Today We Live (1933)

During WWI, two officers, one a pilot and the other in the navy, compete for the same beautiful young woman.

Directors:

Howard Hawks, Richard Rosson (co-director)

Writers:

William Faulkner (story "Turn About"), Edith Fitzgerald (screenplay)

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Robert Young

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Crawford	...	Diana
Gary Cooper	...	Bogard
Robert Young	...	Claude
Franchot Tone	...	Ronnie
Roscoe Karns	...	McGinnis
Louise Closser Hale	...	Applegate
Rollo Lloyd	...	Major
Hilda Vaughn	...	Eleanor
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gene O'Brien

Storyline

The two lovers are living together and are not married as they hesitantly explain to her brother. They had made a promise as children to get married when they grew up, but they "didn't wait." It's an important plot point as it drives Cooper's actions when he discovers that Crawford and Young are living in sin.

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Plot Keywords:

screenplay adapted by author | officers club | padre | romantic triangle | war memorial | 

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Taglines:

YOUR own beating heart...your own quivering lips...your own tears and cheers will tell you that here is a truly grand motion picture! (Print Ad- New York Sun ((New York NY)) 14 April 1933)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 April 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

We Live Again

Filming Locations:

March Air Reserve Base, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$659,710 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Diana is mixing drinks for Claude and Ronnie before they ship out, she is pouring from a bottle of Perrier as a mixer.

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Goofs

Although the story takes place in England, during the World War I period (1916), 'Joan Crawford''s hairstyles and clothes are all strictly contemporary, including some very striking Adrian creations that were the very trademark of the time and place when it was being filmed (Hollywood, 1933.)

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Quotes

Bogard: I suppose now that you're giving up your home, you're going away?
Diana: No. No. I've moved my things to the gardner's cottage on the place.
Bogard: Oh, I see.
Diana: Please don't worry about me, Mr. Bogard. I'll be quite alright.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Mouth 3 (2018)

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Soundtracks

Marianne
(uncredited)
Music by Fred E. Ahlert
Lyrics by Roy Turk

User Reviews

In real-life Crawford meets & falls in love w/Franchot Tone!

That's pretty much the highlight and only point of interest to watch in this film. Crawford was freshly divorced from Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. She and Franchot Tone fell in love and started their romance, ultimately leading to marriage, while making this film. Since their characters are brother and sister; it's very interesting to watch the passion and "familial" kisses between them that is a LOT more potent than between Joan and her other two leading men, who were SUPPOSED to be the love interests.

Although the story was based on a William Faulkner novel, it is NOT very true to the book .... since there was NO female character like Joan's in the book. MGM wanted to use Crawford and had Faulkner add a character to the screenplay to accommodate a role for her. Trouper that she was, she does a good job, but this basic World War I "men's" story is very strange due to the newly added love triangle. There are also some very abrupt editing sequences that make you ponder what was left out.

Crawford manages to look great (although her clothes were NOT correct for the period - wait til you see her gown as Lady of the Manor - Adrian on the Moon!) and has some good close-ups but she is not believable as a Brit or in her supposed love for Gary Cooper. Her suffering and caring towards Robert Young is very touching though.

Cooper is always pleasant to watch but this does nothing extra for his resume. Robert Young is sweet and winsome and commands the movie-underdog fan-love, but Franchot Tone is the one who knows how to take below-average material and make it interesting. What he can do with a few curt words, a small prop like an upside down pipe in the rain or a quiet entrance into a room is sublime.

For Joan Crawford fans, I'd rate this movie a 5.5; for war and general movie fans, I'd rate it slightly lower at a solid 5.