SYNOPSIS: Fred MacMurray does his best to compel audience sympathy while he is torn between the homey security offered by Joan Bennett and the more colorfully vampish allure of Barbara Stanwyck.
COMMENT: Here's a movie that captured little more than moderate interest from connoisseurs, critics and fans on its original release, but was elevated to cult status in the 1960s. Admittedly, it's beautifully dressed (albeit in black-and-white), and its lush Ross Hunter assets are effectively put across by director Sirk and photographer Metty in long, fluid takes. But aside from this gorgeous mounting, the movie offers hardly a single redeeming feature. The script is dime-store True Romance, while the acting follows the finest traditions of genteel soap opera. All the dialogue is neatly mouthed with just the right amount of synthetic facial quivering that does little to disturb the actors' impeccable make-up and grooming. These characters are not real people but artificial poseurs in a synthetic world of high-hat romance.
Frankly, "There's Always Tomorrow" is the sort of yesterday's picture that gives 1950s' Hollywood a bad name. True, for sold-out fans of its three stars , the movie offers predictable entertainment. And it's always a pleasure to see Pat Crowley, Myrna Hansen and Jane Darwell. But an auteur masterpiece, it is most definitely not!
COMMENT: Here's a movie that captured little more than moderate interest from connoisseurs, critics and fans on its original release, but was elevated to cult status in the 1960s. Admittedly, it's beautifully dressed (albeit in black-and-white), and its lush Ross Hunter assets are effectively put across by director Sirk and photographer Metty in long, fluid takes. But aside from this gorgeous mounting, the movie offers hardly a single redeeming feature. The script is dime-store True Romance, while the acting follows the finest traditions of genteel soap opera. All the dialogue is neatly mouthed with just the right amount of synthetic facial quivering that does little to disturb the actors' impeccable make-up and grooming. These characters are not real people but artificial poseurs in a synthetic world of high-hat romance.
Frankly, "There's Always Tomorrow" is the sort of yesterday's picture that gives 1950s' Hollywood a bad name. True, for sold-out fans of its three stars , the movie offers predictable entertainment. And it's always a pleasure to see Pat Crowley, Myrna Hansen and Jane Darwell. But an auteur masterpiece, it is most definitely not!