The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) is a film about three servicemen trying to readjust their lives after coming home from World War II. This is a companion piece to Mrs Miniver(1942) also by the same director. For a third world audience these films may not seem as much relevant as for the American or British audiences. Nonetheless for a discerning viewer from any culture or milieu it is one of the best 100 films. War kills and maims and those soldiers discharged from their service to the nation return to pick up the thread of their past. Would they ever find a perfect fit of the present or their future?
Samuel Goldwyn was motivated to produce the film after his wife Frances read an 7 August 1944 article in Time magazine about the difficulties experienced by war veterans returning to civilian life. Goldwyn hired former war correspondent MacKinlay Kantor to write the story, which was first published as a book, Glory for Me Robert Sherwood (The Petrified forest) then wrote the screenplay. It was directed by William Wyler, with cinematography by Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane, The Grapes Of Wrath). The film won seven Academy Awards among others, Best Picture, Best Director for the legendary William Wyler, Best Actor for March, and Best Supporting Actor for Harold Russell, a real-life double amputee whose hands had been blown off in a training accident.
Plot
After World War II, demobilized servicemen Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), Homer Parrish (Harold Russell), and Al Stephenson (Frederic March) meet while hitching a ride home in a bomber to Boone City, a fictional Midwestern city, patterned after Cincinnati, Ohio.[3] Fred was an Army Air Forces captain and bombardier with the Eighth Air Force in Europe, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism during a mission. Homer had been in the Navy, losing both of his hands from burns suffered when his aircraft carrier was sunk. Al served as an infantry sergeant in the 25th Infantry Division, fighting in the Pacific.
Al had, prior to the war worked as a loan officer for the Corn Belt Savings and Loan bank in Boone City. Though a mature man with a loving family, his patient wife Milly (Myrna Loy), adult daughter Peggy (Teresa Wright) and son Rob, he has trouble readjusting to civilian life, as do his two chance acquaintances.
The bank, anticipating an increase in loans to returning war veterans, promotes Al to Vice President in charge of the small loan department because of his war experience. However, he has his problems with his boss Mr. Milton (Ray Collins) since his willingness to help veterans is tempered by his experience while his boss wants him not to give them loans without collateral. Before the war, Fred had been an unskilled drugstore soda jerk, having been raised in a poor neighborhood. He had met Marie (Virginia Mayo) while in training and married her shortly afterward. She is ambitious and they have now conflicts since she does not relish being married to a soda jerk instead of an officer He does not want to return to his old job, but has no choice, given the stiff competition from other returning veterans and his lack of skills. Their marriage is made impossible after he meets Peggy and falls in love with her. Al tries to dissuade his daughter from her breaking up their marriage without success. To protect Peggy, Al pressures Fred to break off all contact with his daughter. Fred does so, but the friendship between the two men ends.
Homer was a football quarterback before the war. Before leaving to fight, he had become engaged to Wilma (Cathy O’Donnell). When he returns, he finds his handicap as an obstacle. He pushes her away, although she is the one person who has adjusted best to the situation. His uncle Butch (Hoagy Carmichael) owns a bar where he frequents.
Fred loses his job for getting into an altercation with an abusive customer over Homer. Then he discovers his wife with another man and she demands a divorce. Fred decides to leave town. While waiting for a plane, Fred walks around the airport to kill time and wanders into a vast aircraft “boneyard”. Climbing into the nose of a B-17 Flying Fortress, he begins to relive intense memories of combat. He is brought out of his reverie by the boss of a work crew salvaging the aluminum from the airplanes to build pre-fabricated housing. That chance meeting gives him a job.
Wilma tells Homer that her family wants her to go away, since it seems that he won’t marry her. He bluntly demonstrates how hard life with him would be, but she is unfazed. When she makes it clear that she loves him regardless, he gives in.
A now-divorced Fred meets Peggy at Homer and Wilma’s wedding. After the ceremony, Fred approaches Peggy and holds her, matter-of-factly telling her that their life together will be a hard struggle. She looks at him with love; they kiss.
The title Best Years of Our Lives does not mean the soldiers had it too easy or spent part of their lives ever to be treasured as best that happened to them. The title refers to the ordeal by fire and needless risks often taken when they ought to have spent their most fruitful and vibrant years into more rewarding careers and home building.
“Profoundly relevant in 1946, the film still offers a surprisingly intricate and ambivalent exploration of American daily life.” Hal Erckson-allmovie. Dave Kehr makes the case for why the film is important today. He wrote, “The film is very proud of itself, exuding a stifling piety at times, but it works as well as this sort of thing can, thanks to accomplished performances by Fredric March, Myrna Loy, and Dana Andrews, who keep the human element afloat. Gregg Toland’s deep-focus photography, though, remains the primary source of interest for today’s audiences.”David Thomson: “I would concede that Best Years is decent and humane… acutely observed, despite being so meticulous a package. It would have taken uncommon genius and daring at that time to sneak a view of an untidy or unresolved America past Goldwyn or the public.”
Also known as: Glory for Me (USA) (working title)
Home Again (USA) (working title)
Cast:
Myrna Loy … Milly Stephenson
Fredric March … Al Stephenson
Dana Andrews … Fred Derry
Teresa Wright … Peggy Stephenson
Virginia Mayo … Marie Derry
Cathy O’Donnell … Wilma Cameron
Hoagy Carmichael … Butch Engle
Harold Russell … Homer Parrish
Gladys George … Hortense Derry
Roman Bohnen … Pat Derry
Ray Collins … Mr. Milton
Minna Gombell … Mrs. Parrish
Walter Baldwin … Mr. Parrish
Steve Cochran … Cliff Scully
Dorothy Adams … Mrs. Cameron
Casting brought together established stars as well as character actors and relative unknowns. Famed drummer Gene Krupa is seen in archival footage, while Tennessee Ernie Ford, later a famous television star, appears as an uncredited “hillbilly singer” (in the first of his only three film appearances). Notable film producer and director Blake Edwards appears fleetingly as an uncredited “Corporal”. Actress Judy Wyler was also cast in her first role in her father’s production.
Directed by William Wyler
Produced by Samuel Goldwyn
Written by Screenplay:
Robert E. Sherwood
Story:
MacKinlay Kantor
Music by Hugo Friedhofer
Cinematography Gregg Toland
Editing by Daniel Mandell
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Running time 172 minutes
Language English
Budget $2,100,000 US
(ack:wikipedia)
compiler:benny
