The Human Comedy (film)

Last updated

The Human Comedy
The-human-comedy-1943.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Clarence Brown
Screenplay by Howard Estabrook
Based on The Human Comedy
1943 novel
by William Saroyan
Produced byClarence Brown
Starring Mickey Rooney
Frank Morgan
Cinematography Harry Stradling
Edited by Conrad A. Nervig
Music by Herbert Stothart
Production
company
Distributed by Loew's, Inc
Release date
  • March 2, 1943 (1943-03-02)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.0 million [1] [2]
Box office$3.9 million [1] [2]

The Human Comedy is a 1943 American comedy-drama film directed by Clarence Brown. [3] It began as a screenplay by William Saroyan, who was expected to direct. After Saroyan left the project, he wrote the novel of the same name and published it just before the film was released. [4] Howard Estabrook was brought in to reduce the run time to two hours. The picture stars Mickey Rooney, Frank Morgan, James Craig, Marsha Hunt, Fay Bainter, Ray Collins, Van Johnson, Donna Reed and Jackie "Butch" Jenkins. Barry Nelson, Robert Mitchum and Don DeFore appear together as boisterous soldiers in uncredited supporting roles.

Contents

Plot

The film is the story of a teenaged Homer Macauley in high school, working part-time as a telegram delivery boy for the Postal Telegraph Company, in the fictional town of Ithaca, California, during World War II. [5] The effects of the war on the "Home Front" over a year in Homer's life are depicted in a series of perceptive vignettes—some amusing, some grave, some ugly, some touching, some sentimental—involving himself, his family, friends and neighbors in his California hometown, and his brother Marcus, a Private in the U.S. Army. The storyline is introduced and narrated by Homer's father, who has been dead for two years.

Cast

The AFI catalog lists 75 actors, including the 21 principals given credit on screen. [6]

Robert Mitchum (as Horse) and Don DeFore (as Texas) appear in small roles as soldiers who, with their buddy Fat, have a night off from training. Trying to meet girls and take in a movie, they meet Bess and Mary. Although they have character names and lines in the script (Mitchum portrays "Quentin"), both are uncredited. Carl Switzer, best known as "Alfalfa" in the Our Gang shorts, appears uncredited as Auggie, a friend of Ulysses.

Production

Saroyan wrote a film treatment and a screenplay that he expected to direct. He left the project when his 240-page script proved to be too long—approximately 4 hours long—and he was removed as director. [7] [8] Saroyan went home and turned his original script into a novel, which was published just before the film was released and became an instant best-seller. [4]

Saroyan was not at all happy with the film as completed by Brown. Among the noticeable differences between the film and the novel are a more vivid characterization of the four-year-old Ulysses, stronger social criticism and far fewer sentimental scenes than were incorporated into the film by Estabrook and Brown.[ citation needed ]

Several sources indicate that The Human Comedy was the favorite film of MGM studio chief, Louis B. Mayer. [8]

According to the AFI catalog, music credited in the film included "All the World Will Be Jealous of Me", by Ernest R. Ball and Al Dubin, and "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms", words by E. A. Hoffman, music by A. J. Showalter, [6] but they are not credited on screen. Music is important to the Macauley family and to those around them, including Marcus's Army buddies. The score is full of allusive phrases and songs, that were familiar to 1943 audiences, from the strains of the "Star-Spangled Banner" that open and close the film, to little Ulysses' fascination with "My Old Kentucky Home", to a long, rousing rendition of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms", sung by the soldiers on the train, where one shot breaks the fourth wall and invites the audience to sing along to the last chorus. Alcoholic Mr. Grogan copes with the despair caused by the relentless stream of telegrams from the War Department by turning to songs—"Rock of Ages" and "Church in the Wildwood" among them—as well as cold water in the face and black coffee. Mrs. Sandoval rocks and croons "Cielito lindo" to the memory of the son she has just lost. Other pieces woven into the score are: "Where the River Shannon Flows", "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling", "Now the Day Is Over", "My Country 'Tis of Thee", "You're in the Army Now", "Git Along Little Dogies", "The Happy Farmer", "Polly Wolly Doodle", "Onward Christian Soldiers", "The Caissons Go Rolling Along", "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" and "A Dream", an old love song sung by Mary and Bess as Tobey and Homer approach the house with news of Marcus's death. In the scene where Tom and Diana Spangler drive through the Valley Festival, he points out the people wearing traditional costume, playing traditional music and dancing folk dances: "Greeks, Serbs, Russians, Poles, Spanish, Mexicans, Armenians, Swedes and all the rest".

Reception

The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther praised the film's performances, especially Rooney's, saying that "There is a tenderness and restraint in his characterization." But he chided the film for excessive sentimentality, saying it featured "some most charming bits of fine motion-picture expression and some most maudlin gobs of cinematic goo." [4]

Variety commented that Saroyan's "initial original screenplay is a brilliant sketch of the basic fundamentals of the American way of life, transferred to the screen with exceptional fidelity." [7]

According to TCM's Notes on the production, the reviewer for The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "the best picture this reviewer has ever seen," Daily Variety predicted it would be "one of the screen's immortals.” The Motion Picture Research Bureau gave it the best audience ratings. The Canadian Department of National Defence named it the best film of 1943. [8]

The film made $2,824,000 in the US and Canada and $1,034,000 million elsewhere resulting in a profit of $1,531,000. [1] [2] [9]

Leonard Maltin gives the picture 3 1/2 out of 4 stars, describing it as: “Memorable Americana, faithfully adapted... Unfolds like a novel, with many lovely vignettes, and one of Rooney's best performances...” [10]

In 2010, Dennis Schwartz wrote that the film: "outdoes Capra in cornball melodrama, but does it well...(It) gets the close-knit community mood right of small town America during World War II, and keeps it from becoming bloated with sentimentality (though it’s unquestionably sugary) ... (reminding) Americans of an innocent time when they believed they were warm-hearted decent people who cared about their country, community and others ... where one could advance by getting a good public education and the people in the country felt they could safely leave their house doors unlocked. It’s an America that probably no longer exists, which makes this film relic a memorable look back." [11]

Rotten Tomatoes rates it 80 percent fresh. [12]

Awards

It won the Oscar for Best Story and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Mickey Rooney), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Director and Best Picture. [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Four Daughters</i> (1938 film) 1938 film by Michael Curtiz

Four Daughters is a 1938 American romance film that tells the story of a happy musical family whose lives and loves are disrupted by the arrival of a charming young composer who interjects himself into the daughters' romantic lives. His cynical, bitter musician friend comes to help orchestrate his latest composition and complicates matters even more. The movie stars the Lane Sisters and Gale Page, and features Claude Rains, Jeffrey Lynn, John Garfield, and Dick Foran. The three Lanes were sisters and members of a family singing trio.

<i>The Human Comedy</i> (novel) 1943 novel by William Saroyan

The Human Comedy is a 1943 novel by William Saroyan. It originated as a 240-page film script written for MGM. Saroyan was planning to produce and direct the film, but he was dropped from the project either because the script was too long or because a short film he directed as a test was not considered acceptable – or both. He walked off the lot, went home, and swiftly created a novelization, which was published just before the film came out. It was the March 1943 Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and became a best-seller a week after its release. Saroyan won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film, The Human Comedy.

<i>Babes on Broadway</i> 1941 film by Vincente Minnelli, Busby Berkeley

Babes on Broadway is a 1941 American musical film starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and directed by Busby Berkeley, with Vincente Minnelli directing Garland's big solo numbers. The film, which features Fay Bainter and Virginia Weidler, was the third in the "Backyard Musical" series about kids who put on their own show, following Babes in Arms (1939) and Strike Up the Band (1940). Songs in the film include "Babes on Broadway" by Burton Lane (music) and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg (lyrics), and "How About You?" by Lane with lyrics by Ralph Freed, the brother of producer Arthur Freed. The movie ends with a minstrel show performed by the main cast in blackface.

<i>Bring Your Smile Along</i> 1955 film by Blake Edwards

Bring Your Smile Along is a 1955 American Technicolor comedy film by Blake Edwards. It was Edwards' directorial debut and the motion picture debut of Constance Towers. Edwards wrote the script for this Frankie Laine musical with his mentor, director Richard Quine. Songs Laine sang in the film included his 1951 hit "The Gandy Dancers' Ball."

<i>Presenting Lily Mars</i> 1943 film by Norman Taurog

Presenting Lily Mars is a 1943 American musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog, produced by Joe Pasternak, starring Judy Garland and Van Heflin, and based on the 1933 novel by Booth Tarkington. The film is often cited as Garland's first film playing an adult role. However, the issue is complicated by the delay in this film's release caused by reshooting the finale, and Garland's brutal work schedule—she was filming Girl Crazy and For Me and My Gal at the same time. Also, in Little Nellie Kelly, released in 1940, she plays her character's mother, dying in childbirth. Tommy Dorsey and Bob Crosby appear with their orchestras in this Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production.

<i>Hollywood Party</i> (1934 film) 1934 musical film collaboration

Hollywood Party, also known under its working title of The Hollywood Revue of 1933 and Star Spangled Banquet, is a 1934 American pre-Code musical film starring Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, Jimmy Durante, Lupe Vélez and Mickey Mouse. It was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Each sequence featured a different star with a separate scriptwriter and director assigned.

<i>Babes in Arms</i> (film) 1939 film by Busby Berkeley

Babes in Arms is the 1939 coming of age American film version of the 1937 Broadway musical of the same title. Directed by Busby Berkeley, it stars Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, and features Charles Winninger, Guy Kibbee, June Preisser, Grace Hayes, and Betty Jaynes. It was Garland and Rooney's second film together as lead characters after their earlier successful pairing in the fourth of the Andy Hardy films. The film concerns a group of youngsters trying to put on a show to prove their vaudevillian parents wrong and make it to Broadway. The original Broadway script was significantly revamped, restructured, and rewritten to accommodate Hollywood's needs. Almost all of the Rodgers and Hart songs from the Broadway musical were discarded.

<i>Thoroughbreds Dont Cry</i> 1937 film by Alfred E. Green

Thoroughbreds Don't Cry is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in their first film together.

<i>Star Spangled Rhythm</i> 1942 all-star cast musical film

Star Spangled Rhythm is a 1942 American all-star cast musical film made by Paramount Pictures during World War II as a morale booster. Many of the Hollywood studios produced such films during the war, with the intent of entertaining the troops overseas and civilians back home and to encourage fundraising – as well as to show the studios' patriotism. This film was also the first released by Paramount to be shown for 8 weeks.

<i>The Human Comedy</i> (musical) Musical

The Human Comedy is a 1983 musical with a book and lyrics by William Dumaresq and music by Galt MacDermot.

<i>Young Tom Edison</i> 1940 film by Norman Taurog

Young Tom Edison is a 1940 biographical film about the early life of inventor Thomas Edison directed by Norman Taurog and starring Mickey Rooney. The film was the first of a complementary pair of Edison biopics that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released in 1940. Edison, the Man, starring Spencer Tracy, followed two months later, completing the two-part story of Edison's life.

<i>A Yank at Eton</i> 1942 film by Norman Taurog

A Yank at Eton is an American comedy-drama film directed by Norman Taurog for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Mickey Rooney, Ian Hunter, and Peter Lawford. Released in 1942, it is a kind of junior thematic sequel to MGM's British-made film A Yank at Oxford (1938). Edmund Gwenn, who played a school official in the earlier film, has a similar role in this one. A Yank at Eton was filmed entirely in the United States.

<i>Andy Hardys Private Secretary</i> 1941 film by George B. Seitz

Andy Hardy's Private Secretary is a 1941 American comedy film directed by George B. Seitz and starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Rutherford and Fay Holden. It was the tenth of the 16-film Andy Hardy series. Marian Hardy does not appear in this film.

<i>Strike Up the Band</i> (film) 1940 American musical film by Busby Berkeley

Strike Up the Band is a 1940 American musical film produced by the Arthur Freed unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film was directed by Busby Berkeley and stars Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, in the second of a series of musicals they co-starred in, after Babes in Arms, all directed by Berkeley. The story written for the 1927 stage musical Strike Up the Band, and its successful 1930 Broadway revision, bear no resemblance to this film, aside from the title song.

<i>Andy Hardys Blonde Trouble</i> 1944 film by George B. Seitz

Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble is a 1944 romantic comedy film directed by George B. Seitz, the fourteenth in the series starring Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy. In the film, Andy goes to college, but soon gets in trouble with some pretty female students.

<i>Yes, My Darling Daughter</i> (film) 1939 film by William Keighley

Yes, My Darling Daughter is a 1939 American screwball comedy film directed by William Keighley and starring Priscilla Lane. Ellen Murray (Lane) is a young woman determined to spend a weekend with her lover, Douglas Hall before he takes off to Europe for his new job.

<i>Johnny Doesnt Live Here Anymore</i> 1944 film by Joe May

Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a 1944 American romantic comedy film starring Simone Simon, James Ellison, William Terry, and featuring Robert Mitchum in an early role. Produced by King Brothers Productions, it was co-written by Philip Yordan and directed by the Austrian director Joe May, and constitutes the final film directed by Joe May. It was based on a short story purchased by the King Brothers. The film has fantasy elements, with the main character being followed by a gremlin.

<i>Andy Hardys Double Life</i> 1942 film

Andy Hardy's Double Life is a 1942 comedy film directed by George B. Seitz. It was the thirteenth installment of MGM's enormously popular Andy Hardy film series starring Mickey Rooney as the title character.

<i>Ithaca</i> (film) 2015 film by Meg Ryan

Ithaca is a 2015 American drama film directed by Meg Ryan and written by Erik Jendresen. It is based on the 1943 novel The Human Comedy by William Saroyan. The film stars Alex Neustaedter, Jack Quaid, Meg Ryan, Sam Shepard, Hamish Linklater and Tom Hanks. The film was released on September 9, 2016, by Momentum Pictures.

This Side of Heaven is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film directed by William K. Howard, written by Zelda Sears, Eve Greene, Edgar Allan Woolf and Florence Ryerson, and starring Lionel Barrymore, Fay Bainter, Mae Clarke, Tom Brown and Una Merkel. It was released on February 2, 1934, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. 1 2 3 Scott Eyman, Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer, Robson, 2005 p 349
  3. ↑ "The Human Comedy". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 Crowther, Bosley (2007). "Movie Review: The Human Comedy". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2008.
  5. ↑ AFI Catalog. The Human Comedy (1943).
  6. 1 2 "The Human Comedy - Credits". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "The Human Comedy". Variety. December 31, 1942. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 "The Human Comedy (1943) - Notes - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Top Grossers of the Season", Variety, 5 January 1944 p 54
  10. ↑ "The Human Comedy (1943) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  11. ↑ "HUMAN COMEDY, THE – Dennis Schwartz Reviews" . Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  12. ↑ The Human Comedy (1943) , retrieved June 4, 2020
  13. ↑ "The 16th Academy Awards (1944) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.