In the immediate post World War II period, 20th Century Fox launched two very different genres of film. One was the semi-documentary type of movie, often shot on location, that generally featured gritty, realistic stories about urban life. These films may be exemplified by Call Northside 777, Kiss of Death, Pickup on South Street and The House on 92nd Street. At the same time, this studio ventured into an idealized world of nostalgia that usually illustrated family oriented narratives about a long ago era involving charming domestic adventures, both large and small. Some of these titles include Cheaper by the Dozen, Margie, State Fair and Centennial Summer.
The latter category also includes Wait 'Til the Sun Shines, Nellie. In many ways, it is the best illustration of these films, with its homespun slice of life stories, barber shop quartet harmonies, romanticized small town atmosphere and blend of little scenes of happiness combined with tragedy. This film is now available on YouTube for reassessment by those who only remember it from the distant past. It certainly is worth another visit by such folks.
In seeing it again recently, I was struck by the fact that the David Wayne principal character changes very little over the years, notwithstanding his increasing maturity and exposure to a variety of life's experiences. He still seems to be a humorless, somewhat controlling person who likes to Impose his opinions upon others (including his newly wed wife) in the face of how wrong he often turned out to be. I missed this point completely the first time I saw it. Was the film intended to show us just how human he was? If so, am I the only one who believes that the film may have missed the mark here?
This is not a great movie, but it is a good attempt to capture the spirit of old fashioned sentimentality that has ceased to exist as a reality for a long time now. Its value to us as a modern audience is like that of an antique. And yes--there is a place for antiques in today's world.
Jean Peters is almost unknown today, but her charm and beauty are on full display here. Her most interesting role may have been as the female lead in the Tyrone Power historical epic Captain from Castile. While David Wayne is probably best remembered for his comic roles on Broadway and in films, this one is likely to be his most fully realized movie performance. However, Wayne's finest film effort arose when he revisited the old Peter Lorre part in the underappreciated remake of Fritz Lang's classic M. Check it out for an interesting moviegoing experience.
The latter category also includes Wait 'Til the Sun Shines, Nellie. In many ways, it is the best illustration of these films, with its homespun slice of life stories, barber shop quartet harmonies, romanticized small town atmosphere and blend of little scenes of happiness combined with tragedy. This film is now available on YouTube for reassessment by those who only remember it from the distant past. It certainly is worth another visit by such folks.
In seeing it again recently, I was struck by the fact that the David Wayne principal character changes very little over the years, notwithstanding his increasing maturity and exposure to a variety of life's experiences. He still seems to be a humorless, somewhat controlling person who likes to Impose his opinions upon others (including his newly wed wife) in the face of how wrong he often turned out to be. I missed this point completely the first time I saw it. Was the film intended to show us just how human he was? If so, am I the only one who believes that the film may have missed the mark here?
This is not a great movie, but it is a good attempt to capture the spirit of old fashioned sentimentality that has ceased to exist as a reality for a long time now. Its value to us as a modern audience is like that of an antique. And yes--there is a place for antiques in today's world.
Jean Peters is almost unknown today, but her charm and beauty are on full display here. Her most interesting role may have been as the female lead in the Tyrone Power historical epic Captain from Castile. While David Wayne is probably best remembered for his comic roles on Broadway and in films, this one is likely to be his most fully realized movie performance. However, Wayne's finest film effort arose when he revisited the old Peter Lorre part in the underappreciated remake of Fritz Lang's classic M. Check it out for an interesting moviegoing experience.