Since You Went Away (1944)

Director:

John Cromwell

Writers:

Margaret Buell Wilder (book)
Margaret Buell Wilder (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

20 July 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Great! . . . A Story So Warm . . . So Human . . . So Real . . . you'll wish it might never end! With seven great stars who were never greater!

Plot:

While husband Tim is away during World War II, Anne Hilton copes with problems on the homefront. Taking in a lodger...

Plot Keywords:

Rationing | Lodger | Homefront | Military Officer | Retiree

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 8 nominations

Cast

Claudette Colbert	...	Mrs. Anne Hilton
Jennifer Jones	...	Jane Deborah Hilton
Joseph Cotten	...	Lieutenant Tony Willett
Shirley Temple	...	Bridget 'Brig' Hilton
Monty Woolley	...	Colonel William G. Smollett
Lionel Barrymore	...	Clergyman
Robert Walker	...	Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II
Hattie McDaniel	...	Fidelia
Agnes Moorehead	...	Mrs. Emily Hawkins
Alla Nazimova	...	Zofia Koslowska (as Nazimova)
Albert Bassermann	...	Dr. Sigmund Gottlieb Golden
Gordon Oliver	...	Marine Officer Seeking Room
Keenan Wynn	...	Lieutenant Solomon
Guy Madison	...	Sailor Harold E. Smith
Craig Stevens	...	Danny Williams
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Mr. Mahoney - Grocer
Jackie Moran	...	Johnny Mahoney
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christopher Adams	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Dorothy Adams	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Florence Allen	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Robert Anderson	...	Patron at Bar (uncredited)
Irving Bacon	...	Bartender at Cocktail Lounge (uncredited)
Shelby Bacon	...	Black Couple's Son (uncredited)
Walter Baldwin	...	Train Station Gateman (uncredited)
Cecil Ballerino	...	Patient at Potters Wheel (uncredited)
Dick Baron	...	(uncredited)
Kirk Barron	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Warren Barr	...	(uncredited)
Florence Bates	...	Hungry Woman on Train (uncredited)
Conrad Binyon	...	Page Boy (uncredited)
Lela Bliss	...	Gabby Woman on Telephone at Train Station (uncredited)
Lulu Mae Bohrman	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Johnny Bond	...	AWOL Soldier in Train Station (uncredited)
Eddie Borden	...	Man in Movie Theatre (uncredited)
Warren Burr	...	Serious Soldier (uncredited)
James Bush	...	Man in Cocktail Lounge (uncredited)
James Carlisle	...	Sugar's Officer Friend (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Robert Cherry	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Loudie Claar	...	Young Mother (uncredited)
Wallis Clark	...	Man at Cocktail Lounge (uncredited)
Jimmy Clemons Jr.	...	Boy Caroler (uncredited)
Dorothy Dandridge	...	Black Officer's Wife in Train Station (uncredited)
William B. Davidson	...	Taxpayer (uncredited)
Tom Dawson	...	Tough Bronx Soldier (uncredited)
Dulcie Day	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
John Derek	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Jane Devlin	...	Gladys Brown (uncredited)
Adeline De Walt Reynolds	...	Elderly Woman on Train (uncredited)
Jimmie Dodd	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Steve Dunhill	...	Marine Lover (uncredited)
Mary Anne Durkin	...	Frightened Girl at Dance (uncredited)
Paul Esberg	...	Convalescent (uncredited)
Mrs. Roy Feldman	...	Soldier's Grandmother (uncredited)
Rhonda Fleming	...	Girl at Dance (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	High School Principal (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Patient in Wheelchair (uncredited)
Cindy Garner	...	Sugar (uncredited)
Ann Gillis	...	Becky Anderson - Class President (uncredited)
Buddy Gorman	...	Short Private on Dance Floor (uncredited)
Jonathan Hale	...	Second Train Conductor (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	Eager Sailor (uncredited)
Marilyn Hare	...	Merchant Marine's Wife (uncredited)
Neila Hart	...	(uncredited)
Harry Hayden	...	First Train Conductor (uncredited)
Joyce Horne	...	Swenson's Girl Friend (uncredited)
Betsy Howard	...	Friend of Envious Girl at Train Station (uncredited)
Russell Hoyt	...	One-Armed Sailor (uncredited)
Warren Hymer	...	Convalescent Wishing for Tutti Frutti (uncredited)
Earl Jacobs	...	One-Armed Boy (uncredited)
John James	...	Friendly Sergeant at Dance (uncredited)
Eilene Janssen	...	Sergeant's Child in Train Station (uncredited)
Bobby Johnson	...	Black Officer in Train Station (uncredited)
Janelle Johnson Dolenz	...	(uncredited)
Verna Knopf	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Motorcycle Policeman (uncredited)
Peggy Maley	...	Marine's Second Girl Friend (uncredited)
Dorothy Mann	...	Marine's Girl Friend (uncredited)
Edwin Maxwell	...	Businessman in Cocktail Lounge (uncredited)
Andrew V. McLaglen	...	Former Plowboy (uncredited)
Harlan Miller	...	Military Policeman (uncredited)
Terry Moore	...	Refugee Child on Train (uncredited)
Neyle Morrow	...	Soldier Grandson (uncredited)
Leo Mostovoy	...	Headwaiter at Steak House (uncredited)
Don Najarian	...	Baby (uncredited)
Jon Najarian	...	Baby (uncredited)
Martha Outlaw	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper	...	Bowling Alley Pin Girl (uncredited)
Patricia Peters	...	Tall WAC (uncredited)
Aileen Pringle	...	Woman at Cocktail Lounge (uncredited)
Ralph Reed	...	Convalescent (uncredited)
Terry Revell	...	Foreman (uncredited)
Addison Richards	...	Major Sam Atkins (uncredited)
Ruth Roman	...	Envious Girl in Train Station (uncredited)
Eric Sinclair	...	Voice in Convalescent Ward (voice) (uncredited)
Grady Sutton	...	Soldier Hunting for Susie Fleming (uncredited)
Ruth Valmy	...	Tony's Friend (uncredited)
Theodore von Eltz	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Jill Warren	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Steve Wayne	...	Bearded Sailor (uncredited)
Doodles Weaver	...	Convalescent Wishing for Watermelon (uncredited)
James Westerfield	...	Convalescent on Rehab Steps (uncredited)
Dick Whittington	...	Soda - the Dog (uncredited)
Charles Williams	...	Man in Cocktail Lounge (uncredited)
Douglas Wood	...	Man in Cocktail Lounge (uncredited)
Richard C. Wood	...	Convalescent (uncredited)

Directed by
John Cromwell

Writing credits
Margaret Buell Wilder		(book "Since You Went Away: Letters to a Soldier from His Wife")
Margaret Buell Wilder		(adaptation)
David O. Selznick		(screenplay)

Produced by
David O. Selznick	....	producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Stanley Cortez
Lee Garmes
George Barnes		(photographed by) (uncredited)
Robert Bruce		(photographed by) (uncredited)

Film Editing by
John Faure		(uncredited)
Arthur Fellows		(uncredited)
Marsh Hendry		(uncredited)

Production Design by
William L. Pereira

Set Decoration by
Mark-Lee Kirk		(settings) (as Mark Lee Kirk)

Makeup Department
Peggy Higgins	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Margaret Martin	....	associate hair stylist (uncredited)
William Riddle	....	associate makeup supervisor (uncredited)
Robert Stephanoff	....	makeup supervisor (uncredited)

Production Management
Fred Ahern	....	production manager (uncredited)
John Burch	....	unit manager (uncredited)
Richard Johnston	....	production manager (uncredited)
Raymond A. Klune	....	production manager (uncredited)
George Yohalem	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lowell J. Farrell	....	assistant director
Edward F. Cline	....	director: comedy sequences (uncredited)
Tay Garnett	....	director: crowd sequences (uncredited)

Art Department
Victor A. Gangelin	....	interior decorator
Robert Ashton	....	draftsman (uncredited)
William Connor	....	draftsman (uncredited)
Arden Cripe	....	props (uncredited)
Harold Fenton	....	construction superintendent (uncredited)
James Forney	....	draperies (uncredited)
J. McMillan Johnson	....	production artist (uncredited)
Roy McLaughlin	....	greens (uncredited)
Frank Pereu	....	draftsman (uncredited)
Frederick Robinson	....	production artist (uncredited)
A. Leslie Thomas	....	production artist (uncredited)
Fred Widdowson	....	props (uncredited)
Alfred Ybarra	....	chief draftsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Percy Townsend	....	sound recordist
Charles L. Freeman	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Arthur Johns	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jack Cosgrove	....	special effects
Clarence Slifer	....	special effects associate (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Marty Crail	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Eddie Fitzgerald	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Kenneth Meade	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
James Potevin	....	chief electrician (uncredited)
Morris Rosen	....	chief grip (uncredited)
Harvey L. Slocomb	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Harry Webb	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Ruth Burch	....	casting manager (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elmer Ellsworth	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Adele Sadler	....	wardrobe associate (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Hal C. Kern	....	supervising editor
James E. Newcom	....	associate film editor
André De Toth	....	montage (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Forbes	....	associate music director
H.R. Bishop	....	music arranger: "There's No Place Like Home {Home, Sweet Home}" (uncredited)
Gil Grau	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Jerome Moross	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Alexander Tansman	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Franz Waxman	....	music arranger: "Emperor Waltz" (uncredited)
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Barbara Keon	....	production assistant
David O. Selznick	....	presenter
Lt. Col. J.G. Taylor	....	technical advisor (as Lt. Col. J.G. Taylor U.S. Army)
Jack Beaman	....	technical advisor: Red Cross scenes (uncredited)
Ulrie Bell	....	technical assistant: Office of War Information (uncredited)
A.J. Bolton	....	technical assistant: U.S. Navy (uncredited)
William S. Cunningham	....	technical assistant: Office of War Information (uncredited)
Tom Douglas	....	consultant: Hilton house (uncredited)
Sarah Catherine Haney	....	researcher (uncredited)
A. Joan O'Brien	....	researcher (uncredited)
May E. Romm	....	technical assistant (uncredited)
Lydia Schiller	....	script girl (uncredited)
David O. Selznick	....	fill-in director (uncredited)
Iris Taylor	....	technical advisor: Red Cross scenes (uncredited)
Dr. Walter L. Treadway	....	technical assistant: U.S. Public Health Service medical director (uncredited)
Charles Walters	....	dance director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Vanguard Films (III) (for)
• Selznick International Pictures

Distributors

• United Artists (1944) (USA) (theatrical)
• Eagle-Lion Films (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (edited) (re-release)
• Selznick Releasing Organization (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• CBS/Fox (1990) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

UK:172 min | USA:130 min (1949 re-release) | 177 min (DVD version) | 172 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Yiddish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating) | UK:U | Australia:G | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #9990) | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Church of the Angels - 1100 Avenue 64, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Vanguard Films (III)

Trivia:

Film debut of Guy Madison.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Colonel William G. Smollett introduces himself as such when he responds to the advertisement for an officer boarder, but is incorrectly called 'Colonel Smollie' by Bridget while tending the victory garden, and again at his birthday party with his cake having 'Colonel Smollie' written on it.

Quotes:

Colonel William G. Smollett: Oh yes, and another thing. I neglected to inform your mother that I like my breakfast promptly at seven. Coffee, thin toast, and two eggs, boiled, two and a half minutes, under no circumstances more than three.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: But golly, Colonel Smollett, we can't afford to give you breakfast.
Colonel William G. Smollett: Indeed?
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: Even as it is now, poor Mother doesn't know what she's going to do. When Fidelia was here, the bills didn't seem so high, but now, with the way things are going -
Colonel William G. Smollett: Please. I'm quite prepared to pay.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: Oh. That's fine. What would you say to fifty cents a day?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Edited into "Biography: Jennifer Jones: Portrait of a Lady" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Shoo-Shoo Baby

History repeats itself

Watching this film, we couldn't help drawing a parallel between what the Hilton family went through in the early 40s to the actual conflict in Iraq. The film makes clear the hard times on the families left behind. The government, unfortunately, doesn't provide for the people that have to sacrifice a great deal by making do with a reduced income in order to survive, while the men, or women are away in combat.

John Cromwell directs the film with an accurate eye for details. There is a lovely sequence at an airfield hangar where we see couples in silhouette dancing a waltz. It's at that time when war seems so far away from the lives of the family at the center of the story. This is a distraction that is shattered shortly thereafter when Anne Hilton learns about the airplane accident where the young son of her grocer dies. War shows its ugly face no matter how far removed one is from the actual theater of operations, as it is in this case.

David O. Selznick adapted the novel in which the film is based. It runs for almost three hours, and it could have used some cutting, but this movie has proved to be a favorite for many that have discovered it years after it was first released.

Claudette Colbert was an accomplished actress who made this Anne Hilton come alive. Jennifer Jones is a compelling Jane, a girl deprived of a father and confused about what she want from life. Joseph Cotten plays Tony, the man who comes into the lives of the Hilton women. Monty Woolley, Robert Walker, Agnes Moorhead all have excellent moments where they shine.

It was also good to see in minor roles people that would go on to have careers of their own. Guy Madison, Keenan Wynn, Craig Stevens appear in the film shortly, but they leave their mark on it.

This is a film that will not disappoint.