Our Town (1940)

Director:

Sam Wood

Writers:

Thornton Wilder (play)
Thornton Wilder (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 May 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

I don't want to get married.....I'M AFRAID!

Plot:

Change comes slowly to a small New Hampshire town in the early 20th century. People grow up, get married...

Plot Keywords:

Uncle | Teenage Girl | Cat | New Hampshire | Birthday

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars.

Cast

William Holden	...	George Gibbs
Martha Scott	...	Emily Webb
Fay Bainter	...	Mrs. Gibbs
Beulah Bondi	...	Mrs. Webb
Thomas Mitchell	...	Dr. Gibbs
Guy Kibbee	...	Mr. Webb
Stuart Erwin	...	Howie Newsome
Frank Craven	...	Mr. Morgan
Doro Merande	...	Mrs. Soames
Philip Wood	...	Simon Stimson
Ruth Tobey	...	Rebecca Gibbs (as Ruth Toby)
Douglas Gardner	...	Wally Webb
Arthur B. Allen	...	Professor Willard (as Arthur Allen)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Dr. Ferguson
Spencer Charters	...	Constable Warren

Runtime:

90 min | 89 min (Hypercube restored version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #6071) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Fort Bragg, California, USA

Company:

Sol Lesser Productions

Trivia:

Because the play was performed on nearly a bare stage and the main character dies in the end, the production was delayed several months due to the difficulty in translating it to the screen. Thornton Wilder and producer Sol Lesser worked together closely to modify the play. No changes were made without Wilder's permission.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Studio lights are reflected on the mourners' rain-soaked umbrellas.

Quotes:

Mrs. Julia Hersey Gibbs: It seems to me, once in your life, before you die, you ought to see a country where they don't speak any English and they don't even want to.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Action: Strong Sexual Content (#1.7)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Art Thou Weary, Art Thou Languid?

I liked it

I've never read the play or seen it performed. All I knew is that it won a Pulitzer Prize and was constantly being done by community theatres. Also there are at least FOUR made for TV versions (this is the only theatrical one). I figured it was time I finally saw it.

From what I can gather, this is a heavily edited version (the TV versions run from 2 to 3 hours) and I KNOW the ending was changed (because of the Production Code). Still I liked it for what it was. Also I saw a recently restored version so it looks pretty good (considering it's over 60 years old).

It's just about life in a small New Hampshire town from 1901 to 1940. It concerns various characters but mostly centers on Emily Webb (Martha Scott) falling in love with George Gibbs (William Holden). It also flawlessly recreates a small town in the early 20th century. Everybody knows everybody else, they all live comfortably with each other, nobody locks their doors at night...combine that with some breath taking production design by William Cameron Menzies and it creates a very comfortable, idyllic feeling. Also some of the shots of the town at night were just beautiful.

A lot of people complain about the total lack of chemistry between Scott and Holden. They're not wrong but this was Scott's first film and Holden's third (I believe)...they were still young and learning. As it is, it's incredible to see Holden so young, handsome and full of life. Scott is very good also and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for this. They're backed up by a great cast of character actors from he 1930s--basically, nobody is bad. This didn't move me to tears like others said it did, but it WAS very moving. I'd like to see the other versions.

So, a pretty good view of small town life in the early 20th century.