IMDb >
The Human Comedy (1943)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Human Comedy (1943) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
14 February 1944 (Sweden) morePlot:
Teenager Homer Macauley stays at home in small-town Ithaca to support his family, while his older brother Marcus prepares to go to war. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Won Oscar. Another 4 nominations moreNewsDesk:
Did 'Casablanca' deserve to win best picture at the Oscars?(From Gold Derby. 2 March 2009, 11:11 AM, PST)
User Comments:
I love this forgotten piece of American nostalgia with it's family values, patriotism and sweet sentimentality. more (34 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Mickey Rooney | ... | Homer Macauley | |
| Frank Morgan | ... | Willie Grogan | |
| James Craig | ... | Tom Spangler | |
| Marsha Hunt | ... | Diana Steed | |
| Fay Bainter | ... | Mrs. Macauley | |
| Ray Collins | ... | Mr. Macauley - ghost | |
| Van Johnson | ... | Marcus Macauley | |
| Donna Reed | ... | Bess Macauley | |
| Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins | ... | Ulysses ('Useless') Macauley | |
| Dorothy Morris | ... | Mary - Marcus's girl next door | |
| John Craven | ... | Tobey George | |
| Anne Ayars | ... | Mrs. Rose Sandoval | |
| Mary Nash | ... | Miss Hicks - history teacher | |
| Henry O'Neill | ... | Mr. Charles Steed | |
| Katharine Alexander | ... | Mrs. Steed |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
118 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)Filming Locations:
Clarence Brown Ranch - Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USAFun Stuff
Trivia:
Writer William Saroyan wanted desperately to direct the film despite having no experience in directing. Louis B. Mayer told Saroyan that he would consider the request and assigned the writer to direct a one reel short. The short film was a disappointment and studio stalwart Clarence Brown was promptly assigned. Saroyan was so bitter about the experience he wrote a play about Mayer soon after titled "Get Away Old Man". moreQuotes:
Mr. Macauley: I am Matthew Macauley. I have been dead for two years. So much of me is still living that I know now the end is only the beginning. As I look down on my homeland of Ithaca, California, with its cactus, vineyards and orchards, I see that so much of me is still living there - in the places I've been, in the fields and streets and church and most of all in my home, where my hopes, my dreams, my ambitions still live in the daily life of my loved ones. moreSoundtrack:
All the World Will Be Jealous of Me moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (34 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Human Comedy (1943)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Marsha Hunt | laxlon |
| Van Johnson - playing concertina/squeezebox ? | imdb-21221 |
| the human comedy | stayontheroad |
| Odd wartime movie (spoilers!) | dfc99 |
| Couple of things... | mryerson |
| DVD? | cinestreak |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Where the Heart Is | Tender Comrade | Gone with the Wind | Johnny Got His Gun | The Very Thought of You |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |

I first saw this film on TV as a child in the 1960s and thought it delightful and sad. All the characters learn about the values of life, family, honesty and love. Yes it's packed with whole-kernel corn but what's wrong with that? I enjoy a good film noir, screwball comedy or even classic horror film but every once in a while it is good to think about the hopes our grandparents had for a better world after WWII and why we fought that war.
So if you don't like the WALTONS style of family values, please skip it and take in a modern film calculated by accountants and marketing departments to separate your money from your pocket.
But if you like a good story packed with an ensemble of very talented actors delivering charming home-spun dialogue in a near dream like world of hope, check this out.
My favorite line is delivered by the stunningly beautiful Marsha Hunt (who is still a beauty today!) when she tries to convince handsome James Craig they are both really in love, "You do love me, don't you? Yes you do, you know you do." Of course he walks away with his head in the clouds, and in love. You will be too when you give this dated cookie a bite!