Classic movie site with rare images, original ads, and behind-the-scenes photos, with informative and insightful commentary. We like to have fun with movies!
Archive and Links
grbrpix@aol.com
Search Index Here




Monday, July 30, 2018

Claudette Juggles Husbands Again


When Wars Collide: Tomorrow Is Forever (1946)


Sometimes in youth I could at least emulate a grown-up by selecting other than monsters and spacemen for a late show. Tomorrow Is Forever had a premise that really intrigued me, a man apparently lost in the war whose wife remarries and lives content until damaged husband #1 returns twenty years later, his identity concealed to her and everyone. Principals are Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles, and George Brent (whom she weds after apparent war loss of Welles). Colbert had been eased into mother parts with Since You Went Away, was now a well-preserved forty-three. She was up on Orson by twelve years, but he could disguise like something out of a mummy case if need be, and bridge age gulf nimbly. Welles was wanted as an actor more than director, maybe even a romantic lead provided he could push far enough back from dining tables. Who'd argue love skills with a man married to Rita Hayworth? Tomorrow Is Forever has a flashback with all-American Orson kitted in uniform to surprise Colbert with news of WWI enlistment. He looms over her, is photographed from slightly below for the clinch, then gives us his back when they kiss, sort of a Laird Cregar had weight loss transitioned him to smooch parts. "I was deeply ashamed but in need of money," was Welles' later explanation (to Peter Bogdanovich) for doing Tomorrow Is Forever. He doesn't look/act to be slumming any more than he often would for radio or something like Follow The Boys. The war had froze individual statements in any case, necessity being to pull together and get a harsh job done. Tomorrow Is Forever let Welles play out tragic consequence of war's cruelty, and thick-applied make-up or no (Blu-Ray lets us see age lines drawn across his forehead like road directions), he is fine in what was no easy part. I'm challenged, frankly, to think of anyone else, let alone Welles' age, who could have brought it off.






"John Andrew MacDonald" as played by Welles becomes "Dr. Erik Kessler," an Austrian refugee employed unknowingly by subsequent husband George Brent. MacDonald had no accent, but Kessler decidedly does. Latter also barely gets around on a cane and has a heavy beard, but still a face just like Orson Welles. We have to get over Colbert not recognizing him, even as common sense suggests anyone would. Kessler is sort of front man for a lot of former enemies let into the US after WWII because they had scientific knowledge we'd need to stay even with Soviets. Tomorrow Is Forever takes place in run-up to the second war, Kessler having in tow little Natalie Wood that he has rescued from Nazi occupation. This all sounds complicated, I know, but Tomorrow Is Forever does play smooth once you sign on to it, and there are parts quite effective, even moving. 40's melodrama should never be underestimated at tugging emotion. I don't think Orson Welles would have been "ashamed" of this film had he taken opportunity to screen it again later in life.






Direction was by the always-interesting Irving Pichel, and Max Steiner does a score that I'd credit at least fifty percent of Tomorrow's voltage to (no slight on the movie, but again a boost to Steiner as baton behind much of joy and tears during the Classic Era). Tomorrow Is Forever was made by "International Pictures," a set-up formed by William Goetz after he tried to snake Zanuck's job at 20th and failed. Goetz was a son-in-law to Louis Mayer, so had establishment strength behind him, but some thought him unfit for creative duty. Has anyone made a list of film producers who should have pursued other lines of work? I bet it would run long. Fullest background on Tomorrow's production can be had by listening to Ray Faiola's audio commentary on the Blu-Ray. Tomorrow Is Forever has wandered between the winds of distribution for years, not being part of larger packages and tending to vanish except from fans most diligent. Its recent release from ClassicFlix settles all that and is a best I've ever seen the picture look.

3 Comments:

Blogger DBenson said...

Re the Castle Films box in the header: Was I the only kid who kept hoping that image came from an actual Woody Woodpecker cartoon or comic? Actually took me some years to grasp the lance pun.

2:25 PM  
Blogger Kevin K. said...

Once again, a spot on review. "Tomorrow is Forever" was far more emotional than I expected (I thought it was going to be something of a romantic film noir). Nothing to be ashamed of on Orson's part. He should have sought out more commercial projects like this in order to finance his own movies. And you're right about Irving Pichel. Whenever I see his name attached as director, I feel compelled to check it out, as I do that of Frank Borzage.

3:39 PM  
Blogger Beowulf said...

Once you know that Claudette Colbert considered her left side her best angle for the eye of the camera, it's fun to see that reflected in all the publicity materials.
The Wolf, man.

11:04 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

grbrpix@aol.com
  • December 2005
  • January 2006
  • February 2006
  • March 2006
  • April 2006
  • May 2006
  • June 2006
  • July 2006
  • August 2006
  • September 2006
  • October 2006
  • November 2006
  • December 2006
  • January 2007
  • February 2007
  • March 2007
  • April 2007
  • May 2007
  • June 2007
  • July 2007
  • August 2007
  • September 2007
  • October 2007
  • November 2007
  • December 2007
  • January 2008
  • February 2008
  • March 2008
  • April 2008
  • May 2008
  • June 2008
  • July 2008
  • August 2008
  • September 2008
  • October 2008
  • November 2008
  • December 2008
  • January 2009
  • February 2009
  • March 2009
  • April 2009
  • May 2009
  • June 2009
  • July 2009
  • August 2009
  • September 2009
  • October 2009
  • November 2009
  • December 2009
  • January 2010
  • February 2010
  • March 2010
  • April 2010
  • May 2010
  • June 2010
  • July 2010
  • August 2010
  • September 2010
  • October 2010
  • November 2010
  • December 2010
  • January 2011
  • February 2011
  • March 2011
  • April 2011
  • May 2011
  • June 2011
  • July 2011
  • August 2011
  • September 2011
  • October 2011
  • November 2011
  • December 2011
  • January 2012
  • February 2012
  • March 2012
  • April 2012
  • May 2012
  • June 2012
  • July 2012
  • August 2012
  • September 2012
  • October 2012
  • November 2012
  • December 2012
  • January 2013
  • February 2013
  • March 2013
  • April 2013
  • May 2013
  • June 2013
  • July 2013
  • August 2013
  • September 2013
  • October 2013
  • November 2013
  • December 2013
  • January 2014
  • February 2014
  • March 2014
  • April 2014
  • May 2014
  • June 2014
  • July 2014
  • August 2014
  • September 2014
  • October 2014
  • November 2014
  • December 2014
  • January 2015
  • February 2015
  • March 2015
  • April 2015
  • May 2015
  • June 2015
  • July 2015
  • August 2015
  • September 2015
  • October 2015
  • November 2015
  • December 2015
  • January 2016
  • February 2016
  • March 2016
  • April 2016
  • May 2016
  • June 2016
  • July 2016
  • August 2016
  • September 2016
  • October 2016
  • November 2016
  • December 2016
  • January 2017
  • February 2017
  • March 2017
  • April 2017
  • May 2017
  • June 2017
  • July 2017
  • August 2017
  • September 2017
  • October 2017
  • November 2017
  • December 2017
  • January 2018
  • February 2018
  • March 2018
  • April 2018
  • May 2018
  • June 2018
  • July 2018
  • August 2018
  • September 2018
  • October 2018
  • November 2018
  • December 2018
  • January 2019
  • February 2019
  • March 2019
  • April 2019
  • May 2019
  • June 2019
  • July 2019
  • August 2019
  • September 2019
  • October 2019
  • November 2019
  • December 2019
  • January 2020
  • February 2020
  • March 2020
  • April 2020
  • May 2020
  • June 2020
  • July 2020
  • August 2020
  • September 2020
  • October 2020
  • November 2020
  • December 2020
  • January 2021
  • February 2021
  • March 2021
  • April 2021
  • May 2021
  • June 2021
  • July 2021
  • August 2021
  • September 2021
  • October 2021
  • November 2021
  • December 2021
  • January 2022
  • February 2022
  • March 2022
  • April 2022
  • May 2022
  • June 2022
  • July 2022
  • August 2022
  • September 2022
  • October 2022
  • November 2022
  • December 2022
  • January 2023
  • February 2023
  • March 2023
  • April 2023
  • May 2023
  • June 2023
  • July 2023
  • August 2023
  • September 2023
  • October 2023
  • November 2023
  • December 2023
  • January 2024
  • February 2024
  • March 2024