The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
- kbroer
- Mar 29, 2024
- 3 min read
Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Harold Russell, Hoagy Carmichael, Cathy O'Donnell
Directed by William Wyler
Available to stream on Prime Video
Three American servicemen return to their families at the war’s end, and try to adjust to new conditions of post-war life and changed relationships with family members who stayed home.
Why we love it: This film is an absolute classic. It was a timely movie, portraying the difficulties, hardships, and joys of returning servicemen, and yet it is still relevant today. It is filled with amazing actors who give unbelievable performances. The actors, the cinematography, the music -- no wonder it swept the Oscars in 1947. If you haven't seen it, watch it.
Fun Facts:
The film won seven Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Fredric March), Best Supporting Actor (Harold Russell), Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Editing.
Harold Russell had no acting experience. He was an Army instructor and had lost his hands in 1944 during an accident when he was doing demolitions training and the TNT accidentally detonated in his hands. After he learned to use his prosthetic hooks so quickly and deftly, the Army featured him in a short training film called "Diary of a Sergeant." William Wyler saw him in this film and decided he was perfect to play the disabled veteran in The Best Years of Our Lives.
Russell was the only actor ever to receive two Academy Awards for the same role. Thinking that as a non-professional actor he would never be a competitive contender for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor but wanting him to receive some recognition, the Academy Board of Governors gave him a special Academy Award "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans." He then also won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Director William Wyler served as a major in the U.S. Airforce from 1942 to 1945. He directed the documentary "The Memphis Belle: a Story of a Flying Fortress." During the filming of the documentary, Wyler flew over enemy territory on actual bombing missions. He returned from the war deaf in one ear and unsure if he would be able to work again. This was the first film he made after his return and it was his most personal project, drawing on many of his own experiences as a wounded WWII veteran.
Gregg Toland won an Oscar for his cinematography. His other credits include The Grapes of Wrath and Citizen Kane. In The Best Years of Our Lives, he used deep focus photography so that the foreground, middle ground, and background are all in focus at the same time.
The score by Hugo Friedhofer also won an Academy Award. It is an absolute masterpiece, using themes inspired by contemporary American composers like Copland and Gershwin. It is a fantastic early example of the American sound that would go on to become more popular in later movies.
Hoagy Carmichael (musician and composer whose song credits include "Stardust," "Lazy River," and "Georgia on My Mind") makes an appearance as Harold Russell's uncle Butch who teaches him to play "Chopsticks" with his hooks on the piano.
For reviews from the time, go to the Fan Magazine Reviews page.
Featured Cocktail:
Moscow Mule
As for many drinks, there are conflicting stories about the invention of the Moscow Mule. Whether he invented the drink or not, the US distributor of Smirnoff vodka in the 1940s played an important role in popularizing vodka (a new liquor on the American scene), the Moscow Mule, and the copper mug it is often served in.
2 oz (60 ml) vodka
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lime juice
90 ml (3 oz) ginger beer
Fill a copper Moscow Mule mug or tall glass with ice. Add vodka and lime juice. Top with ginger beer, garnish with lime wheel.
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