Waterloo Bridge (1940)

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Robert E. Sherwood (play)
S.N. Behrman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 May 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War | Romance

Plot:

On the eve of World War II, a British officer revisits Waterloo Bridge and recalls the young man he...

Plot Keywords:

Ballet | Officer | Bridge | Love | Ballerina

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Vivien Leigh	...	Myra
Robert Taylor	...	Roy Cronin
Lucile Watson	...	Lady Margaret Cronin
Virginia Field	...	Kitty
Maria Ouspenskaya	...	Madame Olga Kirowa
C. Aubrey Smith	...	The Duke
Janet Shaw	...	Maureen
Janet Waldo	...	Elsa
Steffi Duna	...	Lydia
Virginia Carroll	...	Sylvia
Leda Nicova	...	Marie
Florence Baker	...	Beatrice
Margery Manning	...	Mary
Frances MacInerney	...	Violet
Eleanor Stewart	...	Grace
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lowden Adams	...	The Duke's Butler (uncredited)
Harry Allen	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Jimmy Aubrey	...	Cockney in Air-Raid Shelter (uncredited)
Phyllis Barry	...	Second Girl at Estate Dance (uncredited)
Colin Campbell	...	Groom (uncredited)
Rita Carlyle	...	Flower Woman on Bridge (uncredited)
Leo G. Carroll	...	Policeman (uncredited)
David Cavendish	...	Generous Man at Estate Dance (uncredited)
David Clyde	...	Barnes - Cronin's Butler (uncredited)
Kathryn Collier	...	Barmaid (uncredited)
Tom Conway	...	(voice) (uncredited)
Frank Dawson	...	Vicar's Butler (uncredited)
Connie Emerald	...	Waitress at Restaurant (uncredited)
Gilbert Emery	...	Colonel at Luncheon (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Commissionaire (uncredited)
Maria Genardi	...	Dancers' Italian Mother (uncredited)
Douglas Gordon	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Denis Green	...	Sergeant on Bridge (uncredited)
Ethel Griffies	...	Mrs. Clark - Landlady (uncredited)
Bobby Hale	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Winifred Harris	...	Dowager at Estate Dance (uncredited)
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Vicar at St. Matthews (uncredited)
Harold Howard	...	Ticket Collector at Waterloo Station (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Candlelight Club Announcer (uncredited)
Bill James	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
George Kirby	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Eric Lonsdale	...	Soldier at Waterloo Station (uncredited)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Elderly Huntsman at Estate Dance (uncredited)
Dan Maxwell	...	Cockney in Air-Raid Shelter (uncredited)
James May	...	Cockney in Air-Raid Shelter (uncredited)
Florine McKinney	...	Viola - First Girl at Estate Dance (uncredited)
Charles McNaughton	...	Mack the Waiter (uncredited)
Frank Mitchell	...	Father (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Dance Floor Extra (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	Thomas Parker - Roy's Driver (uncredited)
Judith Nelles	...	Gertrude - Tart at Waterloo Station (uncredited)
Gordon Orbell	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Tempe Pigott	...	Cockney in Air-Raid Shelter (uncredited)
John Power	...	Toff's Companion (uncredited)
Elsie Prescott	...	Cockney in Air-Raid Shelter (uncredited)
Jean Prescott	...	Third Girl at Estate Dance (uncredited)
Clara Reid	...	Mrs. Bassett - Estate Dance (uncredited)
Fred Sassoni	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Paul Scardon	...	Backdoor Stage Doorman (uncredited)
John Graham Spacey	...	British Officer at Luncheon Table (uncredited)
Wyndham Standing	...	Toff (uncredited)
Harry Stubbs	...	Proprietor of Eating House (uncredited)
William Tetley	...	Boy Opening Taxi Door (uncredited)
Cyril Thornton	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	First Cockney in Air-Raid Shelter (uncredited)
Norma Varden	...	Hostess at Restaurant (uncredited)
Pat Welsh	...	(uncredited)
Martha Wentworth	...	Tart on Bridge at the End (uncredited)
Frank Whitbeck	...	Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Head Waiter at Candlelight Club (uncredited)
Robert Winkler	...	Boy Delivering Flowers (uncredited)
Douglas Wood	...	Vicar at Estate Dance (uncredited)

Directed by
Mervyn LeRoy

Writing credits
Robert E. Sherwood		(play "Waterloo Bridge")
S.N. Behrman		(screenplay) &
Hans Rameau		(screenplay) and
George Froeschel		(screenplay)

Produced by
Sidney Franklin	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Boemler

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)
Gile Steele		(costumes: men)
Irene		(uncredited)

Production Management
William H. Cannon	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Shenberg	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Urie McCleary	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Music Department
Fred Dolys	....	French lyrics
Charles Hot	....	lyrics
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Ernst Matray	....	ballet stager
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	script clerk (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1940) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (16mm print)
• M.P.E.A. (194?) (Austria) (theatrical)
• M.P.E.A. (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Státní Pujcovna Filmu (194?) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Emerald (2012) (Argentina) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #6168) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG | Australia:PG | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The play originally opened on Broadway in New York City, New York on 6 January 1930 and ran for 64 performances.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The uniforms worn by the officers are more like US uniforms in cut and cloth than British. Roy's officer's hat is distinctly American in shape.

Quotes:

Myra Lester:Every parting from you is like a little eternity.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Wonder Boys (2000)

Soundtrack:

Candlelight Waltz

Taylor and Leigh at their best...one of the all-time great tear-jerkers!

Robert Taylor's favorite movie is also rumored to be one of Vivien's favorites--although at the time she was sorry that Laurence Olivier had not been cast in it. (She was always seeking him as her screen partner!) But Taylor delivers the goods--great charm, presence and obviously respecting the fine role that he plays. Vivien Leigh is a revelation--here she is fresh from Scarlett O'Hara and able to inhabit another character's skin with ease, back in her oh-so-British mode and looking as young and beautiful as ever. It's a pleasure that two such charismatic stars are still being seen in this--their finest moments on screen in one of the greatest tear-jerkers of the '40s. Special mention should be given to Lucille Watson for the way she plays the restaurant scene with Leigh at their first meeting--the mother-in-law getting the wrong impression from Leigh's reception. All of it is romantic, tender and charming--with an Anna Karenina-like ending after a surprising twist. For fans of Taylor and Leigh, it doesn't get any getter than this.