Fresh and Exciting

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

In my title, I mention the Hilton hotel because Hilton is the name of the family we follow on the domestic front during WW II, and there were quite a few comings and goings of active and retired military personnel involving this family, which consisted of a middle-aged mother(played by Claudette Colbert) and her 2 teen daughters, one(played by Jennifer Jones) near graduation from high school, and the other(played by Shirley Temple) not far behind. Historically, quite a few late teens didn't bother to wait for graduation, preferring to take one of the many job openings available or to enlist. And many of those who did graduate put off going to college at least until the war was over, as exemplified by Jennifer.In part, this is a story of one of many romances that was broken up by dislocation or the death of one of the participants. Robert Walker and Jennifer are the young couple featured herein, Walker being a young corporal who flunked out of West Point, to his grandfather's disappointment(The grandfather is played by Monty Woolley, who has rented a room in the Hilton home). Actually, Jennifer is initially attracted to a navy Lieutenant played by Joseph Cotton, who is probably around 15 years her senior. But Cotton is more interested in gabbing with mother Claudette, whom he has long been attracted to. Hence, Jennifer eventually warms up to Walker, who manages to arrange various dates with her, as detailed. Unfortunately, he is killed in action soon after arriving on a front. I'm sure there were thousands more cases something like this.It's mentioned that a neighbor young man was killed in the nearby crash of a military plane. In fact, 47,000 US military planes were damaged or totaled in domestic mishaps, killing more than 14,000 personnel in the years 1941-45, and who knows how many injured. Shirley Temple's character complains that she doesn't know what she can do toward the war effort. But, she is shown tending a "victory" garden on their property. Governments at various levels encouraged such gardens, and it's estimated that around 20,000,000 such gardens were begun during these years. In aggregate, they were estimated to produce about the same tonnage of vegetables as commercial growers, thus saving much materials used in producing and transporting commercial produce.A major theme of the film is the need to tighten belts during the war, with many breadwinners in the military. Whether having family members in the military harmed or helped with finances depended on the particulars of the family. In the case of the Hiltons, it apparently harmed, thus forcing them to rent out bedrooms and double up in sleeping arrangements, to reduce their maid service, and sell their car(apparently, no one was willing to learn to drive after the father was transferred overseas). A major failing of the assumed purpose of this film is the lack of examples of the many restrictions on consumer spending. For example, gasoline for private use was severely rationed. There was a ban on manufacturing automobiles, building new housing, and selling kitchen appliances, etc.. Also, many people not in the depression money economy filled the jobs in the private sector vacated by inductees and needed to produce war materials. This is exemplified in the film by Claudette learning welding and Jennifer volunteering as a nurse assistant at the local military hospital. The need for temporary housing, especially for military personnel and industrial workers, was often met by taking in roomers and sharing bedrooms, as illustrated in this film.In a film of this length, the screenwriters should have been able to include the important problem of rationing and lack of new replacements which the people involving in taking this film were currently experiencing....The inclusion of wooly Monty Woolley as a room renter in the Hilton household is a significant asset to this film. His unique personality and sense of humor brightened up many a scene. Because of her awkward age, Shirley Temple doesn't have a lot to do, except occasionally cry over bad news from the front, and exhibit some of the teenage activities of the time. Claudette, as always, does her role wonderfully. Ditto for the other principal players. The main problem is that it often drags. It was too long.

Selznick's tribute to the women on the home front during WWII is a fine piece of entertainment with a flock of excellent performances. Claudette Colbert gives the film a solid center as the sheltered, disconnected wife who slowly becomes aware of the importance of her involvement in the war effort. Shirley Temple is pert as the chipper younger daughter, however Jennifer Jones is really terrible in her early scenes, she's too old to be believable as a teen and by trying to compensate for that with preciousness she is extremely irritating. She's much better in the second part of the film when her character matures. Her scenes with Robert Walker are lovely, odd since they were married in real life and breaking up during the making of the film which he took very badly. The picture itself is quite long but once you get use to its rhythm it flows right along with some powerful scenes and beautiful imagery.

I saw this first on television long after the war had ended so that theoretically it had lost its relevance and sense of immediacy, nevertheless I was moved to tears several times even though I realized I (i.e. the audience) was being manipulated. I found it boasted some outstanding ensemble acting in which - in something of a contradiction i n terms - several performances could be singled out as momentous; if these were led by Claudette Colbert it is fitting as she is the very core of the film but she has first rate support from Joseph Cotton, Hattie MacDaniel, Monty Woolly and Agnes Moorhead who really nails the bitch totally lacking in self-awareness. Special mention too for the real-life husband and wife Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones who manage to convince us they are falling in love even as producer, screenwriter David O'Selznick was destroying their marriage off-screen. Even on a second viewing a good twenty years after the first I was still moved to tears in spots.

THIS IS ANOTHER example of one of those pictures that stands by itself; that is, seemingly without any other quite like it. It is the beneficiary of having the best of everything there is in film-land. MGM endowed it with the finest of cast members (being a veritable All-Star ensemble crew), the multi-faceted story, multiple film units and the greatest of the most convincing sets. The filming included both in studio and a great variety of locations.WHEN IT CAME out, SINCE YOU WENT AWAY was playing to and intended for a war weary America; which was then in its third year of active participation in hostilities in Europe, North Africa,Asia, the Pacific and the Atlantic. In short, War was everywhere; being truly a World War.MAKING USE OF several loosely interconnected stories, the message is clearly one of both reluctant thanks, congratulations and a bid of encouragement in continuing in the same mode; until the War could be prosecuted to a successful conclusion. Without it being mentioned, all knew of the seriousness of the World situation at that time and there needn't have been any reminders saying so.ALTHOUGH ALL OF Hollywood had done its part in mobilizing whatever movie offerings they had, be they cartoons, short subjects, Westerns, the "B's", Serials or Features; this film has proved itself to be at the very zenith of the wartime fair. As a portrayal of American life back home during the years of strife, it has no peers.IT MAKES A GREAT companion piece to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES; which provides the same sort of fine storytelling; but, in this case, its an homage to the early Post-War period and the problems of the returning Veteans.