Forever and a Day (1943)

During World War II, an American travels to Britain to sell an old house near London that belongs to his family. However, he meets Leslie Trimble who lives in the house and who is ... See full summary »

Directors:

Edmund Goulding, Cedric Hardwicke

Writers:

Charles Bennett, Alan Campbell

Stars:

George Kirby, Doreen Munroe, May Beatty

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Kirby	...	Wartime Newspaper Vendor
Doreen Munroe	...	Wartime Londoner (as Doreen Monroe)
May Beatty	...	Wartime Londoner Cook
Connie Leon	...	Wartime Londoner
Joy Harington	...	Wartime Bus Conductor (as Joy Harrington)
Kent Smith	...	Gates Trimble Pomfret
Ernest Grooney	...	Hotel Manager
Reginald Gardiner	...	Assistant Hotel Manager
Victor McLaglen	...	Archibald Spavin
Billy Bevan	...	Wartime Cabby
Arthur Treacher	...	Second Air Raid Watcher
Harry Allen	...	First Cockney Air Raid Watcher
Aubrey Mather	...	Man in Air Raid Shelter
Ethel Griffies	...	Wife of Man in Air Raid Shelter
June Lockhart	...	Girl in Air Raid Shelter

Storyline

During World War II, an American travels to Britain to sell an old house near London that belongs to his family. However, he meets Leslie Trimble who lives in the house and who is resolutely against the sale. While they spend the night in an air-raid shelter she tells him the story of the building from its construction in 1804 until the present.

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Plot Keywords:

newspaper | bus | lobby | elevator | fedora | 

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Taglines:

Brian Aherne, Robert Cummings, Charles Laughton, Ida Lupino, Herbert Marshall, Ray Milland, Anna Neagle, Merle Oberon and 42 more Hollywood Favorites.

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film has more credited writers than any other.

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Goofs

In the first scene, which takes place on March 8, 1941, a newsboy announces that Germany has invaded Greece. However, the invasion did not begin until April 6, 1941.

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Quotes

Sir Anthony Trimble-Pomfret: [on receiving a knighthood] I am of course grattered and flattified by the signal honour Her Majesty has done us.

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Soundtracks

Roll Out The Barrel
aka "Beer Barrel Polka" (uncredited)
Music by Jaromir Vejvoda and Eduard Ingris, English lyrics by Lew Brown and Wladimir A. Timm
Sung in the air raid shelter

User Reviews

Different than the usual variety shows

Boasting a cast of 78 movie stars, performers from every corner banded together for the troops in Forever and a Day, another "variety show" movie that was popular during WWII. Join Dame May Whitty, Edmund Gwenn, Arthur Treacher, Victor McLaglen, Herbert Marshall, C. Aubrey Smith, Buster Keaton, Gene Lockhart, Reginald Owen, Halliwell Hobbs, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Nigel Bruce, Una O'Connor, Richard Hayden, Brian Aherne, Claude Rains, Ray Milland, Edward Everett Horton, Patric Knowles, June Duprez, Cecil Kellaway Ida Lupino, Eric Blore, Merle Oberon, Queenie Leopard, Jessie Matthews, Gladys Cooper, Robert Cummings, Donald Crisp as they act out a script contributed to by 22 writers, and directed and produced by seven skilled men.

In one of his earlier films, Kent Smith stars as a young man interested in the history of an old British house. Told through vignettes, the house's owners and ancestors are explained. This has an entirely different feel than the usual "variety show" movies from the time period. There isn't song after dance after skit; instead, it's dramatic British scene after mildly comical British scene after neutral British scene. Unless you can keep up with the different accents and class distinctions and tongue-in-cheek about modern conveniences like bathtubs and motor cars, you probably won't like this one. It is fun to see Charles Laughton playing a butler and Brian Aherne trying out for Cary Grant's part in None But the Lonely Heart, though.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 January 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Changing World

Filming Locations:

RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1