The Best Years of Our Lives : Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

Opened in New York City (November 21, 1946), premiered in L.A. (Dec. 25, 1946).

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

I had expected a post to this effect from you around Veteran's Day (when I thought you traditionally re-watch it). Seventy years! This film is so timeless. It falls into that rare category of movies that really don't age.

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

Two reasons. I would have posted this on Veterans' Day, but I didn't remember it had been 70 years until a couple of weeks ago. Second, it actually premiered later in the year, so technically I was right on time for the anniversary.

Happy holidays, hilaryjrp

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

Still the best avatar EVER on IMDB (and maybe the internet).

I asked on another thread if any of the regulars here had gone to see "Hacksaw Ridge," which I could not, because of the reported excessive level of violence. If you have seen it, could you post your opinion as to whether the film's aim is to tell the story of an unusual young hero or if it rather is to indulge in some questionable frenzy?

Happy holidays to you, too.

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

Hey, wrf! Long time. Just saw your post and it coincides with my thinking -- 70 years! Amazing. (And I wonder how the men who fought and died and came home and built the greatest nation on Earth would feel if they could see who their descendants -- and no doubt some of them too -- had not voted for for President seven decades later!)

On another thread here (dealing with whether there should have been a sequel to this film, say around 1956) I had cause to quote Gregory Peck's line from The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit in which he told his wife, "Will you stop harping about the war? It's been over for ten years. It's gone and forgotten."

Ten years then...seventy-two now, and counting, and most of the men who served have passed away, as have even many of their children. That melancholy if inevitable fact is particularly sobering.

Happy new year to you, old friend!

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

Howdy hob, hope your holidays were happy and bright (now that we're in the age of a real Manchurian candidate).

It was also the 70th anniversary of 1946's more celebrated film, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, which had an anniversary Christmas showing at my local bijou in Greenwich Village.

I saw the post about a sequel. I can't really respond, I'm not a fan of sequels in general. Light fare, like the James Bond and Indiana Jones franchise, fine, but serious matter like BEST YEARS is another matter. A sequel ten years later without the war as a theme is a completely different kettle of fish. What would it deal with? Alcoholism? Children coming of age? Angst in the suburbs? These themes were covered in 1950's films, and I can't imagine a sequel to this film adding anything to the dialogue.

Fred's story, while seemingly unresolved is, for me, the perfect ending. The possibility of a brighter future with the right woman at one's side is a hopeful resolution, and true to the character. A happily-ever-after ending might have made the audience feel good, but it would quickly wash off and the characters forgotten.

If you get a chance, check out my post with the video of Harold Russell and Dana Andrews meeting again in 1972. In fact, let me see if I can put it back into a position of prominence.

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

farley,

I agree about a remake in this case -- too much of the time, immediacy, and feel couldn't be recaptured at this later date. (However, I take heart in knowing the real Manchurian candidate lost.)

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

I am truly disappointed that neither of you gentlemen acknowledged my question about Hacksaw Ridge. I hope it has nothing to do with my first name. I never get disappointed on IMDB in general; the internet is "Chinatown," to paraphrase.

But I am disappointed here.

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

I don't know if I was one of the gentlemen you were referring to, hilary (I'm guessing not), but for the record, I have not seen Hacksaw Ridge, nor do I know anything about it. But why the question -- I mean, what if anything is the connection with Best Years?

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

Yes, you've guessed correctly. I've never seen your IMDB handle on this board until this past month. I certainly wasn't referring to you. Since I was not, I'll thank you for your forbearance, as you now clearly are here on this board to stay. In fact, please put me on your Ignore list. Much appreciated, as you're giving me the creeps. I'll be gracious and take the first move by putting you on mine.

(And if you're a Trump-hating troll changing screen names and following people around from board to board, you're bound to receive similar invitations sooner rather than later.)

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

Whoa! Where did this come from? hobnob53 is a longtime member in good standing of the 3JRFTW boards. We diehard fans of this film need to stick together and prove to the world that this is American cinema at its very finest.

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

hobnob53 is a Gentleman.

It's not like a person's political orientation (regarding modern politics) matters when discussing this movie.

~~~~~
Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen =

Re: … THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

hobnob53 is a Gentleman. I've never seen him stalk anyone.

~~~~~
Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen =

Re: Happy 70th Anniversary to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES aka 3JRHFTW

hilary,

Sorry, but I haven't seen Hacksaw Ridge.

Re: TBYOOL was remade….

...as a made-for-TV movie called Returning Home, in about 1975, with Dabney Colman. It was a heavily truncated version of the original and also took place after WWII. Needless to say, it wasn't any good.

I still think a sequel made in the mid-50s. catching us up with the Best Years crowd a decade on, would have been interesting, though nothing could better the original. But a remake, even if done properly, is another thing.

Happy new year, cfwente! Here's wishing you a healthy and prosperous 2017.

Nice try with the old political shell game, old friend, but it wasn't Hillary who was endorsed by Vladimir Putin, nor her campaign that Putin ordered his people to influence, as has been established without dispute or denial. If a Democrat had had similar support and interference with the election, especially from a foreign totalitarian power, people like you would be all over it in a second. But since it's a neo-Fascist like the thoroughly unqualified and dangerous Trump, apparently it's okay.

Re: TBYOOL was remade….

Well . . . given the inevitable consequences following a different result, I'll take anyone's endorsement. Now, stop raining on my parade.

Re: TBYOOL was remade….

That's not rain, cfwente, it's an approaching hurricane!

By the way, Obama's term ends next Friday, but I think it's not too soon to say that your stated fear from a couple of years ago that the United States would not last until the end of his term will not be borne out. However, I'm not so sure about our prospects regarding his successor.

Somehow I doubt that this is the kind of man Homer, Fred and Al envisioned as President when they fought and won the war.

Re: TBYOOL was remade….

I may have gotten my timing wrong, though I don't remember saying it would come immediately after his term. (There are few brick walls in politics and diplomacy.) If, however, H had been elected, the point of no return would have arrived not more than 15-20 years after her predecessor set the course -- IMO.

Re para 2, we'll have to agree to disagree on that.

Note -- "It's an ill wind that blows no good". I feel a fresh wind coming -- to blow out all the hot air. A little badly needed "global cooling"?

Re: TBYOOL was remade….

Donald Trump is the most uninformed and unqualified man ever elected president, apart from his appalling personal "values" and behavior. He is a liar, a pig and a dangerous demagogue.

People are usually very stupid in confusing "plain speaking" with honesty and intelligence. They are not the same. Any jackass can spray out vitriol and lies in plain language. Trump is an embarrassment for this country and a looming disaster for the world. Almost anyone of either party would have been better.

His approval ratings are even lower than they were when he was elected (mid-30s), the worst in history. People are realizing -- too late -- what kind of ignorant fool they've elected.

Oh, but I misspeak -- the people didn't elect him. Three million more voted for his opponent, aside from those who voted for third party candidates. That is not nothing. So much for the world's greatest democracy, where the person with the most votes does not necessarily get elected.

My mother passed away Monday. I am glad she will not have to live in a country headed by such a reprehensible and inept individual.

Re: TBYOOL was remade….

Ah, I was beginning to wonder when/where you and cfwente would get into politics on this board. Here is the discussion. I wouldn't have missed this for the world.

I'm sorry about your mother passing away.

~~~~~
Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen =

Re: TBYOOL was remade….

hob,

First, I'm truly sorry about your mother's passing. Been through that and know what it can mean.

Re the rest, let's just say, again, I take a somewhat different view. As a matter of fact, friends and I are planning a celebration next Friday to commemorate the occasion of Mr. Trump's formal elevation.

I admit H would have been president had we lived in a democracy but, as you know, we don't. We live in a Constitutional Republic with a federal, not central, government and have done so for 230 years. I understand the precepts of the Founders are lost on the left (at least, when they don't produce a win for them). And, I understand that had it been otherwise, H could have gone forward in her governance as easily as Obama did -- without paying any attention to Wisconsin, Indiana, Pennsylvania, etc. More time on the golf courses, the beaches (in California, where all those extra votes came from), and creating menus for the deplorables' kids!

Btw, I know elections can be an emotional experience for lots of people but, I sincerely think some of your fellow travelers could benefit from professional help.

Again, very sorry for your loss.

Best, as always & God bless

Re: TBYOOL was remade….

cfwente,

Thank you for your condolences. Much appreciated.

I'll just say that I was not aware that a constitutional republic and a democracy were incompatible concepts. I'm fed up with your mindless smears about how this or that is lost on "the left". There is something wrong with a system where the will of the governed can be ignored because of an antiquated system specifically designed, originally as a substitute for, later to circumvent, the popular will...and I would feel the same had Trump won 3 million more votes than Clinton but Clinton had won the electoral vote. I would have been relieved at the outcome but still felt it was unfair and undemocratic.

We once had a similar system for electing senators until the inherent anti-democratic nature of choosing them by state legislatures became too onerous and the Constitution was changed. Many southern states had into the 50s and 60s a county system whereby the person who won the most counties in a state was elected, regardless of the popular vote, not dissimilar to the electoral college. The purpose of this was to maintain the control of rural, conservative counties by giving them power far in excess of their populations over cities and suburban areas, and it worked. Eventually these too were eliminated, as was the political practice of drawing congressional and state legislative lines without regard to population in order to deliberately discriminate against urban areas in favor of rural ones. But the Republicans will never vote to drop the electoral college because they benefit from it, having now won two elections in 16 years with candidates who received fewer votes than their opponents.

As for where all those "extra" votes came from: First, what do you mean by "extra"? That they were added in after the fact? That they're somehow irrelevant or illegitimate or don't count? And second, even if California made the difference, so what? Again, this doesn't matter? I thought we were all Americans. Why are these voters "extra", unimportant or to be discounted, as opposed to Trump voters in Indiana or Idaho? This is just more of the same right-wing crap about the "real" America being somehow worth more than votes cast in -- what, "fake" America? That for some reason a voter in Missouri is more of a true American than one in New York. What a bunch of lying, bigoted hypocrites you all are.

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