Never Say Goodbye (1956)

In present-day U.S., Dr. Michael Parker, a prominent surgeon, unexpectedly runs into his German-born wife whom he thought was dead. Victor, an artist and his "dead" wife's now boyfriend, ... See full summary »

Director:

Jerry Hopper

Writers:

Luigi Pirandello (play), Bruce Manning (earlier screenplay),

Stars:

Rock Hudson, Cornell Borchers, George Sanders

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rock Hudson	...	Dr. Michael Parker
Cornell Borchers	...	Lisa Gosting
George Sanders	...	Victor
Shelley Fabares	...	Suzy Parker
Ray Collins	...	Dr. Bailey
David Janssen	...	Dave Heller
Helen Wallace	...	Miss Tucker
John Wengraf	...	Prof. Zimmelman (as John E. Wengraf)
Raymond Greenleaf	...	Dr. Kelly Andrews
Max Showalter	...	Andy Leonard (as Casey Adams)
John Banner	...	Oskar, the Baker
Jerry Paris	...	Joe
Else Neft	...	Frau Hempel
Terry Ann Rossworn	...	Suzy, age 2
Robert F. Simon	...	Dr. Kenneth Evans

Storyline

In present-day U.S., Dr. Michael Parker, a prominent surgeon, unexpectedly runs into his German-born wife whom he thought was dead. Victor, an artist and his "dead" wife's now boyfriend, berates Dr. Parker for "killing" her. The bulk of the story flashes back to Austria during World War II as we learn how Dr. Parker met and married his wife, and the one mistake that may have cost him his family.

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Plot Keywords:

surgeon | artist | jealousy | flashback | post world war two | 

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Taglines:

Hated by the child who was her son... and forbidden to say "I am your mother."

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nur Du allein

Filming Locations:

Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While shooting Clint Eastwood's only scene, Rock Hudson noticed that Eastwood was wearing prop glasses. Hudson protested that because he was playing a physician, he should be wearing glasses, so the director gave Eastwood's glasses to Hudson. It is the only scene in the film where Hudson wears glasses.

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Connections

Version of Comme avant, mieux qu'avant (1972)

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Soundtracks

"FOR THE FIRST TIME"
Written by Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics by Harold Adamson
Performed by Cornell Borchers

User Reviews

Well Done, Sirk-Influenced Melodrama

Although Jerry Hopper is the credited director of "Never Say Goodbye", Douglas Sirk oddly goes unrecognized as the co-director. Though Sirk's presence can be felt at times, "Never Say Goodbye" lacks the visual irony and heaving drama of his greatest films. Nonetheless, this is a beautifully-acted, handsomely-crafted affair, with a lush Frank Skinner score and some climactic melodrama thrown in for good measure. Part war romance, part domestic drama, "Never Say Goodbye" is an interesting hybrid that actually works.

Rock Hudson plays a military doctor who falls in love with nightclub pianist, Cornell Borchers. They marry and have a baby and all seems right. That is, until Hudson's seething jealousy wrecks everything that they had established. Tragedy tears the couple apart and Hudson must raise their daughter alone. Years later, fate brings the couple back together and their daughter(played surprisingly well by a young Shelley Fabares)must come to grips with the mother she had never known. The always good George Sanders is sorely underused as the man who blames Hudson for the entire ordeal.

"Never Say Goodbye" has its heavy-handed moments for sure. And you just might roll your eyes at how quickly and cleanly the ending gets wrapped up. But the action gets rolling almost from scene one and it turns out to be a satisfying, if unmemorable, nugget of 1950's soap opera. Uinversal-International continues to churn out the glossy fluff with this one.