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The Best Years of Our Lives ()

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Three World War II veterans, two of them traumatized or disabled, return home to the American midwest to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.
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Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
  • Won 7 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 3 nominations.
  • See more »
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

133 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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Milly Stephenson
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Al Stephenson (as Frederic March)
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Fred Derry
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Peggy Stephenson
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Marie Derry
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Wilma Cameron
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Butch Engle
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Homer Parrish
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Hortense Derry
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Pat Derry
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Mr. Milton
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Mrs. Parrish
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Mr. Parrish
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Cliff
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Mrs. Cameron
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Mr. Cameron
Marlene Aames ...
Luella Parrish
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Prew
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Mr. Mollett
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Thorpe (as Howland Chamberlin)
Dean White ...
Novak
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Bullard
Michael Hall ...
Rob Stephenson
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Woody Merrill
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nestor Amaral ...
Guitar player in Samba band. (uncredited)
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Jackie (uncredited)
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Saleswoman (uncredited)
Mary Arden ...
Miss Barbour (uncredited)
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Wedding Guest (uncredited)
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Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)
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Minister at Wedding (uncredited)
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Drugstore Clerk (uncredited)
Tom Coleman ...
Waiter (uncredited)
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Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
James Conaty ...
Dinner Guest (uncredited)
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Customer (uncredited)
Bert Conway ...
ATC Sergeant (uncredited)
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Taxi Driver (uncredited)
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Announcer (uncredited)
Roy Darmour ...
Parking Lot Attendant (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson ...
Man at Airport (uncredited)
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Bank Customer with Hat (uncredited)
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Bar Patron (uncredited)
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Mrs. Talburt - Perfume Customer (uncredited)
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Doorman (uncredited)
Dick Earle ...
Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)
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Steese - Bank (uncredited)
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Corporal at ATC Counter (uncredited)
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Customer (uncredited)
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Lou Latham - Bank (uncredited)
Doris June Fesetta ...
Camera Girl (uncredited)
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Salvage Foreman (uncredited)
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Nightclub / Hillbilly Singer (uncredited)
Louise Franklin ...
Ladies' Room Attendant (uncredited)
Harry Gillette ...
Card Player at Lucia's (uncredited)
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Maitre d'Hotel (uncredited)
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Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Marion Gray ...
Department Store Customer (uncredited)
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Diner Attendant at Lucia's (uncredited)
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Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Ray Hyke ...
Gus - Salvage Worker (uncredited)
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Ryan - Bank Guard (uncredited)
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Dexter - Brat in Drugstore (uncredited)
Jackie Jackson ...
A Boy (uncredited)
Georgia Kane ...
Singer (uncredited)
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Technical Sergeant (uncredited)
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Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Donald Kerr ...
Steve the Bartender (uncredited)
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Musician - Drum Solo (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Alyn Lockwood ...
Counter Girl (uncredited)
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Man at Airport (uncredited)
Susan Mann ...
Announcer (uncredited)
Thomas Martin ...
Waiter (uncredited)
Michael Mauree ...
Glamour Girl (uncredited)
Doreen McCann ...
A Girl (uncredited)
Peggy McIntyre ...
Girl at Soda Fountain - Mollett Scene (uncredited)
Russell Meeker ...
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Chef Milani ...
Giuseppe - Lucia's Restaurant Proprietor (uncredited)
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Wealthy Man at Nightclub (uncredited)
Ernesto Molinari ...
Card Player (uncredited)
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Waiter at Bank Dinner (uncredited)
Georgie Nokes ...
One of Homer's 'Kids' (uncredited)
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Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
Joe Palma ...
Card Player (uncredited)
Leo Penn ...
ATC Corporal (uncredited)
Caleb Peterson ...
Black Soldier at Airfield (uncredited)
Norman Phillips Jr. ...
Clarence 'Sticky' Merkle (uncredited)
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Apartment Desk Clerk (uncredited)
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Girl at Table with Cliff (uncredited)
Mickey Roth ...
Boy at Soda Fountain - Mollett Scene (uncredited)
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Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Ruth Sanderson ...
Mrs. Garrett (uncredited)
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George H. Gibbons (uncredited)
Noreen Sayles ...
Girl (uncredited)
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Card Player (uncredited)
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Man at Airport / Dinner Guest (uncredited)
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Angus - Butch's Waiter (uncredited)
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Counter Girl (uncredited)
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Perfume Saleswoman (uncredited)
Marek Windheim ...
Waiter at Lucia's Restaurant (uncredited)
Catherine Wyler ...
Department Store Customer (uncredited)
Judy Wyler ...
Department Store Customer (uncredited)
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Cameo - Drug Store customer (uncredited)

Directed by

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William Wyler

Written by

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Robert E. Sherwood ... (screen play)
 
MacKinlay Kantor ... (from a novel by) (as Mackinlay Kantor)

Produced by

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Samuel Goldwyn ... producer
Lester Koenig ... associate producer (uncredited)

Music by

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Hugo Friedhofer

Cinematography by

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Gregg Toland ... director of photography

Editing by

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Daniel Mandell

Art Direction by

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Perry Ferguson
George Jenkins

Set Decoration by

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Julia Heron ... (set decorations)

Costume Design by

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Irene Sharaff ... (as Sharaff)

Makeup Department

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Marie Clark ... hair stylist
Robert Stephanoff ... makeup

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Jonathan C. Boyle ... assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

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Dorothea Holt ... illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Richard DeWeese ... sound recorder
Larry Gannon ... sound (uncredited)
Gordon Sawyer ... supervising sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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John P. Fulton ... special effects director (uncredited)
Harry Redmond Sr. ... special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Eddie Garvin ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Ralph Hoge ... key grip (uncredited)
E. Truman Joiner ... key grip (uncredited)
Vic Jones ... gaffer (uncredited)
Paul Mantz ... aerial director of photography (uncredited)
Bill McLellan ... gaffer (uncredited)
Bert Shipman ... camera operator (uncredited)
Charles Straumer ... camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Eugene Joseff ... costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Emil Newman ... musical director
Sidney Cutner ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Louis Kaufman ... musician: violin (uncredited)
Jerome Moross ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Edward B. Powell ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken ... orchestrator (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Samuel Goldwyn ... presenter
Dale Tate ... title designer (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

The story concentrates on the social re-adjustment of three World War II servicemen, each from a different station of society. Al Stephenson returns to an influential banking position, but finds it hard to reconcile his loyalties to ex-servicemen with new commercial realities. Fred Derry is an ordinary working man who finds it difficult to hold down a job or pick up the threads of his marriage. Having lost both hands in a demolition training accident during the war, Homer Parrish is unsure that his fiancée's feelings are still those of love and not those of pity. Each of the veterans faces a crisis upon his arrival, and each crisis is a microcosm of the experiences of many American warriors who found an alien world awaiting them when they came marching home. Written by alfiehitchie

Plot Keywords
Taglines THE SCREEN'S GREATEST LOVE STORY IS THE BEST FILM THIS YEAR FROM HOLLYWOOD! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Home Again (United States)
  • Glory for Me (United States)
  • Samuel Goldwyn's The Best Years of Our Lives (United States)
  • Les Plus Belles Années de notre vie (France)
  • Die besten Jahre unseres Lebens (Germany)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 170 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $2,100,000 (estimated)
Cumulative Worldwide Gross $44,309,982

Did You Know?

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Trivia For his performance as Homer Parrish, Harold Russell became the only actor to win two Academy Awards for the same role. The Academy Board of Governors thought he was a long shot to win, so they gave him an honorary award "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance." Later in the ceremony, he won for Best Supporting Actor. See more »
Goofs When Al introduces his wife and daughter to Fred and Homer at Butch's, he refers to Dana Andrews as Homer and Harold Russell as Fred. This was intended as a consequence of Al being drunk. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into Chain Lightning (1950). See more »
Soundtracks Among My Souvenirs See more »
Crazy Credits The character played by Ray Teal (the Axis sympathizer whom Homer Parrish attacks at the soda fountain) is listed in the credits as "Mr. Mollett". However, the character's name is never mentioned or otherwise alluded to. See more »
Quotes [after Peggy tells her parents that they never had any trouble in their relationship]
Milly Stephenson: "We never had any trouble." How many times have I told you I hated you and believed it in my heart? How many times have you said you were sick and tired of me; that we were all washed up? How many times have we had to fall in love all over again?
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