Posted on 05/26/2014 9:34:41 AM PDT by DFG
When I walked into Spaulding Auditorium to see The Best Years of Our Lives as an undergrad, I had never even heard of the film. When I walked out three hours later, I couldn’t believe I had never heard of it. It is a great film with a lot of truth and a big heart in it. Tonight TCM is carrying the film as part of its Memorial Day lineup. It’s a movie every American should see. If you haven’t seen it yet, you might want to try to catch it tonight.
Mark Harris tells the highly improbable story behind the making of the film in Five Came Back, his terrific account of the prominent directors who volunteered to use their filmmaking skills in the armed forces during the war. The Best Years of Our Lives provides a sort of capstone to the story.
Telling the story of returning veterans was Samuel Goldwyn’s idea; he commissioned MacKinlay Kantor to write a screenplay. Instead Kantor turned in a treatment in blank verse.
(Excerpt) Read more at powerlineblog.com ...
Best war movie.
Best Movie.
Have a box of tissues ready for the scene where Wilma helps Homer get ready for bed (dealing with his artificial arm).
That is one of the best and most sincere tear jerking scenes in movie history.
There are women today who are doing similar duties for the men they love who have returned from war. Love conquers all.
But, I like Fredric March's subtle acting as the bank loan officer returning to a "normal" job after seeing much bloody action as an infantry sergeant. Anyone who gets a chance should rent "The Iceman Cometh" to see an aged March play Harry Hope, the owner of the bar in which the entire play takes place. He's just great as is Lee Marvin (no kidding) as the protagonist, Hickey.
ping
I like Myrna Loy, so would have seen it for that reason if no other. But yes, it is a classic.
Rush Limbaugh remarked on his show that this movie “and others like it” influenced him when he was young and he thought that women were as depicted in a lot of these films( supportive and nurturing, I think he means). Then he grew up and found that women weren’t like that. Of course that was before he married his current wife. But Ive often thought about that, how our expectations are often shaped by movies, books, etc.
It certainly rehabilitated Dana Andrews in my view. After his performance in ‘In Harms Way’ I wanted to take him out back beat the $hit out of him.
I’ve seen it several times and I will watch it again and again every time it is shown. It is a timeless message of the afterwar.
I'm glad you mentioned the wives and girlfriends who are sticking with their men even though they returned from the wars with grievous injuries. I saw a quadruple amputee on the PBS Memorial Day program who is engaged to marry his sweetheart. I only hope these unions endure despite tremendous obstacles.
They were like that; and then they were polluted by feminism.
It’s a good flick, but notice how much booze those people guzzled!
“If I only had hands!” said by Russell as he tried to grab a guy who said WWII was for nothing. One Helluva movie.
His adjustment and upbeat approach to his loss wasn’t phony. He got an Academy Award for it and later became head of the VA. He actually lost his hands as an EOD guy in the army (knew a couple of ‘em - a special breed of people, IMO).
Dana Andrews’ nightmare of a bomber in flames reminded me of when I worked in Missouri in the mid-50s. One of the women came in late and apologized “Jim had another bad night”. It was her kid, who served on the boats that fired those barrages of rockets before each landing. His job was to go in afterwards and remove the “duds” from the spigots.
Sometimes they weren’t duds, and fried the guy trying to remove them - or at least burned off his face and arms in the process.
I’m fond of any movie which features B17s,as does this one.
There’s a lot of drinking in the Myrna Loy Thin Man movies too.
Yup. Back in the day of the "three-martini lunch" when you could have a minibar in your office and everybody thought it was cool.
Back when we were a free, civilized country, in other words.
Twelve O’Clock High starring Gregory Peck is on TCM tonight.
My favorite movie of all time by my favorite director of all time, William Wyler. As a veteran who experienced lengthy deployments, I identify in some ways with the returning servicemen.
A couple of observations: For a few days after coming home each time, I had difficulty falling asleep...because it was *too* quiet! After serving for months on end with men, the one thing I really enjoyed was the smell of a woman wearing nice perfume.
We really do live in a great country. I would give my life for it, even today.
Thanks. I couldn’t resist buying the DVD several years ago. I’ll record the broadcast since accessing movies is easier on the DVR.
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