User Reviews

On the brink of World War II, a man believed killed in World War I returns in "Tomorrow is Forever," directed by Irving Pichel and starring Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles, George Brent, Richard Long, and Natalie Wood. After her husband John's death in the first world war, Elizabeth (Colbert) finds out she's pregnant. She ultimately makes a new life for herself with Lawrence (Brent), and together they have a daughter. Lawrence raises the son (Long) as his own. When "Dr. Kessler" (Welles), a scientist working with her husband, first appears at their home, Elizabeth doesn't realize it's John, who never returned to the U.S. because of his crippling, debilitating war wounds. He has a young child with him, Margaret (Wood), who it turns out is the child of his late doctor and his wife.

This is a beautifully done movie in every respect, including Max Steiner's music (though a little strong at times), and holds the viewer's interest throughout. Colbert is lovely as a tormented woman who has to deal with the prospect of her son going off to war as his father did - and perhaps never returning. Her scene as she comes downstairs and sees Dr. Kessler for the first time is wonderful. Something about him startles and unnerves her immediately, and it's apparent on her face. Two young actors who died too young - Richard Long and Natalie Wood - also appear in the "Tomorrow is Forever." Handsome Long, who would find success in television, makes a good impression in his first film. Wood, a blond here, is absolutely adorable and very accomplished, speaking German and then English with a German accent.

Orson Welles is an actor whose magnificent presence, acting technique, and voice allowed him to basically phone in most roles - his whole purpose in movie acting was to make money for his film projects - but obviously Irving Pinchot didn't accept a phone-in from him. Welles gives a very touching and believable performance as both young John and the older, ill Dr. Kessler. "Living in the past will not bring back what you had," he tells Elizabeth, "only destroy what you have." A wonderful, wonderful movie. Have a box of tissues nearby.

Orson Welles gives perhaps the finest, most heartfelt performance of his career in this solid, satisfying drama of two people torn apart by war and spanning World War I and our entry into World War II. Claudette Colbert gives one of her most sincere performances as the loving wife who marries another (George Brent) when she is told her husband is dead, only to have him return years later, crippled and drastically changed, never revealing his true identity.

The heartstrings are pulled rather heavily but it's all so well acted by Welles, Colbert and Brent that you can easily overlook some of the plot contrivances. Max Steiner's score is almost non-stop to such an extent that it can probably rank as one of the busiest background scores he ever wrote, if not the most distinguished. He lays it on a bit thick at times along with the mounting soapsuds.

Having said that, don't be discouraged from watching the film. Orson Welles may have made his name on CITIZEN KANE, but here he truly shows his artistry as a character actor after only a brief glimpse of him as his younger self in a flashback. Director Irving Pichel draws a rich, complex performance from him that has to be one of the best he ever gave throughout the '40s. Richard Long does nicely as the young man who is really his son, and Lucille Watson is excellent as Claudette's mother in law.

Impressive, beautifully acted and featuring one of the earliest screen appearances of Natalie Wood as a war orphan.

I am stunned to see the vast majority of commentators describe this great film as "typical," "sentimental," and "melodramatic." That is to completely overlook the various philosophical and psychological aspects of the movie. Isolationism. Pacifism. Opposition to global hegemony and tyranny. All of these are at the essence of the dialog and the story. The need for humans to deny the temptation to live in the past and to embrace the future is the core of the movie - in addition to its TITLE. Reason must overcome emotionalism.

That is made especially apparent in the scene where Kessler (Orson Welles) implicitly compares Mrs. Hamilton (Claudette Colbert) to his young charge, Margaret (Natalie Wood). While Mrs. Hamilton lost her husband on another continent, the Nazis murdered Margaret's parents right before her eyes. She is terrified by a "popper" because it causes her to "relive" the sound of bullets, the smell of gunpowder and the sight of blood - her parents' blood. Kessler gently coaxes Margaret into pulling the string on a second "popper" to prove that she doesn't need to be a victim of her fears. She can learn that it is not dangerous, but a mere "toy." She can overcome.

The climactic scene between Kessler and Mrs. Hamilton is equally fabulous. The tension steadily mounts as Mrs. Hamilton presses Kessler to admit that he is her husband. Until his direct denial, the dialog is so sublime that it makes sense whether delivered by the woman's lost husband or by "Mr. Kessler." But it is not sentimental. To the contrary, Kessler's powerful philosophical arguments and psychological insights compel Mrs. Hamilton to reassess her life and come to the realization that it has been, is, and promises to be good. To throw that away for a memory would be sheer sentimental folly. "Embrace the good life you have" is the very clear message.

Generally the acting is superb, however, in particular this is possibly Orson Welles' finest performance. There are no obvious double-takes or overly-long stares that are dead give-aways in most films that deal with a character with a hidden identity. This is a fabulously subtle performance. Welles' makeup is a little obvious and theatrical, but is not a distraction.

In an incredible - and incredibly overlooked - performance, Natalie Wood convincingly portrays a young Austrian girl who speaks German as her native tongue, has lost both parents to Nazi violence and is suddenly thrust into a strange new country. Her performance is one of the best juvenile performances in all American cinema.

The Max Steiner score is also very good, although I wish it had been a little more sub rosa. Just turning down the volume of the score to make it a little more subtle would have improved the film a little. However, it beautifully captures the mood of each scene.

This movie has layers upon layers. It contains paradoxes and ironies that are profound enough for real reflection. The characters provide profound contrasts in philosophy and psychology. The device of having a husband apparently die (but in actuality refuse to return home because of his "broken" condition) provides ample opportunity for sentimentality. But that device is merely the springboard for a much richer exploration of the meaning of life and our place in the world. To fail to recognize this is to minimize this fabulous film and miss its point.

This powerful and heart-wrenching melodrama takes its strength from the intensity and honesty of the central performance by Claudette Colbert, who makes the whole thing believable despite various story weaknesses and implausibilities. Orson Welles and George Brent are both very effective in the other lead roles, though Brent has little do but be sympathetic and attentive (which he always did very well in films), whereas Welles has to do some serious acting. This is a story of the wreckage of private lives caused by wars. The extreme situation portrayed here may have been rare, but such things must have happened occasionally. It is incredible to think that this important film has never been released on DVD. I had to acquire it on an old VHS video. The story concerns a young husband (Welles) at the time of the First World War who 'surprises' his wife (Colbert) one day at their comfortable home in Baltimore by putting on a uniform and announcing that he is going off to War. As we all now know, this kind of behaviour was common at the time, when all the young men didn't have any idea what they were getting into and thought it would all be over by Christmas. So he went off to fight in Europe and Colbert got a telegram informing her of her husband's death. She was pregnant, and was looked after by George Brent who fell in love with her and married her. But the problem is that Welles was not dead at all, he had lost his dogtags in the trenches and ended up in a German hospital for months with terrible facial scars and severe wounds. Having been, as he imagined, permanently and severely deformed, he opted not to return home and impose such a humiliation on his wife. Instead, he decided to remain 'dead, stayed on in Austria and became a German-speaking chemist named Dr. Koestler, assuming this false identity and new life with the aid of his Austrian doctor, who employed him. But 20 years later, the Germans having taken over Austria, Welles, with a desperate limp and a beard, had to flee, after his mentor was murdered by the Nazis. He brought with him a charming little orphan girl who had seen both of her parents murdered by the Nazis also. This little girl is played by the seven year-old Natalie Wood in her first genuine acting role (she had made brief uncredited cameo appearances in two previous films, playing for instance a little girl who drops an ice cream cone, no big acting job there). It is strange to think that I am writing this in era when so few people now remember who the amazing Natalie Wood was. Her early death at 43 cut short her career. But she was one of the leading young female stars of her generation. (See for instance my review of her in THIS PROPERTY IS CONDEMNED, 1966.) Altogether, she made 66 films in her short life, and is probably best remembered for WEST SIDE STORY, 1961, GYPSY, 1962, and REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, 1955. Her most characteristic whimsically smiling expression, particularly around the eyes, is to be seen here when she was still a tiny child. In the part, she speaks very good German with a decent accent. (Wood was from a Russian immigrant family, and her parents barely spoke English.) There will never be another Natalie Wood. Well, Welles and Wood (he pretends she is his daughter to get her through customs) make their way to America where Welles has secured a post as a chemist in his old home town of Baltimore, to see how the land lies there, as he no longer has his life in Austria. He goes back to the old house and sees that it is empty. But before long he comes face to face with Colbert, who does not recognise him, as well as his 20 year-old son by her, who does not even know that Brent is not his father. In fact, ironically it is Brent who is now Welles's employer because he owns the chemical company. Welles continues to pretend to be Koestler, but it is difficult for him. He becomes increasingly involved in the family affairs of his former wife and his son and slowly she begins to suspect that he may really be her ex-husband. Colbert convincingly portrays the profound emotional agony of this impossible situation, and Welles heroically continues to insist he is someone else, while Colbert's belief that he is her original husband becomes stronger and stronger. Meanwhile Welles is forced to intervene in a tense emotional situation regarding his son, who of course doesn't realize that he is his son. This all becomes increasingly fraught and we don't know what is going to happen, and I'm not going to tell.

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS. THIS POST REVEALS THE END OF THE MOVIE.

Every now and then I see a movie that is so bizarre I think maybe someone slipped mushrooms into my water canteen, or something. This is one such movie.

Its best feature, for me, was George Brent. He displayed a suave, self-assured solidity in movie after movie that never wavered, except for maybe his final scenes in "Spiral Staircase."

As part of the general absurdity of "Tomorrow," Brent has to introduce his wife to her first husband and the father of her child, whom he has raised, and do it all with this casual, 1940's, stable upper middle class white guy demeanor. And he does.

Without bursting into giggling fits.

I wonder how many takes that took.

What a bizarre movie!

It offers the sight of Orson Welles, already fat as a cow, obviously his age, (not young), in a WW I era doughboy uniform -- while this is one of those movies where it's 1918, but everyone is wearing very obviously 1940's fashions, make up, and hairstyles -- and here comes Welles in his authentic WW II doughboy get-up, with flared thighs, no less!

It's supposed to be a tearful goodbye to his wife, Claudette Colbert.

But you're already giggling.

Welles goes off to war, and is killed, but not really, and somehow he shows up in America 21 years later with a thick -- and accurate! I'll give Welles that! -- Austrian accent!

I mean, for heaven's sake! Did *no one* making this movie not *get it* that there is no known medical condition that causes American men to suddenly start speaking in a thick Austrian accent?

Welles was supposed to have been horribly wounded, but, in fact, he just has a lot of *very bad* make up on his face. 12 year olds come to my house on Halloween with more convincing make-up jobs. I'd believe that little Jimmy next door is Count Dracula before I'd believe that Welles is so badly scarred, facially, that Claudette Colbert does not recognize him, which she does not.

And, for heaven's sake, this is *Orson Welles,* one of the most distinctive voices in Hollywood, radio, or advertising, history! His voice could convince radio listeners that Martians had landed in New Jersey! As soon as Colbert has Welles over to dinner, and he says, "Mmm, I see that you will serve no wine before its time," how come she does not recognize the man meant to be the love of her life?

And, yet, I kept watching -- mostly because delicious little tidbits *just kept happening.*

Welles saying to his son -- "I am doing this because I am your father ... "

Oh, wow! he is pulling a Darth Vader!

"'s friend."

No, he's chickening out.

It's was interesting for one thing, though. Everyone decides that repressing everything is the best possible thing to do. Colbert will not reveal that she has figured out that the fat Austrian man with the bad make-up is the love of her life. Etc.

And that theme says something about one way America dealt with big issues in 1946 -- repression.

That's meant to be a good thing -- but, as soon as Welles cons Colbert into this repression deal, *he dies of a heart attack while trying to burn one of her old love letters to him.*

Wild. What were they thinking?

the film is a wonderful example of the over-the-top-sentimental'40s weeper and always worth watching. but it's hard to believe she doesn't recognize him from the get-go, even with the German accent and horrible age makeup (you can see the drawn-in lines in closeup). He was, after all, the love of her life--and he doesn't look all that different. and then there's that inimitable voice. i realize it requires suspension of disbelief and i'll go along with that. but it might've been more effective had we not seen him face-on in the 1918 flashback. the ending seems abrupt--as if there had been some hasty editing. Colbert never really reacts to his death beyond hugging natalie wood--in fact, there's no real moment of realization--she seems oddly impassive in a film so heavy with emotion and sentiment.

Copyright 31 December 1945 by International Pictures, Inc. Released through RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Winter Garden: 21 February 1946. U.S. release: January 1946. U.K. release: 18 February 1946. Australian release: 1 August 1946. 9,501 feet. 105 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Working wife thinks her husband has been killed in WW1. In reality, he has been crippled and disfigured.

NOTES: Although this film is often cited as the debut of Natalie Wood, in point of fact she had appeared three years earlier under her real name, Natasha Gurdin in 20th Century-Fox's Happy Land.

One of the domestic market's top 36 boxoffice movies for 1945-46.

COMMENT: An unrelievedly gloomy soaper, this movie has a major saving grace in the charismatic performance of Orson Welles who invests his role with such authority and conviction he has us almost believing in the familiarly melodramatic story. The other players are also competent enough, though none can stand anywhere near Welles. In fact it could be claimed that they tend to rely too much on their customary mannerisms, whereas Welles subjects his to the demands of his role.

Pichel's direction is more fluid than usual, taking advantage of the film's unexpectedly large budget with its massive sets and heaps of extras. Valentine's photography as usual is a major asset. Even at its most hackneyed or depressing, the picture is always most attractive to look at. Other technical credits are likewise "A"-grade through and through.

It's a pity all this money and expertise has been thrown into such a well-worn and unintentionally ridiculous old gaslight plot. No matter the realistic cleverness of Lenore Coffee's up-dated dialogue, you simply can't disguise a basically unbelievable story-line. Though Welles gives it a great try - and almost succeeds!

OTHER VIEWS: A sudsy melodrama of disappearing husbands and unrequited love, made watchable by Orson Welles' powerful presence and Joseph Valentine's atmospheric photography. Pichel's direction is occasionally stylish, but often plodding and pedestrian. Even Steiner's score seems second-rate, despite the movie's lavish production values. - John Howard Reid writing as George Addison.