The Very Thought of You (Warner Bros.) (1944)

THING FOR BLACK SHEEP TELLS WHITE LIE, MAKES GOOD Delmer Daves, who directed “The Very Thought of You” for Warner Bros., was showing off his picture in the Stanford University Review to Dennis Morgan, Eleanor Parker and Dane Clark, the film’s stars. He had just been designated ‘‘man who made good.” He explained that he might have had the honor long before he directed “Destination Tokyo,” but that he’d been a campus black sheep for years. The story is this: Del was the head of the football rally committee of his undergrad days, and he needed one sure-fire stunt for the eve of the season’s biggest game. So he gave this tip to the campus paper: “Harvey L. ‘Boom’ Drum, Stanford’s oldest alumnus, now a world prominent diamond merchant, will journey from Jahannesburg, South Africa, to be here for the big game.” With each edition, Daves traced “Boom” Drum’s 10,000mile trip. It was the talk of the campus. ‘‘Boom” Drum was a “character” long before he arrived. Daves even had the ship lose a propeller on the last lap of the trip from Honolulu, and had Drum order a special plane to pick him up at sea in order not to miss the game. Two thousand undergrads went to the Alameda airport to meet Drum. By now, of course, the situation was beyond Daves’ -conPio 1, aed there just simply had t 0 1 b-e->.a “é B oom ” Drum. Daves decided he was the guy. He and his cohorts got a cab and a couple of friendly cops, and they pulled into the stadium, sirens screaming. In gray goatee, wig and long black overcoat, black fedora and cane, he was taken to the speakers’ stand. The applause was tumultuous. Imagine, the guy had traveled ten thousand miles just to cheer the men of Stanford! Daves affected the voice of an old man. But soon, like a whisper swelling into a roar, he heard the students cry, “That’s Del Daves.” It became a roar of chagrin. He ran for his life. The dean did not like it. In fact, it wasn’t until after all these years that Stanford made Daves a “man who made good.” How good, can be seen this week when “The Very Thought of You” opens Friday at the Strand. Mat VT 111—15¢ Eleanor Parker OG ee a. a ee ste ... Faye Emerson Pata. WW RECO oc oi ik ies eee a ee as Beulah Bondi POO VV NGGIEE 3 el inst Bons sass Henry Travers en ey BO William Prince gL grin ve Oe 2 Sec 1. ai eng ee eS ame Mi apr Andrea King ee ee a er ee a eS ee John Alvin BOrnieG. he iste Marianne O’Brien oe ee Oot MM Re TSG rn Ee REIS roar Georgia Lee Settle OC SONG ioe ook. oe React Dick Erdman WISVOR oe ee Re Francis Pierlot Synopsis (Not for Publication) Sgt. Dave Stewart (Dennis Morgan) and his pal, Sgt. ‘Fixit’’ Gilman (Dane Clark), return to Pasadena, Cal., after long, lonely months in the icy Aleutians. On the local bus, they run into Janet Wheeler (Eleanor Parker), whom Dave had known slightly in his student days, and her girl friend, Cora (Faye Emerson), on their way home from work in a parachute factory. Janet invites Dave to Thanksgiving dinner at her home, while “'Fixit’’ goes off with Cora. Around Janet’s dinner table are seated her mother (Beulah Bondi), a nervous, cranky old woman; her older sister, Molly (Andrea King) , unhappily married to a sailor now overseas; her brother, Cal (John Alvin), a cynical, sneering 4F; and his wife, Bernice (Marianne O’Brien), a simple but likeable girl. Also present are Janet's little sister, Ellie (Georgia Lee Settle) wise far beyond her adolescence; and her pop (Henry Travers), a mild, hen-pecked guy, but a nice one. The peaceful family dinner turns into a verbal free-for-all, with tempers flaring, and finally Dave leaves in embarrassment. The next day, however, Ellie contrives to get Dave and Janet together, and they have a wonderful day in the country. Janet has no wish to take Dave home after what has happened, so they go to Cora’s place, a motel apartment, where, in the meanwhile, “‘Fixit’’ and Cora have been visiting. The two now realize they are in love, but Dave knows he has to leave on orders the next day. However, his departure is set ahead for an extra-day, and they get married. They have only one night for their honeymoon, and he leaves for special training in San Diego. Janet’s mother and Molly are determined to break up the romance, and during the week that now passes, they intercept the wires and letters that come from Dave. Janet is at first concerned, then worried, and then completely sick at heart, but finally a telephone call comes through from Dave. Everything is at once clear, and Janet goes to San Diego, where again they have only a few brief but breath-taking hours together before he takes off to resume duty. Janet returns to face Molly and her mother, and leaves home, going to live with Cora. ; There is a baby. Janet goes back with the family. Meanwhile Molly’s husband, Freddy (William Prince), returns from overseas after being wounded in action in the Pacific. She tells him about her romances during his absence, but his love moves him to forgive her. She is deeply touched by his devotion and they are together once again. : Janet and Cora receive news that their men have been wounded and are on their way back to Pasadena. The sergeants are met at the station by their women—and by Dave’s little son. (Running Time; 99 Minutes ) Production Directed by Delmer Daves. Screen Play by Alvah Bessie and Delmer Daves. Original Story by Lionel Wiggam. Music by Franz Waxman. Produced by Jerry Wald. Photographed by Bert Glennon. Art Director, Leo Kuter. Film Editor, Alan Crosland, Jr. Sound by Everett A. Brown. Special Effects by Warren Lynch, A.S.C. Set Decorations by Fred M. MacLean. Gowns by Milo Anderson. Makeup Artist, Perc Westmore. Orchestral Arrangements by Leo Arnaud. Musical Director, Leo F. Forbstein. Assistant Director, Art Lueker. Unit Manager, Frank Mattison. ACTOR WHO WANTED WORK WANTS REST Dennis Morgan is the fellow who said he would never ask his bosses for a vacation. But now he’s hinting for one. He said they could put it in his contract. The way he felt they couldn’t give him enough work. He’d put it in writing. He’s glad now he didn’t insist. What happened was that at the time Morgan arrived on the scene to sign his contract at Warner Bros., he was a man who just hadn’t been allowed to work. He had been vacationing himself into prematurely gray hair (or, worse, no hair at all). That’s all he had to do— vacation. He was a singing find, discovered by the opera star Mary Garden, and signed by M-G-M. He came out, full of youth and enthusiasm, and reported for work. He reported regularly, every Wednesday, in fact. Wednesday was pay day and he could kill two birds with one stone—get his money and not get an assignment to play a role. It’s true he got plenty of chance to sing—to himself in the shower. But a shower can get dull, too. That went on for two-years. He went to the front office and said he didn’t want to vacation any more. They said he was much too valuable to release from his contract. So he came back some more Wednesdays. Finally, he convinced them. He was signed by Po a <r.o@s MMO UNtae was different there. Much. Payday was on Thursdays. Still no singing, no acting, just one long, lazy unhappy vacation. He was a desperate man when he arrived at Warner Bros. He’d do anything, just let him work. He asked for it, and he got it. He is the hardest working actor on the Warner lot. He worked for months on “The Hard Way,” and the Monday after ‘it was completed he went into “The Desert Song.” He had about three days between that and “The Animal Kingdom.” His bosses decided he wasn’t busy enough, so they had him “bicycle” between that and a stellar role opposite Ann Sheridan in “Shine On, Harvest Moon,” and right after that came his current top-spot in “The Very Thought of You,” which opens Friday at the Strand with Eleanor Parker, Faye Emerson and Dane Clark helping to keep him busy. Morgan loves work. He’s not sorry about what he said. 3 Mat DM 109—15c Dennis Morgan