JelenaG890 Some films hold up very well, even with time. Examples are Citizen Kane, All about Eve, The Maltese Falcon, Metropolis, Sunset Boulevard, It happened one night, among others. Others, while well-regarded during their release, just don't. "Since You Went Away" is one film that has not aged well at all.For one thing, the doomed "teenage" lovers are way too old for their roles- they were 25 and 31 and both kind of look it. I might be biased, since I have never thought very much of Jennifer Jones as an actress to start with, but I cannot believe she was nominated for this film. During the entire film, all she did was laugh girlishly and bat her eyes- first at Joseph Cotten, and then at Robert Walker, ironically her estranged husband at that time. Jones was decent in "Song of Bernadette" and making this film right after was a huge step backwards for her in my opinion.Robert Walker is a better actor, in my opinion, than Jones, but this role is pretty much thankless and does not showcase any of his talents. In fact, he pretty much looks miserable throughout this film, but I can't say I blame him. If I had to do a movie and kiss my ex-husband, I'd be miserable too.I'm not exactly sure what the point of Joseph Cotten's character was. He just creepily hangs out at their house, clearly lusting after his best friend's wife, while also well-aware of the older daughter's crush on him. I wish they had just left him out of this film- he really added nothing to the story and just came off as a giant leech.Shirley Temple, all grown up here, also does not add much in her role. She also still has the same, whiny baby voice she did at the age of 6. What worked for her as a child definitely did not work for her as she got older.Colbert is kind of the same as she was in any role- dignified, and elegant. But the role of mother does not seem to be one that really suited her.Some of the other performances hold up better. Woolley fares probably the best, and Agnes Moorehead is also great in her supporting role. Unfortunately, Alla Nazimova, one of the greatest silent film actresses and accomplished stage actress, is wasted in a nothing role where she delivers a "rah-rah, yay for the red, white, and blue!" speech.David Selznick certainly knew how to cater to an audience, judging by the massive success that this film was at the time of its release. However, it is just not a film that has held up with time. Instead of feeling patriotic or uplifted when I saw this film, I felt like I had to visit a dentist because of all this film's saccharine message. It is also far too long, but it fits with the "epic" nature of many Selznick films.

weezeralfalfa In my title, I mention the Hilton hotel because Hilton is the name of the family we follow on the domestic front during WW II, and there were quite a few comings and goings of active and retired military personnel involving this family, which consisted of a middle-aged mother(played by Claudette Colbert) and her 2 teen daughters, one(played by Jennifer Jones) near graduation from high school, and the other(played by Shirley Temple) not far behind. Historically, quite a few late teens didn't bother to wait for graduation, preferring to take one of the many job openings available or to enlist. And many of those who did graduate put off going to college at least until the war was over, as exemplified by Jennifer.In part, this is a story of one of many romances that was broken up by dislocation or the death of one of the participants. Robert Walker and Jennifer are the young couple featured herein, Walker being a young corporal who flunked out of West Point, to his grandfather's disappointment(The grandfather is played by Monty Woolley, who has rented a room in the Hilton home). Actually, Jennifer is initially attracted to a navy Lieutenant played by Joseph Cotton, who is probably around 15 years her senior. But Cotton is more interested in gabbing with mother Claudette, whom he has long been attracted to. Hence, Jennifer eventually warms up to Walker, who manages to arrange various dates with her, as detailed. Unfortunately, he is killed in action soon after arriving on a front. I'm sure there were thousands more cases something like this.It's mentioned that a neighbor young man was killed in the nearby crash of a military plane. In fact, 47,000 US military planes were damaged or totaled in domestic mishaps, killing more than 14,000 personnel in the years 1941-45, and who knows how many injured. Shirley Temple's character complains that she doesn't know what she can do toward the war effort. But, she is shown tending a "victory" garden on their property. Governments at various levels encouraged such gardens, and it's estimated that around 20,000,000 such gardens were begun during these years. In aggregate, they were estimated to produce about the same tonnage of vegetables as commercial growers, thus saving much materials used in producing and transporting commercial produce.A major theme of the film is the need to tighten belts during the war, with many breadwinners in the military. Whether having family members in the military harmed or helped with finances depended on the particulars of the family. In the case of the Hiltons, it apparently harmed, thus forcing them to rent out bedrooms and double up in sleeping arrangements, to reduce their maid service, and sell their car(apparently, no one was willing to learn to drive after the father was transferred overseas). A major failing of the assumed purpose of this film is the lack of examples of the many restrictions on consumer spending. For example, gasoline for private use was severely rationed. There was a ban on manufacturing automobiles, building new housing, and selling kitchen appliances, etc.. Also, many people not in the depression money economy filled the jobs in the private sector vacated by inductees and needed to produce war materials. This is exemplified in the film by Claudette learning welding and Jennifer volunteering as a nurse assistant at the local military hospital. The need for temporary housing, especially for military personnel and industrial workers, was often met by taking in roomers and sharing bedrooms, as illustrated in this film.In a film of this length, the screenwriters should have been able to include the important problem of rationing and lack of new replacements which the people involving in taking this film were currently experiencing....The inclusion of wooly Monty Woolley as a room renter in the Hilton household is a significant asset to this film. His unique personality and sense of humor brightened up many a scene. Because of her awkward age, Shirley Temple doesn't have a lot to do, except occasionally cry over bad news from the front, and exhibit some of the teenage activities of the time. Claudette, as always, does her role wonderfully. Ditto for the other principal players. The main problem is that it often drags. It was too long.

jandesimpson It was the type of film I used to see with my mother when she met me after school with a packed tea during those far off days of the war; the type of film I would look out for many years later on afternoon TV to share with her once more during the closing days of her life in a nearby nursing home. I have never lost my affection for those American 'weepies' of the '40's even though I now have to admit that many like John Cromwell's "Since You Went Away" fall some way short of the greatest by William Wyler and John Ford. There are even examples by lesser directors such as Anatole Litvak's "All This and Heaven Too" and Henry King's "Song of Bernadette" that are head and shoulders above it in overall quality. Nevertheless, as I waded through almost three hours of treacle the other evening I felt that "Since You Went Away" was an experience worth resurrecting if only for three factors, as a historical document, one sequence of tremendous emotional power and a reminder of the glorious black and white photography of some of those Hollywood masters, in this case Stanley Cortez ("The Magnificent Ambersons" and "Night of the Hunter"). Made at the height of the second world war the film was intended as a tribute to those wives, youngsters and others left behind on the home front. It generated enormous empathy from housewives everywhere with its central character played by Claudette Colbert, the embodiment of the 'stiff upper lip'. In probably her best role she keeps the whole film together in spite of its indulgent over length and often discursive irrelevant frills such as the martinet lodger's eating habits and his relations with the family dog. Often it needs the mention of 'Corregidor' or 'Salerno' to get back on course. I don't suppose I would be taking the trouble to pen this review were it not for a wonderful thing that happens well into the film, the meeting and steadily growing relationship between daughter Jane (Jennifer Jones) and the lodger's grandson (Robert Walker). In countless war films particularly those of this period there were attempts so encapsulate the intense preciousness of a couple's short time together before being torn apart by enforced separation. Of course it's that old love-youth-death cocktail yet again but I cannot remember it being more movingly done than here. Marvellous use of the pathetic fallacy of being caught in a thunderstorm in a country landscape followed by possibly the greatest cinematic train departure ever. Worth seeing if for nothing else.

Michael O'Keefe A sentimental romantic drama directed by John Cromwell. Its World War II and many soldiers have left loved ones behind to mind the homefront. Annie Hilton(Claudette Colbert)is trying to make the best of it while her husband is away. Times get tough as she struggles to raise her two daughters, Jane(Jennifer Jones)and 'Brig'(Shirley Temple). To fortify her budget, she must take in two borders, an old ex-soldier Col. William Smollett(Monty Woolley)and a dashing Lt. Tony Willet(Joseph Cotten). The extended household pulls together putting a buffer on hardships. Melencholia starts affecting the affairs of the heart as Tony escorts Annie to functions to take her mind off of her husband at war. Jane falls in love with old Col. Willett's disowned grandson(Robert Walker), who has washed out of military school. Lt. Willet gets his orders to ship out and breaks the heart of young 'Brig', who has a teenage crush on him. M-G-M has a genuine heart warming hit on its hands. Miss Colbert is always filmed from her favorite angle while Cotten is smooth as silk. This also marks the first success of Miss Temple past her childhood. The overly talented cast also features: Lionel Barrymore, Hattie McDaniel, Keenan Wynn, Guy Madison and Agnes Moorehead.