Since You Went Away (1944)

While husband Tim is away during World War II, Anne Hilton copes with problems on the homefront. Taking in a lodger, Colonel Smollett, to help make ends meet and dealing with shortages and ... See full summary »

Director:

John Cromwell

Writers:

Margaret Buell Wilder (book), Margaret Buell Wilder (adaptation),

Stars:

Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten

Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Claudette Colbert	...	Mrs. Anne Hilton
Jennifer Jones	...	Jane Deborah Hilton
Joseph Cotten	...	Lt. Tony Willett
Shirley Temple	...	Bridget 'Brig' Hilton
Monty Woolley	...	Col. William G. Smollett
Lionel Barrymore	...	Clergyman
Robert Walker	...	Cpl. William G. 'Bill' Smollett II
Hattie McDaniel	...	Fidelia
Agnes Moorehead	...	Mrs. Emily Hawkins
Alla Nazimova	...	Zofia Koslowska (as Nazimova)
Albert Bassermann	...	Dr. Sigmund Gottlieb Golden
Gordon Oliver	...	Marine Officer Seeking Room
Keenan Wynn	...	Lt. Solomon
Guy Madison	...	Sailor Harold E. Smith
Craig Stevens	...	Danny Williams

Storyline

While husband Tim is away during World War II, Anne Hilton copes with problems on the homefront. Taking in a lodger, Colonel Smollett, to help make ends meet and dealing with shortages and rationing are minor inconveniences compared to the love affair daughter Jane and the Colonel's grandson conduct.

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Plot Keywords:

love | homefront | lodger | rationing | self sacrifice | 

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Taglines:

The four most important words since Gone With the Wind-- SINCE YOU WENT AWAY!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Yiddish

Release Date:

20 July 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Als du Abschied nahmst

Filming Locations:

Church of the Angels - 1100 Avenue 64, Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vanguard Films (III), Selznick International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

177 min 130 min (1949 re-release) 177 min (DVD) 172 min (copyright length)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time, the longest and most expensive Hollywood film since David O. Selznick's own Gone with the Wind.

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Quotes

Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: I know! Why don't we take somebody into the house? You know, a roomer!
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Oh, well, if you're going to throw away aces, Jane, that's fine with me.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: But Mother, listen to me, why shouldn't we rent a room? There's such a terrible shortage.
Jane Deborah Hilton: Go away. Down with five.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: It's perfectly ridiculous, Brig. A stranger in our home. Where you get your ideas is beyond me.
Jane Deborah Hilton: Certainly it's ridiculous. It's communism, that's what it is!
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: Oh, pooh! We could get an officer maybe. And it might be sort of like having Pop ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The on-screen screenplay credit reads "screenplay by the producer."

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Claudette Colbert (1962)

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Soundtracks

"The Farmer in the Dell"
(uncredited)
Traditional children's song
Sung a cappella by Robert Walker

User Reviews

Personal Remarks

As I watched this recently on Turner Movie Classics, a number of trivial points ran through my mind. David O. Selznick certainly had a knack for making clear statements and making sure that everything in his productions (at least up to this time) was easily understood by viewers of all levels.

As his cinematographer, Lee Garmes, was noted for his tendency toward dark images, I was constantly aware of the many shadows in his shots. For his actors to move from one position to another they walk through at least one area of total darkness. There are many shadows on their faces, many profiles, and sharp light and dark contrasts in the background. While Selznick reportedly didn't appreciate Garmes' signature style for GWTW, David certainly tolerated it here, and this dark ambiance gave "Since You Went Away" a quality of depth and substance it might not otherwise have had.

David's effort to get the "perfect" cast paid off. With Colbert anchoring the enactment with a great performance, the film was also blessed with excellent work from Cotten, Jones, Temple, Wooley, McDaniel, Moorhead, et al.

It looks like Colbert's preference for being photographed from the left side is valid. On my system, motion can be stopped and slowly forwarded, observing her from the right side when she turns. In real time one only glimpses; in slow motion one can see her point.

Max Steiner's themes are quite haunting (one of his main ones reveals generic influences of the "Liebestod" from Tristan und Isolde--another the basis for a later Christmas song) and his careful underscoring of every action works well here. TMC Channel's inclusion of the complete Overture and Entr'acte enhances the presentation's effectiveness. It's a joy to see material once cut from so many "classics" now sensitively restored.

Knowing what the Walkers were going through in real life (marital separation) during this filming does indeed make me further appreciate the fine quality of their work. Though Jennifer reportedly often left the set in tears, not a hint of that shows. That indeed is strong acting.

The volume of sad and tragic events depicted in this film now seems, by the end, a wee bit much. Still, this "tear jerker supreme" continues to be enjoyed by many viewers, and "Since You Went Away," remains a nostalgic enactment of an emotional period in American history.