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SINCE
YOU WENT AWAY
"Since
You Went Away" was
based on a book by Margaret Buell Wilder which consisted of
a series of letters that she wrote to her husband while he was
away at war. She wrote about the difficulties of raising two
teenage daughters alone as well as the loneliness that her family
had to cope with while he was away. David Selznick had
been looking for months for a film project to show his support
during the war. He did not want to do a "war movie" but
instead wanted to focus on the experiences of a family at home.
A
staff member submitted Wilder's book to Selznick and he knew
immediately that it was the story he was looking for. Of course
he wanted to do the film on an epic scale, so he did a complete
overhaul of the book and began work on a massive screenplay.
More characters were added and the roles of the daughters were
expanded. Selznick was particularly interested in the older
daughter, Jane, because he knew that it would be a great part
for Jennifer.
 Selznick
worked hard to gather a first rate cast. He coaxed Shirley
Temple out of retirement to play the younger daughter Brig.
For the pivotal role of Anne Hilton, he wanted Claudette Colbert,
who at first balked at playing the mother of two teen aged daughters.
Selznick, along with the help of gossip columnist Hedda Hooper,
convinced her that it would be an important role and she soon
signed on. The smaller roles in the film were also played by
great actors. Joseph Cotten, a rising young actor from Orson
Wells' Mercury Players, would play a close friend of the family
(whom Jane has a crush on). Another Mercury Player, Agnes Moorehead,
portrayed Emily Hawkins, Anne's self-centered friend. Rounding
out the supporting parts were Hattie McDaniel who played Fidelia,
the Hilton's devoted maid and Monty Woolley would play Colonel
Smollett, who the Hiltons take in as a tenant in order to earn
extra income. Sprinkled throughout the film are notable cameos
by Nazimova (her last film), Gordon Oliver, Florence Bates,
Dorothy Dandridge, Ruth Roman and Rhonda Fleming, Guy Madison
and John Derek.
 The
most interesting casting, however, was Robert Walker as Bill
Smollett, Jane's love interest. It is not clear why Selznick
went to great lengths to borrow Walker from MGM on loanout because
the situation caused great turmoil and strife on the set. Walker
and Jones were separated during the filming and their love scenes
together would prove difficult for both of them. Jennifer was
was very unhappy during the filming not only because of the
situation with Walker but also because she felt that she was
too old for the part of Jane.
 Many
films set during World War II seem very dated today but Since
You Went Away holds up well. It is overlong but has many
memorable scenes and some well executed "big" scenes that, surprising
for Selznick, do not go overboard. Perhaps the most memorable
scene is the train station farewell scene when Bill leaves for
war. It is one of Jennifer's most outstanding acting scenes.
She was very good at expressing sentiment and this scene is
a perfect example of that. Other memorable scenes include Nazimova's
moving speech to Colbert about what America means to her. And,
one of my favorites, the final scene with Colbert alone on Christmas
eve after her daughters have gone to bed.
 Since
You Went Away is one of Selznick's finest films and and
a beautiful example of movie making at its best. In addition
to the excellent actors, the film's technical achievements are
exemplary. It is beautifully photographed by Lee Garmes and
Stanely Cortez. There are numerous excellent shots of the Hilton's
house which involved miniatures. The cinematographers also used
light to convey mood and metaphor in several scenes. Notice
how, in the train station scene and in the scene at Emily's
dance, initially everything looks bright, but gets progressively
darker to reflect the darkening mood of the characters. The
score is also notable and won an Oscar for composer Max Steiner.
That was the only Academy Award won by Since You Went Away
although it was nominated for nine (Best Picture, Actress
(Colbert), Supporting Actor (Woolley), Supporting Actress (Jones),
Cinematography, Special Effects, Interior Decoration, Score,
and Editing.
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