Waterloo Bridge (1940 film)

Infobox_Film
name = Waterloo Bridge


caption = Original movie poster
director = Mervyn LeRoy
writer = Robert E. Sherwood (play)
S. N. Behrman (screenplay)
Hans Rameau (screenplay)
George Froeschel (screenplay)
starring = Robert Taylor
Vivien Leigh
Lucile Watson
Virginia Field
Maria Ouspenskaya
C. Aubrey Smith| producer = Sidney Franklin
music = Herbert Stothart
cinematography = Joseph Ruttenberg
distributor = Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
released = May 17 1940
runtime = 108 min
language = English
country = USA
budget =
imdb_id = 0033238

"Waterloo Bridge" is a 1940 remake of the 1931 film of the same title.

The film was made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sidney Franklin and Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay is by S. N. Behrman, Hans Rameau and George Froeschel, based on the popular Broadway drama by Robert E. Sherwood. The music is by Herbert Stothart and cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg. The films stars Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh, her first film after the success of "Gone with the Wind".

A simple tale of love gained and lost, the film tells the story of a chance encounter during World War I between a dancer and an officer on Waterloo Bridge during an air raid. "Waterloo Bridge" was a success at the box office and nominated for 2 Academy Awards - Best Music for Herbert Stothart and Best Cinematography. It was also considered a personal favourite by both Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor.

Plot Summary

World War II has just broken out and a soldier stops to reminisce on Waterloo Bridge. The film then cuts to a flashback to World War I with the young soldier Roy Cronin (Taylor) who has stopped on the bridge. An alarm sounds signaling an air raid and a group of girls pause on the bridge, arguing amongst each other of what they should do. They turn to Royand he tells them they should find cover. One of the girls in the group, Myra Lester (Leigh), drops her purse in the road and dangerously retrieves it, along with her good luck charm. Roy chastises her and the two run for the underground.

Once in the underground, Roy and Myra begin to speak and Myra invites him to her ballet performance. Roy declines, stating he has a dinner with a colonel to attend to and expresses his regret. They part as Myra gives him her good luck charm. However, he dismisses the colonel's dinner and attends the performance. Afterwards, he sends a note to Myra asking her to dinner which is taken by Madame Olga Kirowa (Maria Ouspenskaya). Madame Kirowa orders Myra to write Roy a note declining the invitation. Meanwhile, Roy is waiting anxiously for word and, receiving the letter, begins to walk dejectedly away. However, Kitty (Virginia Field) stops him and arranges the date for Myra.

Myra and Roy spend a pleasant evening together, ending with a kiss and parting as Roy is to return to the front. The following day, Myra, dejected, looks out her rainy window and sees Roy standing beneath it. She runs to him and the two agree to marry. She does not attend her ballet performance instead to see Roy off and is dismissed from the ballet. Kitty quits the ballet as well.

Myra and Kitty rent a small apartment and Myra receives flowers and the like from Roy. Myra meets Roy's mother (Lucile Watson) and, while waiting, she reads in the paper that Roy has been killed. She faints and later behaves apprehensively and impudently towards his mother. His mother leaves a distressed Myra who goes back to her apartment. Myra grows depressed and Kitty buys her medicine with income coming in as a prostitute. She lies to Myra and tells her that she has been working as a performer. Myra attends the performance of the play Kitty is supposedly in and comes back to the apartment, asking questions about the play to Kitty before confronting her. Kitty confesses and Myra, too, becomes a prostitute.

Myra works at Waterloo Station and, in the midst of attempting to pick up potential customers, sees Roy coming from the train. He greets her warmly and takes her to lunch where she acts strangely with him. He assumes their engagement will go on as planned and Myra acccepts his offer after his questions on whether or not she has moved on. The two go to his home in Scotland where she again meets his mother. His mother apologizes for leaving Myra at the restaurant as she had not known that Roy was "dead" and they become friends. Myra dances at a ball and speaks with Roy's uncle who tells her that they are a proud and esteemed family, the Cronins, and that a sweet ballerina will be the perfect wife for Roy. Myra feels guilty and speaks with his mother, telling her the truth of her position before deciding that she can no longer carry on her facade. Roy sees her one last time and tells her of his excitement, before giving her the good luck charm back stating that now that they will be married, it doesn't matter which one of them has it.

Myra leaves and Roy, frantic, looks for her. He recruits Kitty's help and she takes him to Myra's haunts. He soon learns of her double life, but he still wishes to marry her and continues searching frantically for her. Myra, meanwhile, is on Waterloo Bridge and, seeing a convoy of army ambulances, commits suicide by walking into the path of the ambulances.

The film cuts back to Roy, years later, standing on the bridge reminiscing of a love lost holding the good luck charm.

Trivia

*The film capitalized on Leigh's success of the previous year in "Gone with the Wind". Taylor had no trouble with her receiving top billing and was eager to show his audiences that he was more than the suave and youthful lover as he had played in such films as Camille and Three Comrades. (Courtesy TCM)

*Leigh wanted Laurence Olivier for the role of Roy Cronin and was quite peturbed at Robert Taylor instead receiving the part, although she had enjoyed him on the set of A Yank at Oxford. She wrote to then-husband Leigh Holman, "Robert Taylor is the man in the picture, and as it was written for Larry, it's a typical piece of miscasting. I am afraid it will be a dreary job..." (Courtesy TCM)

*Taylor's impressive performance as the dynamic lover Roy Cronin proved to his critics and Leigh that he could in fact act. He later said of it, "It was the first time I really gave a performance that met the often unattainable standards I was always setting for myself," and of Leigh he said, "Miss Leigh was simply great in her role, and she made me look better." (Courtesy TCM)

*Of all her films, Leigh stated this one was her favorite. Taylor also felt this to be his personal favorite.

Music

*Let me call you Sweetheart

Popularity in China

Poetically transcribed as 魂断蓝桥 in Chinese, the film is extremely popular in China. University students hold regular viewings, for example. Possible explanations for this include it is one of the first batch of western films that were introduced to Chinese audience in the early 80s followed by the economic reform, and a plot and ending that the Chinese audience find familiar.

External links

*imdb title|id=0033238|title=Waterloo Bridge