That’s William Wyler on the set of THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES. His pithy comments are well documented (especially in these posts!). Here’s my new favorite quip from a brilliant director (yes, yes, we continue to be… somewhat discrete) while guiding a hapless performer through a difficult scene: “Do it again, and this time make it resemble something like human behavior.”
Perhaps my favorite movie. I always choke up when Homer comes home.
Pretty much a cry fest from the get go… And, that musical score, a knock out by Hugo Friedhofer.
I love this movie… it is interesting to compare and contrast The Best Years of Our Lives with Since You Went Away. It shows a shift from during the war to after in sentimentality and a move to more gritty honest story telling. Anyway that is how I see it.
Love your blog….. I could say that until the chickens come home…or is it the cows? Ah well bring on the empty horses.
The realism in Best Years might have been because of Wyler’s work in WWII flying with and filming the crew of the Memphis Bell — the noise of their bombing runs resulted in his partial deafness.
“Bring on the Empty Horses ” I remember seeing lying around the house when I was very little. Bright blue cover with a pic of David Niven on front? I’ll have to read it.
Yes I have read it, many years ago. It is a wonderful book, He was a great storyteller and as charming and witty as one suspects. You know, I should read it again!
I’m trying not to resort to wiki but Best Years of Our Lives won the Oscar for best picture and it’s right on the tip of my tongue who it beat. And, the man who portrayed the returning vet who lost his arms, arm. God, my memory….I do remember loving the movie.
Harold Russell played Homer Parrish, it’s a beautiful movie and deeply affecting.