? Yes, but it's still an emotional experience for many viewers, even 60 years later.

Despite top talents from all ends of the production, this overlong valentine to middle class America, circa 1943, can't escape a certain dimply, cinematic cuteness that will either warm hearts or turn stomachs. David O. Selznick produced this adaptation of Margaret Buell Wilder's book, penning the screenplay himself and investing the large circle of characters with Warmth! Humor! Heart! Unfortunately, few involved in this story seem to connect with the middle class aesthetic, and for most of its 2 hours 51 minutes the homey sentiments ring false. An ordinary clan (named Hilton!) keeps their big old house full of life while Pop is away in WWII with friends, sweethearts, a boarder, a cook, and a pesky mutt. Mom Claudette Colbert glows with warmth, daughters Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple burst with girlish enthusiasm and emotion, Joseph Cotten is a friend of the family (with a crush on the Mrs.), Colonel Monty Woolley is the cantankerous "roomer", Robert Walker is Woolley's soldier-grandson, and Hattie McDaniel is the cook who works for another family but spends her nights with these kids because she loves 'em like they was her own! Coming off her triumph in "The Song of Bernadette", Jones must have felt like she was taking backward steps here (playing a boy-crazy teen making eyes at Walker, her soon-to-be-ex in real-life). Colbert underplays the general gregariousness of the enterprise with élan and comes off best, but the tone of the picture never varies. It's so wholesomely well-scrubbed and patriotic, it eventually begins to wear one down with goodness. **1/2 from ****

I thought this film was nicely naturalistic rather than melodramatic- in that the naivete, sincerity and hopeful nature of people in the context of 1940s smalltown America was honestly portrayed by all of the principle actors. A pleasant counterpoint to "The Best Years of Our Lives"- yes, admittedly much more of a striving to be cheerful/optimistic bit of propaganda than "Best Years", but similar in tone nonetheless. I also recommend this film for the intriguing casting of Robert Walker (best known as psychopath Bruno Antony in Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train") as Jennifer Jones' somewhat wishy washy yet ultimately tragic boyfriend- the infamous scene where Jones tearfully bids him farewell as his battlefield destined train departs is classic. Genuinely emotional. Not one of the all time best movies I have ever seen, but certainly worth a watch. Probably of interest to Shirley Temple fans, too, as it is one of her 'young adult' roles.

This movie is beyond words. Filmed and released during the war and dealing with the war, this film would have attracted many to the theater being that those at home were faced with the same issues. They would have seen that they are not alone in their battle and that even Hollywood can show that they are not by themselves. I have never seen a movie that touched me quite as well as this one. I find it interesting that when the movie first opens, Mr. Hilton has just left for the war, so you don't see him. And then when it closes...not to give anything away...but, hence, the title, "Since You Went Away." You'll get that if you watch the movie. The acting is superb, as well as the script, direction, etc. The whole movie is just wonderful. It all seems natural and it's almost like you were watching in through a window at these people's daily lives during the war. It's a good insight to see what it was like during that time. It's almost flawless. And might I add that I fell in love with Robert Walker as Bill, and I was just rooting for that relationship between him and Jane Hilton. Their love gives you a chance to see love blossoming during the war, and then what happens when he's sent away to war. Claudette Colbert was a very warm, understanding mother in the film, and you see the effect that a husband's going away to war has on a wife/mother. You find out that they lead two lives: one, in the public, where they appear to be strong and leading their lives as if nothing has happened, war or not. And then there's the second, where they're by themselves, lonely, sad, weak. But in reality they are not, and they are even stronger for leading this double life because it keeps the morale high in the home, helping their children realize not to dwell and to be strong. This movie must have helped and/or touched many people when they went to see it, realizing that they must be strong. It helped me to really see what everyone when through those days, and let me see now, in today's world, most people are ignorant and don't realize some people are living with those sorts of things happening to them, having people go away in war and maybe dying or missing in action. It's pretty horrible, actually. I give this movie 10 stars and recommend it to anyone who likes a really excellent movie.

Saw it last evening on TCM. Excellent performances by a stellar cast, filmed at a time when Hollywood and American movie audiences were fully experiencing World War 2 on the "home-front". This film has somehow managed to avoid becoming "dated" and remains entertaining, appealing and instructive to a contemporary audience. The story is primarily about a middle class family and its attempts to deal with problems caused by the war. The characters are decent people confronted by issues that test their faith and ability to carry on with life in a normal way. I particularly enjoyed the performances of Claudette Colbert and Monty Woolley, although the entire cast did excellent jobs. The music was appealing and appropriate and helped create the mood intended. TCM played the opening "Overture" which added to the production quality. Three hours is a long sitting but this one is worth it.

I found this film quite simply too long. Too syrupy, too unsubtle, too American for my taste -- but none of these reactions would have been insuperable if they hadn't been continued at such length. In its quest for a domestic epic, the script basically encompasses far too many strands, each afforded a leisurely treatment more suited to a central plot line; a perfectly adequate movie could have been made out of Jane's story, or Colonel Smollett's story, or Tony's story all on their own. And come to that, a perfectly adequate movie could indeed have been made out of Anne's story as a framing network for all the others -- but it would have had to have been far tauter and more concisely scripted than was the actual result. There's too much talking, too much happening for too little actually conveyed: this is one big-budget production that could profitably take lessons from the tight structure of the 60- and 70-minute B-movies of the period. If it had lost the best part of an hour overall, the pacing of what was left might have held my attention far longer. As it was, I caught myself clock-watching from little more than an hour in. It is unfair, given the circumstances of its production, to blame "Since You Went Away" for being too American. The amount of tub-thumping on display is nevertheless somewhat alienating for those outside the congratulatory circle; it's not the most uplifting Home Front picture I've seen. To English eyes at least, certain propaganda points might have been more effectively (as well as more concisely) made by implication rather than by driving them home with a sledgehammer... The same applies to the music. In the past, and especially in the case of silent film accompaniment, I've applauded the use of appropriate themes to underpoint visual references... but here it really struck me as crashingly unsubtle and almost, I'm afraid, amateurish in its unrelenting quotation. Evidently you either love it or you don't: I found the opening montage, so highly praised, particularly irritating. All this makes it sounds as if I thought this to be a bad film. I don't; it's beautifully photographed, there is some fine acting from a stellar cast, and the basic concept is an intriguing one. (Although I have to say that I saw the final 'twist' coming from about two hours beforehand; and it wasn't half a long wait...) But the movie was never intended for the likes of me, and it makes no bones about it -- I couldn't honestly recommend it to anyone I know. I'd rate it a "6": 'inoffensive film I have no especial desire ever to see again'.

Since You Went Away is David O. Selznick's fine tribute to the folks of the home front during World War II. Like his father-in-law Louis B. Mayer's film Mrs. Miniver, the action is seen through the experiences of the Hilton family, the typical American family, just as the Minivers were Hollywood's idea of the typical British family. Though she didn't get the big prize like Greer Garson did for Mrs. Miniver, Claudette Colbert was nominated for Best Actress. The previous year's Oscar winner in that category, Jennifer Jones, was nominated in the Supporting Actress category as was Monty Woolley for Best Supporting Actor in his role as the cantankerous boarder Colonel Smollett. Since You Went Away got a whole flock of nominations in 1944, but only came up with best musical scoring as a win. The film had the misfortune to be up in the year of Going My Way. America certainly like its films sentimental that year. Claudette Colbert is typical American mother as the film opens up whose husband enlisted right after Pearl Harbor. She's got two daughters in school, Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple. Since You Went Away follows their experiences over the next few years. I can tell you they were pretty typical. My mother herself graduated Benjamin Franklin High School in Rochester, New York and while there and afterwards worked at a lot of the things you see the Hilton family doing. Her brother, my uncle, was in Europe and would later see action at the Bulge. She did the scrap metal drive like Shirley Temple does here and she also worked at Bausch&Lomb Optical factory like Claudette Colbert later does. She helped make gas masks which while poison gas was not used in World War II, people had memories of it from the previous World War. She had a mission, she worked as though that gas mask would be used by her brother and might save his life in a gas attack. Everyone back in the day had a mission, it seemed like the whole population was engaged. I'm sure there were a few like gossipy neighbor Agnes Moorehead who complained and moaned about the inconveniences like rationing, it was pretty rare and socially discouraged. Of course after the war, there was a nationwide revolt against such rationing. This film changed the lives of several of it's principals, David O. Selznick flipped completely over Jennifer Jones. I can certainly see why, she was beautiful back in the day. He broke up the marriage between Jones and Robert Walker who was her husband and also in the cast playing the young soldier Jones falls for. After Since You Went Away, Selznick divorced his wife Irene Mayer and married Jones. He spent the rest of his life as husband and career Svengali to his new wife. Joseph Cotten was also in the cast as a best friend of Colbert's husband and this was the first of several films he did with Jennifer Jones. He was one class act as a performer, never shown to better advantage than here, not even in Citizen Kane. David O. Selznick spent the rest of his life trying to top Gone With the Wind. Of course he never did, but in its own way, Since You Went Away is as much an epic as Gone With the Wind. After all, you can't do much better than a supporting cast that was no less than the whole civilian population of the USA.

Some movies stand up very well with time... Citizen Kane, Sunset Blvd., Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Metropolis... others fail miserably, like this movie. The characters are all Donna Reed too good to be true. The plot is incredibly predicable. The home spun homilies are insufferably sweet. The movie is a victim of its time. The RaRa for war drum beat is ever present. It was a hard time for our country and of course people did die and many were injured. But they were real people...not these card board cut outs. Movies which try to manipulate with so little talent for doing so are repulsive. I'll give Selznick credit though, he knew how to play his war time audience and he did it with the very limited talent he had. It might have helped if he had hired a real script writer instead of doing it himself. I was so bored by this 3 hour epic that I switched part of the time to the shopping channel for comic relief. My final criticism is the sound score. It's as drippy as the movie. I guess if they awarded "Scoring best matched to a pitiful movie," Max Steiner would have been a ringer for this one. It's fine to be patriotic. It's not fine to manipulate your audience with fake emotions, fake crying, stereo-typed casting (the malapropped black maid, the stoic colonel, the goody two shoes mother, the Lolly popped Shirley Temple, the Hedda Hopper type gossip columnist, the green as corn corporal, the German accented psychiatrist... the list goes on forever.) There was not a real person in this movie and the problem with that is some people see a movie like this, particularly in 1944 and think that this is the way people should act. Well they don't. It's a cartoon and a truly dreadful movie. I hope they have not been able to save the celluloid and it dissolves into a pile of saccharine sweetness.