Somewhere I'll Find You
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| Somewhere I'll Find You | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Wesley Ruggles |
| Produced by | Pandro S. Berman |
| Written by | Charles Hoffman (story) Marguerite Roberts (screenplay) |
| Starring | Clark Gable Lana Turner Keenan Wynn |
| Music by | Bronislau Kaper |
| Cinematography | Harold Rossen |
| Editing by | Frank E. Hull |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn Mayer |
| Release date(s) | September 1942 |
| Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Somewhere I'll Find You is a film released by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer in 1942. The film stars Clark Gable and Lana Turner. The film took almost two years to complete. This was the last film Gable starred in before he enlisted in World War II. The next film he starred in was Adventure (1945).
[edit] Plot
War correspondents and brothers Jonny and Kirk Davis return to New York in early October 1941 after being thrown out of Germany. Their New York Chronicle editor, George L. Stafford, is angry with them for writing anti-Nazi stories and refuses to print their latest about a Japanese-German alliance. By using a ruse with a dictating machine and enlisting the aid of Stafford's masseur, Charlie, Jonny tricks Stafford into relating the story to the composition room, and when it winds up on the front page, he and Kirk are fired. When Jonny goes to the home of his friends and landlords, Eve and Willie Manning, he is chagrined that they rented out his former room, but is pleasantly surprised to discover the new tenant is a beautiful blonde. Jonny does not remember that three years before he had had a date with the woman, reporter Paula Lane, but stood her up by sending Kirk in his place. Amused, Jonny passionately kisses Paula, but when Kirk arrives, he tells Jonny that he plans to marry her. When Jonny tries to discourage his brother from marriage, he is unsuccessful and quickly whisks Paula out to dinner after Kirk leaves. They go to a Russian restaurant, where they kiss amorously, but she quickly leaves. At home, she learns that the Chronicle has just offered her a job she has always wanted as a war correspondent in Indo-China. When Kirk arrives and shows her an engagement ring, she says that she is not right or good enough for him and reveals that she has always loved Jonny. Although hurt, Kirk tells her to be careful and is skeptical that Jonny cares enough to keep her from going to Indo-China. Later that night, Jonny argues with Kirk, who walks out after Jonny bitterly says that Paula's type "rhymes with champ." The next day, Paula tells Jonny that she is flying to China that afternoon, but instead of stopping her, he tells her that she would be nice to have around, but only for a couple of weeks. One month later, Stafford summons Kirk and Jonny to his office and tells them that Paula is missing in Indo-China. Because Jonny is broke and has been blackballed by Stafford, he and Kirk agree to leave immediately. When they arrive in Hanoi, Kirk has no luck finding Paula, but Jonny, who thinks that the disappearance is a fake, goes to newsman Floyd Kirsten, who knows everything about Hanoi. Kirsten, who is very ill, says he knows nothing, but when he retires to his bed, wealthy Chinese Thomas Chang, who is anti-Japanese and has given Kirsten a home, tells Kirk and Jonny that Paula is at the front. All three then go up river and Chang reveals that Paula has been helping to smuggle Chinese children out of the war zone. When they find her, Jonny is surprised at her state of exhaustion and carries her in his arms when she collapses. For several days, Jonny gently nurses her back to health, still telling Kirk that he doesn't care about her. When Paula awakens she tries to tell Jonny that he really does love her and Kirk sees them kissing. Jonny then tells her that she and Kirk belong together and leaves. Soon Jonny is in Manila, nightclubbing and drowning his troubles in alcohol. He is picked up by big-hearted American Crystal McReagan, who recognizes that he is trying to forget a woman and takes him back to his hotel, where he passes out. The next morning, Paula arrives and Crystal graciously leaves after realizing that Paula is the woman Jonny cannot forget. When Jonny sobers up, Paula tells him that she and Kirk are not going to marry. Jonny cannot resist Paula, but the next morning, Kirk arrives and awakens her with the news that Pearl Harbor has just been attacked. Jonny then orders Paula and Kirk to go to Australia for the paper but says that he will stay in Manila. Months after Paula and Kirk board a ship bound for Australia, Jonny goes to the front and runs into Kirk, who says that they never sailed. He enlisted and she has been working at Field Hospital No. 3. Although Jonny knows that the hospital was bombed the previous night, he tries to keep Kirk from finding out. Soon Kirk and some other soldiers go on a special duty to divert invading Japanese forces. Back at the field camp, Jonny dictates a story about the invasion, recounting, among other events, Kirk's heroic death. Just then Paula, who was not hurt in the attack on the hospital, arrives. When she hears that Kirk is dead, she runs to Jonny, and, despite her grief, sits down and types what Jonny dictates about the fall of Bataan, a story that he says is not finished yet--"there is more to come." (Courtesy TCM)
[edit] Production
The film was designed as another vehicle for the immensely popular Gable/Turner pairing. Following their huge success in 1941's Honky Tonk, MGM was looking to capitalize on their new team as it had not seen a Gable pairing this successful since Joan Crawford and Jean Harlow in the 30's. Once filming began, Gable and Turner continued their friendly working relationship, although it has been speculated that their relationship was far more than that. Regardless, tragedy struck during the production when Carole Lombard, Gable's third wife and the love of his life, was coming home from a hugely successful war bond rally. She had been scheduled to take the train but decided against it and opted to take a plane instead for reasons still unknown. It has been speculated that Lombard was worried about the Gable and Turner relationship, although Turner herself said that their relationship was nothing more than friendship. Nevertheless, Lombard's plane crashed in the mountains outside Las Vegas and everyone aboard was killed. Gable was permitted leave from filming for his grief and the studio even went as far as to prepare to scrap the film. Gable stated he would continue filming, however, but demanded a change of the title, as Somewhere I'll Find You brought back too many sad memories for Gable. His wish was granted and the title was briefly changed to Red Light before being changed back to Somewhere I'll Find You. By the time of the film's wrap, Gable wanted nothing more to do with films for the next few years, and joined the army, returning to film in 1945 after a three year absence.
The film was, like the Gable/Turner pairing the year before, another success and they were teamed for two more films in the future, their first pairing together after six years in 1948's Homecoming.
The film was also the film debut of Keenan Wynn.
