The Best Years of Our Lives : 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

3JRHFTW and the time continuum

Well, it's been almost a year and a half since I enjoyed watching the residents of Post-War Boone City (the last time I saw the movie was in an actual bijou in New York City in 2014). So, cranking up the video apparatus on Thanksgiving Day (Happy T-Day to all my chums on this board, by the way), I was able to sit back, relax (fall asleep at the 2:32 mark for 20 minutes) and report back a couple of new observations about our beloved "Glory For Me," renamed THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, with the added updated moniker of 3 JOES RETURN HOME FROM THE WAR (3JRHFTW, for short).

Most importantly, I would like to ask over how long a period does the film take place? It's a bit elastic. My take is, the Joes return from active duty in late August of 1945, although technically the Japanese signed the instrument of surrender on September 2 of that year, but because the film covers what is clearly only the summer season, we should agree that they returned on the earlier date. But if we look at the film's time frame, it gets a bit dodgy. First, we must remember Boone City is based on a stolid mis-Western big-league town, some say Cincinnati, and as such, Boone City should enjoy four seasons, and not a year of perpetual cookout weather.

Fred, Homer and Al return home on say, August 20, 1945 - Fred from Europe, Al and Homer from the Pacific. I've asked before, but why they wind up at the same ATF is a bit of mystery as they are returning from two different parts of the world. I think it was argued, probably correctly, that after Europe, Fred was sent back to Texas for de-briefing and mustering out of the service. Which begs the question, why didn't he fly home directly from Texas as opposed to being re-routed to California?

But to the meat of my question, how long is it between Fred's return home and his estrangement from Marie? Did Fred blow through his thousand bucks in three months or ten? If it is one year, that would put the second half of the film into the future of the story's filming (March to June, 1946). But could it have been a mere 6-10 weeks before Cliff Scully appeared on the scene again, which would put the story at the very end of the summer they returned home? Homer target shooting in his garage also takes place in summer, which cannot be the same summer that they returned home as he is comfortably situated back on the homefront. Still, did Wilma suffer for a whole year (did she spend the holidays alone?) before it was decided that her family wanted her "sent away to forget Homer?" What about the scene where Al opens the bank vault for Novak, still summer, but it has to be at least a month or two before Al feels comfortable enough to "gamble with the depositors' money." Finally, Fred and Peggy re-establish their bond at Homer and Wilma's wedding and Al's been on the wagon a while. It is summer, and clearly too much time has passed for it to be the summer of 1945, so again is the film showing events yet to come BACK TO THE FUTURE style?

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

Happy Thanksgiving all; well Farley the timeframe/span has always seemed to me while watching the film to be over a few weeks/month but that's probably not accurate. The story does seem to take place over perpetual summer weather (well it was filmed in L.A. haha) with no rain, snow or sleet. Mr. Parrish is seen mowing the lawn and no one is wearing cold weather overcoats etc. Keep in mind Rob (we remember him right?, though his family doesn't appear to mind his missing person status) was in school when Al and his fellow Joes returned home. So it appears it had recently started in late summer/early fall for the 1945-6 school year and naturally The Bomb was a hot topic in science class. It's plausible that Homer and Wilma's wedding took place within a few months of his homecoming because it seemed to occur shortly after Fred was fired and he gave Homer the advice that if he loved Wilma to get married asap. Of course how long had Fred been working in the store up to that point? It's very conceivable the story did take place over a longer period than it seemed to at first glance. The wedding may have been the next spring/summer 1946 though I can't see Homer and Wilma waiting that long.

As far as the route(s) and timing of the vets returning home argh my head hurts thinking about it again...

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

Wow, mes freres, , interesting points. Artistic license was soooo much greater in those days when the entertainment industry still managed to be innocent. I wonder if the idea of "seasonal continuity" ever entered Wyler's mind. I feel as if the story is told in real-time, almost that it has to be told in real-time, as the idea of Fred's being able to last at the soda fountain longer than a week or two seemed just impossible. Despite the warm weather costuming, I always got the impression the story starts and ends in autumn. In particular Fred's leave-taking of his father and Hortense strikes me as the kind of thing a disappointed man, fighting embitterment and depression, would do as the "long hot summer" wound down, before he could risk even worse depression and potentially an untoward "relapse" with Peggy. Finally, Marie just doesn't come across as a gal who would take more than a month to chafe at the "worse" part of "for better or."

3JRHFTW is by classical literary definition a comedy because it ends with multiple weddings. Comedy is associated with spring (romance, summer; tragedy, autumn; satire, winter). And here is where the artistic license comes in. Who's to say the the autumn of 1945 just didn't happen to be a record-breaker in terms of warm weather? You have the potential with all three men for their lives to veer into the tragedy associated with autumn, but the divine intervention of long-lasting sun and warmth to allow Homer and Wilma to meet at night and decide to marry (no galoshes or umbrellas in the climactic getting-ready-for-bed scene), and for Fred to wander around the plane graveyard, meet the work crew, and get a job.

As for Fred's ending up in California, that poor guy is so willing to roll with the punches, who can say he didn't fly cross-country when a pinch-mouthed ticket agent told him he could get to Boone City faster by way of California?

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

Farley, my friend, you are an author's nightmare. You aren't supposed to think about things like that!

The only answer I can think of right now (to one of your questions, anyway) is that very few returnees from the front came by air. Just upper level officers. The rest, like my dad, had to wait for a s-l-o-w ship, then hitch a ride on a military conveyance of some sort to their destinations, as shown in the film. Additionally, some guys were mustered-out prior to official surrenders. The European vets. (some of them) were sent home for R&R but remained on call in case they were ordered to service in the Pacific. Others were just discharged because they had been in combat a long time already. Remember, when you were drafted then, you were in for the duration, however long that may have been. Officers took pity on some of the guys who'd been in combat since '42.

I think most of the events depicted could have occured in the space of a couple warm seasons. Being an author myself, I'm always on the side of the author -- more or less.

Happy Christmas,

Farley #2

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

I agree with the sentiment that we can't postulate a realistic timeframe that matches all the events of the movie and the amount of time for them to occur with seasonal changes in the Midwest. Or rather with the lack of seasonal changes in the movie.

When did the 3 Joes come home? Well, here's another tidbit. In Al's first night home the dinner conversation tells us that he was (presumably with his army unit) in the Hiroshima area sometime after the end of the war. Didn't notice any of the radiation effects though that Rob was curious about. Then given the time it would have taken to complete his tour, return to the U.S. and get mustered out, etc. it's kind of hard to cram all that in before the end of baseball season in 1945.

I guess Wyler wasn't worried about it. He just wanted to tell the story. Did a good job too.

***
It's easier to be an individual than a god.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

My stepfather was AAF (Army Air Force) in the Mediterranean Theatre, a flight surgeon, he returned stateside (East Coast) late July '45 and was granted a 30 day leave which he was enjoying before duty in the Pacific War when Japan surrendered. From his service record I see he departed from the Medit.Theatre July 19 '45 and arrived USA July 29th. No idea whether by ship or airplane nor exactly where his last departure point was from other than he was stationed in Italy when Germany surrendered, but at any rate MUCH quicker than when he sailed by convoy to N. Africa in the spring of '43 from Brooklyn Naval Yard- a few days short of a month was that passage and I remember him saying he was seasick almost right away- he was on a flat-bottomed LST. I know there was a huge emphasis after the war on both fronts to get the personnel home asap so maybe the much shorter trip home was by ship but at a much faster rate of speed considering there was no need to slowly crawl along in huge convoys. His separation from the service was Dec. 17 1945 Fort Dix, N.J. I frankly have no idea what his stateside service life was like between the time Japan officially surrendered in Sept. '45 and his official separation in Dec., it would be interesting to know.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

Thanks for cogent responses. Of course, this is a question for connoisseurs of the film. We don't want to discourage any newbies from seeing the genius of Mssrs. Wyler, Goldwyn and Sherwood's effort.

I kind of like turtletommy's view that the story extends to the following Spring, which seems a trifle long - about 9 months - but that seems closer to the time frame for Fred to blow through $1000 1945 adjusted for inflationary dollars. Also enough time for him and Marie to get sick of each other. It's harder to imagine him done with his marriage and onto Peggy in six weeks.

The real time frame of the story - without weather considerations - feels like it happens over about four months. If we allow for seasonal change, that would put them smack in the middle of December or January, and yes, Fred isn't shivering on that airfield, so January as Mr. Clarence Merkel might put it, is "definitely out." Allow me to offer another solution, which is that Boone City is a town south of or very close to San Diego, and the Boone City Beavers are a Coastal Pacific minor league baseball team and the Cornbelt Loan and Trust is merely a satellite branch of a national bank whose main offices are located in Iowa.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

What am talking about? If Boone City is on the West Coast, where were they flying in that airplane from? This is a problem. We need our best minds working on this. Luckily, they are all here.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

There WAS a discussion about where WERE they flying that airplane from but IMDb deletes whole threads in abandon from time to time, remember?! Thanks IMDb..Sigh....

The length of passage of time in the movie isn't always readily apparent, and there aren't some of the typical (typically cliched) cues presented. Fred and Marie's marriage wasn't within a galaxy of Al and Millie's in length and depth (nor some drama) since they were married for a matter of days not years before he went off to war, and they were both very young. It was pretty apparent that Marie had been involved with other men while Fred was gone and certainly appeared to pay short shrift to "for richer, for poorer" et al in the marriage vow. So a failed marriage in those circumstances within a few short months let's say might not be unreasonable. She wanted a divorce, as well. The script gave Fred all the outs most of society of the day would be ok with! I think the most time (unseen) passed in the movie between when Fred was fired from the store and hired on with the "recycler", and the marriage of Homer and Wilma. A June 1946 wedding in perpetually sunny Boone City, after a winter/spring engagement to please the folks???

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum


If we allow for seasonal change, that would put them smack in the middle of December or January, and yes, Fred isn't shivering on that airfield, so January as Mr. Clarence Merkel might put it, is "definitely out." Allow me to offer another solution, which is that Boone City is a town south of or very close to San Diego, and the Boone City Beavers are a Coastal Pacific minor league baseball team and the Cornbelt Loan and Trust is merely a satellite branch of a national bank whose main offices are located in Iowa.


Y'know, wrfarley, I've been thinking about this post--and darn angry that IMDB has updates that don't appear on my "Favorites" timeline. (I missed this post, the follow-up, and TurtleTommy's, when they all should have shown an update on my "Favorites.")

I wonder if the timeline and weather "continuity" weren't given much thought after all. This film is social realism. I swear, seeing that NBC re-ran "It's a Wonderful Life last night, I do not not not understand why the James Stewart film has captured the title of the "It" film of 1945. I don't understand, because 3JRHFTW deserves to be shown every Christmas, angels-getting-their-wings be danged. The need to avoid all cinematographic grimness in "our" movie was great because the grimness of its subject matter was so potentially overwhelming. As I've said on another thread, three subjects in addition to being a veteran--severe disability, poverty (Fred's), and growing old--are tackled by Wyler. If Boone City were to also experience winter storms and cold, I don't know if it could have become what it was intended to be: an inspirational if not downright religious film.

I dislike It's a Wonderful Life because that film, in the end, proves rather that It's Not a Wonderful Life. 3JRHFTW, on the other hand, proves that by keeping our eye on the prize [blank space for reasons of political correctness], no matter how life eviscerates us, if we still have breath, we have hope. To gift the American people with this encouragement, a certain liberty with weather-related realities had to be taken, because in the final analysis, 3JRHFTW is an adult fairytale.

And thank GOD for that.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

I like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE well enough. It's an uplifting fantasy film, although it has a dreary mood throughout; and who would rather live in Beaver Falls over Boone City? (Pottersville, with its jazzed-up night life, maybe) Not to mention that the scene where the young George Bailey has blood pouring out of his ear after getting slapped too hard by his boss has always troubled - or more accurately, revolted - me.

Like you, I don't know how it has surpassed 3JRHRTW as 1946's (not '45) go-to film. 3J has a relevance that can be clearly understood today. The only answer I can think of is that Americans (if not the entire cinema going world) are looking strictly for escapist entertainment. The hype related to the new STAR WARS (is it Chapter 7?) is a testament to that, and IAWL is nothing if not a fantasy with the usual tropes: a likeable schlubb hits rock bottom, sees visions and is reborn, happy ending. Thanks to Frank Capra and his great cast, the run-of-the-mill story is lifted to inspirational heights. 3JRHFTW is a more subtle experience. There are no cathartic moments, Fred doesn't hit the lottery, and at the end Al is still struggling with alcohol addiction.

Lastly, I don't know the length of IAWL. Is it 2 1/2 hours? Whatever, after a number of viewings, to me, it feels too long. Maybe it can do without the extended prologue, but I can step away from the screen for 15 minutes and not feel I've missed anything. Not so much with our favorite 1946 opus. Or for that matter, another whimsical fantasy film of that period that I can watch anytime, HERE COMES MR. JORDAN.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

wrfarley:

I watched IAWL twice, once in a nursing home with a dear patient I visited, while she slept. I find this film depressing beyond words. Rather than raise spirits around the holidays, for me, there's a perverse darkness that makes at least my spirits plummet. I find Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" a more family-friendly film. I will say that I just don't care for Jimmy Stewart's "complex" screen persona. I admired him to the extent that he deserved to be admired for not talking his son out of serving in the military (Henry Fonda bragged that his didn't...can't remember the details of that long-ago primetime interview). But I never regarded Stewart as an icon of wholesomeness and indeed wonder when that image became set in stone.

Perhaps 3JRHFTW's lack of popularity would be explained by some as owing to its three leads' not having stature with young people. I think the explanation is darker. IAWL has angel's wings but a fundamentally godless spirit. Its hero is the *only* captain of his fate and master of his soul. He redeems himself with no Being's help, whereas in "our" film, with no reference to God ever being breathed, God's hand is visible throughout in the lead characters' gentleness with each other. Unlike in Capra, no character in our film is so misanthropic that a final redemption seems tacked on to ensure the 1945 audiences didn't walk out of the theater.


Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

hilaryjrp,

I must remind you that for years after its release, 3JRHFTW was the second most popular American film after GONE WITH THE WIND. Through the 1950s, until the mid-60s, when it was overtaken at the box office by THE SOUND OF MUSIC, then a slew of 1970s blockbusters, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (or 3 JOES RETURN HOME FROM THE WAR, or 3JRHFTW for short), was the gold standard for quality and hit filmmaking. Even by today's standards, disregarding its dollar take at the door, I'm sure, 3 JOES remains one of the top films ever based on ticket sales. In fact, GWTW remains the most popular film in the world when you count the people who paid to see it, and not the money it's earned.

IAWL found its way into the American psyche the hard way, falling into such disrepute, in the 70s and 80s, that you could find it on virtually any TV channel you pleased. In fact, it found its audience in the public domain. And today, the film is usually presented in a one-night extravaganza that used to be the sole bastion of THE WIZARD OF OZ.

I like Jimmy Stewart well enough, too. Not my favorite, but he's renowned as a fine gentleman and a fine actor. I don't believe he ever reached the heights of his great pal, Henry Fonda, but many cineastes feel his performance in VERTIGO is one of Hollywood's very finest performances.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

Farley,

I think you may be mistaken. If I remember correctly, both The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur, '56 and '59 respectively, were more "popular" than TBYOOL during the period you mention. Each topping the other and GWTW depending upon which had had the most current re-release. Then, of course, came The Sound of Music which toppled the others.

Farley #2

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

Thanks for the correction, Farley 2. I should have made a simple internet search to validate my claim. I'm not just fallible, but lazy, too.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

"I'm not just fallible, but lazy, too."

Well, I guess we farleys got more in common than meets the eye.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum


I must remind you that for years after its release, 3JRHFTW was the second most popular American film after GONE WITH THE WIND. Through the 1950s, until the mid-60s, when it was overtaken at the box office by THE SOUND OF MUSIC, then a slew of 1970s blockbusters, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (or 3 JOES RETURN HOME FROM THE WAR, or 3JRHFTW for short), was the gold standard for quality and hit filmmaking. Even by today's standards, disregarding its dollar take at the door, I'm sure, 3 JOES remains one of the top films ever based on ticket sales. In fact, GWTW remains the most popular film in the world when you count the people who paid to see it, and not the money it's earned.



I had no idea. You're talking to someone who conflated this film with From Here to Eternity until the age of 50. Because of the latter's kiss on the beach scene (that everyone raised in the U.S. knew from childhood for its being included in montages, television "jokes," and what-not), I just assumed that a movie called The Best Years of Our Lives and with more women central to its cast would perhaps have even more kisses on beaches. I'm being more grim than usual, but when I read what you wrote here, I said to myself, "Hmm... And you just have to ask, 'Why?'" I think there's an answer, but--horrors! That might entail discussions of sentimentality and, even worse, piety.

And we don't do that here in this country.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

My dad was in army in
the Pacific and actually ended up in Japan after they surrendered. His father sadly suffered a stroke and my father was given compassionate leave to fly home early. He flew in a Navy plane to California and then on a commercial flight to Columbus. (just north of Cinti.) His wife,the original, I think, for Marie met him and told him, "Your father died and I want a divorce." Nice, huh? She was already named by the wronged wife of another man in a divorce suit so my dad had no trouble getting a divorce but it took longer than just a few weeks. He then met my mother and they ended up getting married about a year later. I am mentioning this because I think you have to allow for some time passing for all these events to take place. Weather outside be damned.

Re: 3JRHFTW and the time continuum

My father was in US Navy, Pacific theater. When he died in Dec. 1988, I finally found his discharge papers and even his travel itinerary. His discharge was stamped either Oct. 30 or Oct. 31, 1946 and he left Pearl Harbor by ship for San Diego within the next two days. I think there was a one-day layover, then he flew to somewhere in Nevada (Reno?); another one-day layover (?) then a flight to an airfield in Kansas; not sure how long the next layover was, but he had a three-day train ride from Kansas to Downtown Pittsburgh. And finally a bus ride to the rural area he hailed from, Braddock Hills. I guess now he'd be astounded to know his nonstop flight time from Honolulu to Pittsburgh would be 11 hours, 33 minutes!
May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?
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