Till the End of Time

source: Till the End of Time

This takes one back to the end of WWII when GIs were being released from service and coming home to dubious situations. Confused, disoriented, and restive, these ex-service men were suddenly thrust into lifestyles for which they were unprepared. From holding a bayoneted rifle to pushing a pencil, the transition was abrupt and strange. Many drifted into and out of relationships, while others took to the bottle as a form of escape. "Till the End of Time" dramatizes a few of these plights with some interest. Cast in the lead role was Guy Madison, newly "discovered" by Henry Willson and David O. Selznick for a snippet but memorable scene in "Since You Went Away" (and shot quickly while Madison was on navy leave). After being mustered out of the service a couple of years later, Hollywood was eagerly waiting to cast him in what really amounted to his first feature (barring the earlier "cameo"). Unfortunately it was a starring role. That was a pity, for the young "find" needed small vehicles in which to mature and grow in the profession. That he comes off as well as he does here is commendable, yet it does him a great disservice. Guy's reedy, inconsistent, and even amateurish looking--qualities that would have been honed and polished, had he the sensitive career management other similar "discoveries" were afforded. Having his greatest weaknesses so exposed in a lead part, Madison was "written off" for other starring roles, and pushed into routine westerns--where he more or less remained for the rest of his career. However, his appearance in some seven dozen radio, television and movie parts ain't especially hay. And while he may not have been considered the greatest actor, he did make an honest living that put food on the table for the rest of his life. His costars here are the excellent Robert Mitchum and Dorothy McGuire, and they certainly help bolster the proceedings. All in all, "Till the End of Time" is an interesting drama, and Guy Madison's most notable vehicle. The pop adaptation of Chopin's "Polanaise" played throughout doesn't hurt.

To compare a mini-gem such as Till the End of Time with the hugely promoted, star-studded Best Years of Our Lives -- the film that, historically, often is regarded as the screen icon for the re-adjusting soldiers' genre -- is like comparing Ray Robinson or Roberto Duran with Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis or Rocky Marciano. The same way that Robinson and Duran were, pound-for-pound, on the same level with their larger, heavier, stronger counterparts, Till the End of Time -- "pound-for-pound" -- is right with its larger, more celebrated celluloid counterpart. While Best Years, with its flashiness of celebrated cast (i.e. Frederick March, Myrna Loy), is much more expansive, Time expertly utilizes a small-scale, more focused look at the returning-soldier theme. As the proverbial slice-of-life, Time not only is more easily palatable for viewers, it also is quite accurate in the depiction of its conceptions and characterizations. The primary characters created by Guy Madison, Robert Mitchum and Bill Williams---as the returning World War II veterans -- and Dorothy McGuire, as the mildly cynical war widow with whom Madison's Cliff Harper becomes infatuated, are outstanding portrayals. Yes, Madison's sensitive performance in his first key role was effective, regardless of the less-than-sterling reviews traditionally given by critics. Fetching, twenty-year old Jean Porter, as the adorably saucy bobby-soxer who likewise is infatuated with Harper, also is quite effective. Excellent character performances are given by: Tom Tully and Ruth Nelson, as Harper's parents; Selena Royale, as the mother of Williams' Perry Kincheloe; and Bill Gargan, as the veterans' representative. Director Edward Dmytryk expertly orchestrates the film, which captures the unique flavor of its time frame as if it were bottling a rare wine. Though "Best Years" deserves much of its traditional praise, do not overlook "Time" simply because its focus is smaller. "Pound-for-pound" it is at least as good. Possibly even better.

After seeing the book Heartthrobs in the bookstore I was dying to see the beautiful man on the cover actually moving and speaking. Guy Madison is absolutely the most beautiful person that I have ever seen, male or female. Looking at him is truly like staring at a piece of art. It's no wonder some casting director thought to himself "the world needs to see this man 30 feet high" - the camera cannot seem to catch this guy at a bad angle. Guy is not the best actor you'll come across, but he is charming and earnest and hey his co-stars are Robert Mitchum and Dorothy McGuire so check it out! Dorothy's a fine actress, but a little matronly in this one - she's seems more like Guy's mother than a suitable love interest. If only they'd given her better ensembles - there's one scene with her in slip and much to my surprise she had a lovely little figure hiding under those awful jackets.

Some jerk movie reviewer says it was to much of a tear jerker. What does he or she know. I , being a Vietnam combat vet, remember seeing the movie some years ago on TV and thinking how much I related to the story line. I can't remember much about the movie except for the fact that the filmmaker was right on when it came to trying to readjust. It ain't easy. Lots of resentment and hostility. The story may have tugged at the heart but film making has got to deal with the emotional side of ones story as well as the artful aspects of making a film. The reviewer obviously has spent no time in combat so as a result the main theme of the story escapes him or her. FIGURES

I was looking forward to seeing this movie because I love 'The Best Years Of Our Lives', and the theme of GI's returning from WWII is also an important part of this film. Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed here. This movie has dated rather badly, and there is zero chemistry between Guy Madison and Dorothy McGuire. In fact, Dorothy McGuire looked AWFUL in this film. She had bad hair, terrible clothes, and acted more like a matron than a fetching young war widow. I can understand that she is traumatized by her husband's death, but I was extremely confused by her relationship with Guy Madison. The whole movie she acts extremely bizarre, and then all of a sudden there is a dramatic run towards each other, a passionate embrace, and the movie is over. I just didn't get it. If you want a much better film with a similar theme, watch 'The Best Years of Our Lives'.

I picked this up for $5 at a sale just because it had Robert Mitchum's name on the credits. Mitchum's role is secondary but I found I enjoyed the movie rather more than I thought I would. I understand it was released the same year as THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES and was rather over shadowed by that more expensive production. The theme is dated, servicemen adjusting to civilian life after WW2, it is basically a soap opera but it very well handled by director Edward Dmytryk. Chopin's music is cleverly interwoven throughout, as background music, as a popular song with lyrics added heard over the radio and even jazzed up in a barroom sequence. Performances are good. Guy Madison is no great shakes as an actor but he looks the part, give an honest performance and doesn't bump into the furniture. Dorothy Mcguire has always been a favorite of mine. Usually she played dowdy housewives but she had a neat figure and to me she had a down to earth sex appeal. Well worth seeing.

It's easy to feel sorry for the folks at RKO who made this film. After all, it's very well made and I enjoyed it...but I also couldn't possibly see the film without comparing it with "The Best Years of Our Lives". This is sad, because "The Best Years" is one of the best American films ever made--and surely must have overshadowed "Till the End of Time". After all, "The Best Years" won the Best Picture Oscar (among many others)--and is a classic. Yet, despite this, they are BOTH excellent films about WWII vets returning and adjusting to civilian life. The major difference between the two films is that the emphasis on "Till the End of Time" is much more on the physical and psychological damage incurred by these brave men. Sure, this is explored in "The Best Years of Our Lives", but it's also about the adjustment of the "normal" soldier as well. Here, in "Till the End", while many of the soldiers seem okay, as the film develops, you see that each is deeply scarred--and I really liked this aspect of the film. Even Guy Madison, who seems just fine, is scarred--it just isn't as readily apparent. Probably the most poignant of the stories is the smallest one--the lonely guy sitting at a coffee counter. He's shaking uncontrollably due to "shell shock"--and old way of referring to a type of PTSD where the person literally shakes horribly. His story is quite touching and is one of the very few depictions of this in film--even today. In fact, the phenomenon was not new--and I've seen film of WWI soldiers with shell shock and the guy in the movie did a great job of imitating someone with this affliction. Fortunately, however, there is a lot of hope in the film as well--not false hope or goofy optimism, either. Overall, it certainly is not as good as "The Best Years" but who cares?! It STILL is an exceptional film. While the film lacks the wonderful direction of William Wyler (arguably the best director ever), it still has nice style and the acting is quite nice. A very enjoyable movie and one you should see in order to appreciate the sacrifices these men made.

When I came back from DESERT STORM, my friends had moved, my girlfriend had a new boyfriend, everything I had was gone. It was only a year. When I first saw "Till The End of Time", I was drinking and crying. Then I understood. Clint Eastwood interviewed Vets for his recent movie (the one about Iwo Jimo). One of them, he movingly related, had never been able to form a relationship and start a family. If you watch this movie you'll understand. Just being a war Vet is weird, even if you weren't shot at nor wounded. Physically. Coming back, I couldn't get a job. I never got an interview, even after hundreds of professional resumes. No wanted me. I was alone. Watch this movie. It and "Walk In The Sun" are the best WWII flicks I've ever seen.

..If only to see beautiful and appealing Guy Madison in one of his earlier roles before lost to western films and TV ("Wild Bill Hickok") in the 1950s. Madison is the focal point here, portraying a returning serviceman from World War II and his subsequent adjustment to civilian life with sincerity and easy-going charm. Brad Pitt has a bit of his extremely handsome blonde, athletic looks, but not ingratiating acting prowess. (Madison is on the cover of "Hearthrob", a book about male cinema stars). Top-billed Dorothy McGuire is really support, somewhat of a matronly mis-matched love interest for the youthful Madison. A lovely score and good direction offset some dated aspects in the script. But Madison carries the day!