And Now Tomorrow ** (1944, Alan Ladd, Loretta Young, Susan Hayward, Barry Sullivan) – Classic Movie Review 10,137

‘LADD’S BACK! In a Sensational Drama By the Author of All This, And Heaven Too!’

Director Irving Pichel’s 1944 And Now Tomorrow stars Alan Ladd, Loretta Young, Susan Hayward and Barry Sullivan. Rachel Field’s toshy bestseller becomes a not-too-special romantic melodrama for Young and Ladd (then just back from Army service, hence ‘Ladd’s back’ on the poster).

Raymond Chandler, of all people, co-wrote the Victorian melodrama-style screenplay about rich woman Emily Blair (Young) who goes deaf through meningitis, loses her fiancé Jeff Stoddard (Barry Sullivan) who is carrying on an affair with her sister Janice Blair (Hayward), but wins poor doctor Doctor Merek Vance (Ladd), who gives her his deafness cure serum and his heart. Her fiance Jeff.

This old, old tale seems to have been a guaranteed audience magnet at the time (though actually it was Ladd who was the audience magnet, receiving 20,000 fan letters a week) and the film brought both stars’ fans out in force. Both stars are pretty bland, but, as so often, the support cast provides some tasty meaty flavour to the candy floss. Also helping out are costumes by Edith Head and music by Victor Young, but Paramount Pictures did not fancy splashing out on colour so it is shot in black and white by Daniel L Fapp.

Also in the cast are Beulah Bondi, Cecil Kellaway, Grant Mitchell, Helen Mack, Anthony Caruso, Jonathan Hale, George Carlton, Connie Leon, Mae Clarke, Byron Foulger, Alec Craig, Mary Field, Edith Evanson, Betty Farrington, Darryl Hickman, Ottola Nesmith, and Doodles Weaver.

And Now Tomorrow is directed by Irving Pichel, runs 86 minutes, is made by Paramount Pictures, is released by Paramount, is written by Frank Partos and Raymond Chandler, based on Rachel Field’s bestseller, shot in black and white by Daniel L Fapp and Farciot Edouart (process photography), produced by Fred Kohlmar, scored by Victor Young and designed by Hans Dreier and Hal Pereira.

It is shot in late 1943 and early 1944 at Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood.

Jonathan Hale is fondly remembered as Inspector Henry Fernack in The Saint Strikes Back, The Saint Takes Over, The Saint’s Double Trouble and The Saint in Palm Springs.

Ladd briefly served in the United States Army Air Forces First Motion Picture Unit and began his military service in January 1943, posted to Washington’s Walla Walla Army Air Base with the rank of corporal, but he attended the Oscars in March 1943. Ladd fell ill and went to military hospital in Santa Barbara for several weeks and was given an honorable medical discharge on October 28 because of a stomach disorder complicated by influenza.

Paramount then commissioned Raymond Chandler to write an original screenplay for Ladd titled The Blue Dahlia.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,137

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