Till the End of Time (1946)

Till the End of Time (1946) is an RKO melodrama exploring the difficulties of repatriation in post-WWII America. The film stars Guy Madison as Cliff Harper, a highly decorated marine who heads home after almost 4 years at war. His failure to launch into the next phase of his life has his pushy parents concerned. He falls for local war widow Pat Ruscomb (Dorothy McGuire) who is holding steadfast to the memory of her dead husband Johnny while seeking solace in the arms of Harper and other vets. The story also follows his two war buddies. First there's William Tabeshaw (Robert Mitchum), a smart-mouthed marine who is determined to gather up the funds to start his ranch but is hindered bu the physical affects of the silver plate in his head, a result of a war wound. Then there's Perry Kincheloe (Bill Williams), a former champion boxer who lost both his legs in the war and struggles to move forward with his life.

Guy Madison and Dorothy McGuire

Bill Williams

The physical and mental trauma of war and the adjustment to civilian life are themes at the heart of this story. Directed by Edward Dmytryk , Till the End of Time was based on the novel They Dream of Home by Niven Busch. Many changes were made to the original story by Allen Rivkin to adapt it to the screen. For example, Kincheloe was African-American and Tabeshaw was Native American. That's not to say race didn't factor into the movie. In the latter part of the film, a bigoted group of WWII vets called the American War Patriots try to recruit the film's trio of buddies into their organization. They accept "no Catholics, Jews or Negros" a proclamation that angers Harper, Tabeshaw and Kincheloe and leads to an epic bar fight which becomes the climax of the film.

Caleb Peterson

Till the End of Time (1946) is a poor man's version of The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). The film was profitable for RKO but it suffers from a weak plot, poor character building and silly melodrama. The two principles played by Madison and McGuire proved to be a bland and uninteresting couple. I didn't care if they got together or they didn't. In fact I thought Madison's other love interest Helen Ingersoll, played by  Jean Porter, was much more vivacious and interesting character and better suited to breathe some life into Harper. Porter met director Edward Dmytryk while making this film. He must have been captivated by her charm because the two married a couple of years later and stayed married until Dmytryk's death in 1999. Porter is the sole surviving cast member of the film at the time of this writing.

"I want to kiss you goodbye. But the room's too crowded." - Harper to Ruscomb 

Dorothy McGuire

Jean Porter

I was particularly interested in how this film explored how WWII veterans suffered from the effects of the mental trauma of the war. There was one very engrossing scene with Richard Benedict. Harper and Ruscomb witness Benedict, credited as "the boy from Idaho", suffering from the shakes. It's clear he's going through some symptoms of PTSD. He doesn't want to go home because of the shame attached to "battle fatigue". It's a powerful scene and had there been more thought-provoking moments like that one it would have been a better movie as a result.

There are a lot of silly moments in this film. I thought it was hilarious that Madison's poor dancing skills were praised by the characters where as Jean Porter's real dancing skills were overlooked. And maybe it was the Howard Hughes touch but they did try to cram as much needless sexuality into this film. McGuire and Porter's characters are forward in their sexuality and punished for it. Heartthrob Guy Madison's good looks were over-utilized. Any time they could make an excuse to film him topless (in bed, on the beach, wherever) they took it.

Guy Madison, topless. Again.

Till the End of Time wins a prize for what is probably the most homoerotic publicity photo of the era. This image of Madison and Mitchum together has always confused me. What's going on? Why is Madison holding Mitchum like that? I'm glad I watched the film to finally solve that mystery.

This may come off as biased because I'm such a big Robert Mitchum fan but he's really the best part about this movie, with the lovely Jean Porter battling him for the top spot. The film would have been vastly improved if it had focused on his character instead of Madison's Harper. Mitchum's swagger is charming. He's a tough guy with a heart of gold.

How could anyone resist Robert Mitchum's grin?

  
Till the End of Time (1946) is available on DVD-MOD from the Warner Archive Collection.

Warner Archive Wednesday - On (random) Wednesdays, I review one title from the Warner Archive Collection. Thank you to the Warner Archive for sending me Till the End of Time (1946) for review!

I Am Not Your Negro (2016)

“The story of the Negro in America is the story of America. It is not a pretty story.” – James Baldwin

In 1979, author James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent with an idea for a book. He was going to tell the story of America through the lives of three important and tragic figures of the Civil Rights movement: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. When Baldwin died in 1987 he had left behind only 30 pages of his manuscript that was to be called Remember This House. Director Raoul Peck’s documentary I Am Not Your Negro (2016) helps complete the narrative by using Baldwin’s own words from those 30 pages, other essays, his televised interviews, debates and more.


Author of such classics as Notes of a Native Son and Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin was an outspoken figure during the Civil Rights movement. He knew Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and MLK personally and while none of them ultimately agreed with each other on approach Baldwin appreciated what each brought to the table. Baldwin had a difficult relationship with the United States. He fled for Paris when Truman became president and lived in France, Switzerland and Turkey coming back to the states for stretches of time. He spent many of his final years in Saint-Paul-de-Vance France where he wrote his unfinished manuscript and other works.

I Am Not Your Negro is a scathing look at black representation in the media and the civil rights movement with a look towards what’s happening today. It’s timely and relevant, harrowing and shocking. It serves as a wake up call for everyone. Told through Baldwin's words, this documentary has no talking heads and no other voices. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, the documentary is full of archival footage interjected with some contemporary scenes including those related to the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the events that led to it. Baldwin’s words guide us on the journey.

I Am Not Your Negro. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Having recently read The Devil Finds Work, Baldwin’s book-length essay of film criticism and race, I recognized several passages in the documentary. In fact when the film is not delving into the life and death of the three Civil Rights leaders and Baldwin’s thoughts on treatment of black people in America, he discusses representation of blacks and whites in classic film. Many clips from a wide variety of classic movies are included. Some are directly related to Baldwin’s writings and others are used to prove a point or complement the narrative.

Classic film enthusiasts will find this documentary a tough pill to swallow. I know many of you want to remain in your bubble, I know I do sometimes, but I believe this is worth your time. The documentary takes a harsh look at classic movies. I was particularly taken aback by one scene in which we see a clip of Doris Day humming to herself in a kitchen in Lover Come Back (1961) and then cuts immediately to graphic photographs of lynched black men. This is one of many elements of shock and awe director Raoul Peck adds to the narrative. Here is the representation of a white woman living a luxurious life followed by the brutal reality of black oppression. Does it make me enjoy classic movies any less? No. Does it make me think about representation in film history? Yes. Baldwin had a complicated relationship with movies one that’s examined at length in The Devil Finds Work which I recommend everyone read. In this documentary we hear Baldwin discuss Hollywood figures both black and white including Joan Crawford, Sidney Poitier, Clinton Rosemond, John Wayne and others.

I wrote down some of the classic films that were included in this documentary. They include:

Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1927)
Dance Fools Dance (1931)
The Monster Walks (1932)
King Kong (1933)
Imitation of Life (1934)
They Won’t Forget (1937)
Stagecoach (1939)
No Way Out (1950)
Lullaby of Broadway (1951)
Love in the Afternoon (1957)
The Pajama Game (1957)
The Defiant Ones (1958)
Lover Come Back (1961)
A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
Custer of the West (1967)
Don’t Look Back (1967)
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (1967)
In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Pressure (1976)

I Am Not Your Negro is an engrossing and powerful documentary. It’s hard-hitting with a serious and timely message to deliver. It puts up its fists for a fight and doesn’t back down. Watching it I couldn’t peel myself away nor could I prevent my thoughts from racing. I love how the film is divided into themed chapters as though it was itself a book. It made for a very cohesive style even when the narrative wandered from one topic to another and back again. It’s also a visually stunning film and I loved all of the archival footage even when some of it was difficult to watch.

This documentary is out in theaters today. I hope you’ll give it a try. It’s great viewing for Black History Month. Bring a friend and sit down for a meal and long discussion afterwards.

Thank you to Magnolia Pictures for sending me a screener of this film to review.