My Reputation (1946)

Director:

Curtis Bernhardt

Writers:

Catherine Turney (screenplay)
Clare Jaynes (novel)

Release Date:

26 January 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Of all the dramatic triumphs from Warners this one is the greatest!

Plot:

A recent widow meets an army major while skiing and despite pressures from friends and family becomes romantically involved with him.

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Army Major | Gossip | Skiing | Christmas

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Jessica Drummond
George Brent	...	Maj. Scott Landis
Warner Anderson	...	Frank Everett
Lucile Watson	...	Mrs. Mary Kimball
John Ridgely	...	Cary Abbott
Eve Arden	...	Ginna Abbott
Jerome Cowan	...	George Van Orman
Esther Dale	...	Anna
Scotty Beckett	...	Kim Drummond
Bobby Cooper	...	Keith Drummond
Leona Maricle	...	Riette Van Orman
Mary Servoss	...	Mary
Cecil Cunningham	...	Mrs. Stella Thompson
Janis Wilson	...	Penny Boardman
Ann E. Todd	...	Gretchen Van Orman (as Ann Todd)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leah Baird	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Ellsworth Blake	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Oliver Blake	...	Dave (uncredited)
Elyse Brown	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Dale Cornell	...	Jitterbug (uncredited)
Frank Darien	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Shirley Doble	...	Jitterbug (uncredited)
Dan Dowling	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Helen Eby-Rock	...	Mrs. Hanson (uncredited)
Dick Elliott	...	Tipsy Man (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	New Year's Eve Celebrant (uncredited)
Nancy Evans	...	Baby Hawks (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Guest at Van Ormans' New Years Eve Party / Party Guest (uncredited)
Marjorie Hoshelle	...	Phyllis (uncredited)
Dickie Humphreys	...	Jitterbug (uncredited)
Charles Jordan	...	Al, the Butcher (uncredited)
Darwood Kaye	...	Bill 'Droopy' Hawks (uncredited)
Marilyn Kaye	...	Jitterbug (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel	...	Jonathan - Van Ormans' Butler (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Night Club Patron / Party Guest (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
Alexander Pollard	...	Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
Hugh Prosser	...	Les Hanson (uncredited)
Tom Quinn	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Rosalie Roy	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Husband of Scott's Old Girlfried (uncredited)
Harry Seymour	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Robert Shayne	...	Hank Hawks (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Soldier at New Year's Eve Celebration (uncredited)
Alan Ward	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Bruce Warren	...	Man in Bar (uncredited)
Dick Winslow	...	Orchestra Leader (uncredited)

Directed by
Curtis Bernhardt

Writing credits
Catherine Turney		(screenplay)
Clare Jaynes		(novel "Instruct My Sorrows")

Produced by
Henry Blanke	....	producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
James Wong Howe		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Weisbart

Art Direction by
Anton Grot

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Costume Design by
Leah Rhodes		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Everett Alton Brown	....	sound

Special Effects by
Roy Davidson	....	special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	costume designer: Barbara Stanwyck
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Jack Gage	....	dialogue director

Production Companies

• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1946) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Included in "The Barbara Stanwyck Signature Collection")

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  DVD package design
• Warner Home Video  DVD package design

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (certificate #9770)

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

The Nissen Hut where the movie "My Reputation" had its world premiere was located in the base cinema on the 467th Bomb Group airbase in Rackheath, England.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jess (Barbara Stanywck) gets behind Major Landis (George Brent) on his skis, she is holding her ski poles. In the next scene, she doesn't have them. A bit later, they are in her right hand, and then go missing again.

Quotes:

Riette Van Orman:Then why did you bother to come here at all?
Jessica Drummond:Because I was still coward enough to want to save my reputation.
Riette Van Orman:How quaint!

Soundtrack:

While You're Away

Stanwyck is fantastic

Barbara Stanwyck gets a "10" vote for her performance. She is incredibly skilled and she delivers beyond description.

The cinematography is wonderful (esp. firelight scenes). It rates a "10". The classy, orchestrated musical score doesn't rate a "10" but is perfect for this movie.

Fine supporting acting. The old actress who portrays Stanwyck's mom is terrific in a very unsympathetic role. Her stodginess provides a rock-hard theme throughout the film. Even the child actors are all very good. Eve Arden- excellent.

Brent is a problem. I can't figure out how he can do such a poor job in a role that he practically patented. Who better to hire for the "George Brent" role than THE George Brent? For some reason he just seems uninterested in this film project. The ending of the film is also problematic. It includes a well-staged interior scene with her sons and beautifully filmed train station scenes, but the script at this point becomes truncated and slapdash.

This movie is definitely on my "recommend" list due to Stanwyck's outstanding work. It has many good qualities that make it watchable, but is dragged down to an overall "7" due to only two negatives- Brent's lack of effort, and the unsatisfying ending.