Classic Movie Monday--Tomorrow Is Forever

Tomorrow Is Forever stars Orson Wells, Claudette Colbert, and George Bent. The movie is about a married couple, Elizabeth McDonald (Colbert) and her husband John (Wells) who are separated when the husband goes off to war. But he promises her he won't be in combat and he'll return. 

Before John's expected return, Elizabeth receives a telegram that John has been killed. He hasn't. He's in an Austrian hospital begging the doctors to let him die, but the doctor refuses. John lives, but he is disfigured and disabled. No one knows he is, so he sort of adopts another identity. I think injuries cause him to lose his mind in a way and his memories.

Actor George Bent plays Larry Hamilton, a guy who has loved Elizabeth from afar. After John dies, Larry takes Elizabeth in and cares of her and her unborn child. After the child is born, they marry. And even though the child (Drew) is John's, Larry raises him as his own. 

Cut to 20 years in the future, John aka Erich Kessler returns to work for Larry as a chemist.He has a young girl with him. He is caring for because her parents were killed by the Nazis.  The story really picks up when John is invited to Larry's home and he sees Elizabeth. 

Okay, it's at this point that you can tell that John recognizes and remembers Elizabeth, but she doesn't seem to react to John.  This is where I'm sitting on the coach saying, "Don't you recognize your own husband!" I know it's 20 years and she thinks he's dead, but I would think you'd at least think, "Hey, this guy looks  a lot like my dead husband."

Elizabeth does finally start to realize who he is, but not before he makes several visits to her home and meets his son. 

During the movie, John does remember things, like their old home, Elizabeth and you can tell he knows that Drew is his son. 

But there is a conflict between Elizabeth and John because Drew wants to join the fight in WW II against the Nazis. John seems to encourage it while Elizabeth doesn't want to lose another loved one to war. Drew even tries to sneak away and enlist, but John goes after him and brings him back home. 

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My favorite part of the movie is when John brings Drew home to Elizabeth. Then is when she confronts John about his identity. He won't admit to being the man she once loved, but he does tell her that even if he was, they can't go back to what once was. She has to let go of the past. What she has now is good and she shouldn't ruin it by chasing what one was or what might have been. 

I get the feeling that it is difficult for John to remain silent about his true identity, but he does it because it's what's best for Elizabeth and Drew. 

I think that scene could have been a good ending to the movie, but it doesn't end there. Maybe because it might have left some unanswered questions. 

John's death at the end did bring closure, and we did see the note that proved he knew who he was, but it was a tear jerker for sure.

Overall, it is a good move, and one I'd watch again.