Now, Voyager (1942)

Boston spinster blossoms under therapy and finds impossible romance.

Director:

Irving Rapper

Writers:

Casey Robinson (screenplay), Olive Higgins Prouty (from the novel by)

Stars:

Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bette Davis	...	Charlotte Vale
Paul Henreid	...	Jerry Durrance
Claude Rains	...	Dr. Jaquith
Gladys Cooper	...	Mrs. Henry Vale
Bonita Granville	...	June Vale
John Loder	...	Elliot Livingston
Ilka Chase	...	Lisa Vale
Lee Patrick	...	'Deb' McIntyre
Franklin Pangborn	...	Mr. Thompson
Katharine Alexander	...	Miss Trask (as Katherine Alexander)
James Rennie	...	Frank McIntyre
Mary Wickes	...	Dora Pickford

Storyline

In Boston, the over-weight spinster Charlotte Vale is a repressed woman without self-esteem and completely dominated by her wealthy mother Mrs. Henry Vale. When her sister-in-law Lisa Vale brings the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Jaquith, who is her friend, to visit Charlotte, he invites her to spend some time in his sanatorium. Soon Charlotte transforms in a sophisticated and confident woman and travels in a cruise to South America. She meets architect Jerry Durrance, who is married, and they have a love affair in Rio de Janeiro. Six months later, she returns home and confronts his mother with her independence and own free will. One day, Charlotte has an argument with her mother and she dies of a heart attack. Charlotte becomes the heir of the Vale's fortune but she feels guilty for the death of her mother. She decides to return to Dr. Jaquith's sanatorium whether she befriends Tina, who is the twelve-year-old daughter of Jerry rejected by her mother. She brings the girl to her house in ...

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Plot Keywords:

love | spinster | cruise | nervous breakdown | heart attack | 

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Taglines:

IN THE Arms OF ANOTHER WOMAN'S MAN...SHE FINDS Her MAN! (original print ad - almost all caps)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Portuguese

Release Date:

31 October 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Estranha Passageira

Filming Locations:

6621 Whitley Terrace, Whitley Heights, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The love theme from this film was later used as background music in the seduction scene from the 1945 film "Mildred Pierce" starring Joan Crawford.

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Goofs

As June and Charlotte enter the drawing room after June's arrival, their position relative to each other changes between shots.

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Quotes

Mrs. Henry Windle Vale: No member of the Vale family has ever had a nervous breakdown.
Dr. Jasquith: Well there's one having one now.

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Connections

Referenced in EastEnders: Episode dated 30 August 2004 (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Yankee Doodle"
(ca. 1755) (uncredited)
Traditional music of English origin
Variation in the score when the Statue of Liberty is onscreen

User Reviews

Bette Davis Transforms into a Raving Beauty

"Now, Voyager" is arguably one of the best of all motion pictures by Bette Davis. As Charlotte Vale, a rich Bostonian smothered by a mother who had her late in life, Davis plays a frumpy, low-esteemed, near recluse of a woman. That is, until her cousin intervenes by bringing a psychiatrist, Dr. Jacquith (Claude Rains) into Miss Vale's life.

Miss Vale's cousin and shrink conspire to bring her out of the steel shell her domineering mother (Gladys Cooper) has encased her within. Their idea is to send her on a cruise with the doctor's advice to learn everything, do everything, engage everyone. The results are a remarkable transformation of a woman who believed she was an 'ugly duckling' into Miss Bette Davis as a sizzling hot beauty like she never was before or after in any other film.

How Miss Davis didn't view herself as a beauty or use her beauty to create her success as an actress is what "Now, Voyager," proves is most remarkable about her 66 year long acting career. If she had wanted to be a "bombshell," she could have, two snaps up. Davis didn't want to be a "movie star," or "glamor girl." She wanted to be a great actor and achieved her life's goal. Not only did she make her career using acting skill and shrewd business finesse, Bette Davis also made quite a few other people's acting careers work well for them by taking a back seat in films with her role having a weaker script. Thus, as co-actors they could collaborate to make out of an average screenplay a screen hit and a new acting star. Davis was so unselfish an actor that she was in the acting business to benefit the art. That's why she's my favorite actor of all time: she was so self-assured as an actor in a man's world (in the 20th century), that her ego didn't get in the way of making truly great movies with co-actors with whom she worked with as a team player. "Now, Voyage," is one such film. Clearly, she steals the show, but she takes Paul Heinried (love interest, Jerry) right next to her, conjoined at the hip. What a delight it must have been to work with a true artist who was a great expert at her craft.

Bogie & Bergman in "Casablanca," don't have one thing over Davis & Heinreid in "Now, Voyager," when it comes to the most intense, well acted, extremely well scripted romantic drama that has it all. Davis is glamorous beyond compare and Heinreid is a smooth, sensuous, suitor.

This is my favorite of all of her motion pictures (at least I believe I own and have seen them all). How anyone could say that Bette Davis wasn't a raving beauty after they saw her in this film is beyond me. Not only does "Jerry" fall madly in love with "Charlotte," so does audience after audience, generation after generation.

There's much more to this great story, but I'm not telling! Buy the DVD.