The love of our life

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Movie
German title The love of our life
Original title This Love of Ours
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1945
length 90 minutes
Rod
Director William Dieterle
script Bruce Manning
John D. Klorer
Leonard Lee
production Howard Benedict
music Hans J. Salter
camera Lucien Ballard
cut Frank Gross
occupation

The love of our life (Original title: This Love of Ours ) is an American film drama by William Dieterle from the year 1945. The drama starring Merle Oberon , Claude Rains and Charles Korvin was at the Academy Awards 1946 in the category "Best Film Music" nominated for an Oscar .

The script is based on Luigi Pirandello's story Come prima meglio di prima , which was first published in 1923.

action

The well-known French pathologist Dr. Michel Touzac attends a medical congress in Chicago. When he returns to his house in Pasadena, he introduces his employees to the woman at his side as Florence, whom he met and married in Chicago. In fact, in a nightspot where the famous cartoonist Joseph Targel was performing, Touzac met Karin, who was accompanying Targel's performance on the piano. At first he hadn't recognized Florence, whom he had met twelve years ago while studying medicine in Paris. At that time she appeared in a music show under the name Karin. After their sudden reunion, Florence tried to kill herself and was rescued by Touzac in a highly dramatic operation. After the suicide attempt, Touzac had the opportunity to read Florence's diary, from which he could also see how wrong he was and how difficult it was for his wife that he had gone with their daughter without another word and she despite her desperate search, no trace of him and the daughter could be found.

The doctor had left Karin and Florence about three years after the birth of their daughter because of a rumor that his wife was accused of infidelity. He had taken the child with him. He'd avoided contact over the years until he'd seen Florence again at the Chicago nightspot.

Since Suzette was always led by her father into the belief that her mother was dead, Florence now faces a new difficulty. Suzette sees the new woman at her father's side as competition for her dead mother, who has stylized her into a kind of saint. So it is not surprising that she flatly rejects Florence and even treats her with hatred. Although the housekeeper, Miss Tucker, withdraws to give mother and daughter an opportunity to get to know each other better, Florence fails to get close to her daughter.

Targel appears quite unexpectedly on the scene, a loyal friend and companion of Florence, who has a keen eye and immediately recognizes how much mother and child are suffering from the current situation. He succeeds in what Florence tried in vain, he wins with his uncomplicated manner and his friendly manner Suzette's affection. She also admires his drawing skills. During Suzette's birthday party, a close friend Michel tells Florence that his friend never stopped loving her. Suzette wants the quick draftsman to create a portrait of her mother. When she recognizes Florence in the drawing, she refuses to admit it and threatens to leave her home. Florence definitely doesn't want that and decides that she'll go herself. When Suzette hears that her father is calling the name Karin when he tries to dissuade Florence from her decision, her resistance is broken and her lips form the word "Mother!"

production

Production, occupation

The film was shot in Universal Studios in Universal City , California, from June 18 to July 25, 1945. The working titles of the film were: At It Was Before and As Before, Better than Before . The costumes were in the hands of Travis Banton and Vera West , and the make-up artists were Carmen Dirigo (hair) and Jack P. Pierce (make-up). Oliver Emert and Russell A. Gausman were responsible for the film construction. The film had a budget of about $ 2 million.

According to the movie magazine The Hollywood Reporter , Universal Studios acquired the rights to Luigi Pirandello's play in order to cast the lead role with Charles Boyer . In April 1944, Universal negotiated with David O. Selznick to hire Ingrid Bergman for the proposed Bruce Manning production with Boyer and Bergman. In July 1945, the New York Times reported that Universal had attempted to sell the acquired rights to the novel to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $ 250,000 . However, the deal failed because there were problems with the rights acquired.

publication

The film was first shown in the United States on October 31, 1945 at Loew's Criterion in New York before it was then generally released on November 2, 1945. In 1946 it was published in Sweden, Finland and Spain (Madrid), and in 1947 in France and Portugal. It was seen for the first time in Japan in 1948, in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1950 (first performance: March 21, 1950, Düsseldorf, residence) as well as in Austria and in 1952 in Denmark. It has also been published in Brazil, Greece, Italy and Venezuela.

reception

criticism

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times sarcastically said that Pirandello's reworked play into a tragic-romantic drama was as fascinating as a funeral lament. Merle Oberon and Charles Korvin, however, certified Crowther's excellent performance as actors, if one accepts that their behavior corresponds more to adolescents than adults. Director Dieterle, on the other hand, methodically stacked one cliché on top of another, which also includes the fact that he wanted to signal an ominous atmosphere by suddenly moving the curtains in an already darkened room. The whole reminds me of lavender and old lace handkerchiefs. The way in which Susette, competently played by Sue England, cares for the memory of her mother is more morbid than an expression of special love for her mother, as the film tries to suggest. Claude Rains as a philosophizing café caricaturist is altogether delightful and brings several light, amusing moments into an altogether stubbornly tragic event.

Variety felt that the originality of the plot was creditable and that Dieterle's expert direction prevented the film from becoming too tearful. Korvin is exactly the man who can touch hearts and Oberon does her job well. The excellent cast is supported by Rains and little England, who deserves special mention in her role as a sensitive daughter.

The Bishops' Conference of the United States spoke of a "tearful tear" in which the flashback plot could not divert attention from the flatness of sentimentality.

Award

Academy Awards 1946 : Nomination for Hans J. Salter in the category “Best Film Music” (drama / comedy) . However, the Oscar went to Miklós Rózsa and the Hitchcock film I fight for you (Spellbound) .

Aftermath

Lux Radio Theater broadcast an adapted version of the film on February 4, 1946, in which Sue England took over the role she played in the film again, as did Charles Korvin. Rita Hayworth took on the role of Merle Oberon. On December 16, the Screen Guild Theater broadcast another 30-minute version adapted to the radio, in which Merle Oberon and again Sue England appeared in their original film roles.

In 1956 there was a remake of Luigi Pirandello's play under the original title Never Say Goodbye (German title: Nur Du alone ) with Rock Hudson and Cornell Borchers and directed by Jerry Hopper .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ This Love of Ours (1945) Screenplay Info at TCM - Turner Classic Movies (English)
  2. ↑ This Love of Ours (1945) Original Print Information at TCM (English)
  3. ^ Wilhelm (William) Dieterle - actor, director . In: CineGraph - Lexikon zum Deutschsprachigen Film , Lg. 22, F 32
  4. ↑ a b c d This Love of Ours (1945) Notes at TCM (English)
  5. ↑ Bosley Crowther : Universal Offers a Refashioned Drama of Pirandello in Film 'This Love of Ours'
    In: The New York Times , November 1, 1945 (English). Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  6. ↑ Review: 'This Love of Ours' at Variety (English). Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  7. ↑ This Love of Ours at archive.usccb.org (English). Retrieved February 15, 2017.