This Above All (1942)

Director:

Anatole Litvak

Writers:

Eric Knight (novel)
R.C. Sherriff (writer)

Release Date:

12 May 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

He's lost his belief in everything but love.

Plot:

Although she comes from an aristocratic family, beautiful Prudence Cathaway defies convention by joining the WAAFs and becoming romantically involved with an AWOL soldier.

Plot Keywords:

AWOL | Blind Date | Deserter | Poacher | Seaside

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Clive Briggs
Joan Fontaine	...	Prudence Cathaway
Thomas Mitchell	...	Monty
Henry Stephenson	...	General Cathaway
Nigel Bruce	...	Ramsbottom
Gladys Cooper	...	Iris Cathaway
Philip Merivale	...	Dr. Roger Cathaway
Sara Allgood	...	Waitress
Alexander Knox	...	Rector
Queenie Leonard	...	Violet Worthing
Melville Cooper	...	Wilbur
Jill Esmond	...	Nurse Emily
Holmes Herbert	...	Dr. Mathias
Denis Green	...	Dr. Ferris
Arthur Shields	...	Chaplain

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Robert Donat, Laurence Olivier and Richard Greene were also considered for the role of Clive Briggs.

Quotes:

Iris Cathaway: I'm not against equality. I'm perfectly prepared to be equal with anybody providing they don't start being equal with me.

Movie Connections:

References Crime Over London (1936)

Soundtrack:

Keep the Home Fires Burning

Radiant Fontaine and handsome Power caught in wartime romance...

THIS ABOVE ALL succeeds as a romantic drama largely because of the two leading performances of TYRONE POWER and JOAN FONTAINE, both at their physical peak. Fontaine makes a radiant, spirited Prudence and Power has that sincere quality that makes Clive a real character.

On the debit side, it has the faults typical of many wartime films in the '40s--the propaganda attitude is full of flag-waving moments, such as Fontaine's monologue about England's brave fight for victory. Nevertheless, she gives one of her better performances as an aristocratic young British woman who enlists in the WAF, meets Power and quickly falls deeply in love. It's the romantic aspect of the tale that is a clear winner--but the preachy elements in the screenplay do considerable harm in dulling its merits as a motion picture.

The wartime scenes of bombings and air raids is extremely well handled, the B&W photography is excellent, but Alfred Newman's syrupy score used throughout never gets a chance to rest.

Power and Fontaine make a handsome couple and the cast includes Thomas Mitchell, always a welcome character actor, as a caring friend.

Anatole Litvak's direction is occasionally striking but this director has done much more dramatic and serious work (such as SORRY, WRONG NUMBER and THE SNAKE PIT) with greater effect.

It ends up being only mildly satisfying, mainly because of the chemistry of the two stars.