Tay Garnett William Taylor "Tay" Garnett (June 13, 1894 – October 3, 1977) was an American film director and writer. Biography Early life Born in Los Angeles, Garnett attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served as a naval aviator in Wo ...

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, ...

C. Graham Baker Charles Graham Baker (July 16, 1883 – May 15, 1950) was an American screenwriter and director. He wrote for more than 170 films between 1915 and 1948. He and his father invented the game of Gin rummy in 1909. Biography He was born in Eva ...

Gene Towne Gene Towne (March 27, 1904 – March 17, 1979) was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 47 films between 1921 and 1958. He was born in New York, New York, and died in Woodland Hills, California from a heart attack. Partial filmography * ...

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in '' Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other role ...

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North ...

Eve Arden Eve Arden (born Eunice Mary Quedens, April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an American film, radio, stage and television actress. She performed in leading and supporting roles for nearly six decades. Beginning her film career in 1929 ...

Werner Janssen Werner Janssen (born Werner Alexander Oscar Janssen;Academy Award for Best Music.Halliwell 1989, p. 322.

Plot

Anita Halstead ( Loretta Young) goes to see a magic act performed by Tony (

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in '' Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other role ...

), the "Great Arturo", after her bridal shower for her wedding to Don Burns ( Broderick Crawford). Anita and Tony are immediately attracted to each other and get married. She becomes his assistant in the act. One night, Tony becomes drunk in the company of a woman reporter and boasts he will jump out of an aircraft at with his hands handcuffed behind his back. When she prints his claim, he first tries to get out of it with a fake cast on his arm, but when he sees the thousands of fans, he goes through with it, freeing himself in mid-air and parachuting safely to the ground. He promises Anita that he will not attempt the dangerous stunt again, but soon breaks his word and performs it repeatedly all over the world. Anita becomes weary of the constant travel and longs to settle down and start a family. Secretly, she sells her jewelry and has a house built in the

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

countryside. When it is completed, she shows Tony a picture of it, but his uninterested reaction stops her from telling him it is theirs. When he signs up for a two-year, round-the-world tour rather than take the vacation he had promised, she finally gives up. She leaves him and gets a divorce in

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the c ...

. Anita's grandfather, Bishop Peabody ( C. Aubrey Smith), breaks the news to the distraught Tony. On a sea cruise with her Aunt Abby (

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North ...

), Anita is surprised to run into her old fiancé Don. She gets the ship's captain to marry them. However, she spends their honeymoon night with her grandfather. The next night, Don insists on introducing her to his boss, Harley Bingham ( Raymond Walburn), at a nightclub. The entertainment is none other than the Great Arturo, with his old assistant, Lola De Vere ( Virginia Field). He soon persuades Bingham to let him perform at Bingham's company retreat at a resort, much to Anita's discomfort. Mrs. Bingham ( ZaSu Pitts) has a dilemma, though. They have not booked enough rooms to provide separate bedrooms for the unmarried Tony and Lola. Tony suggests he and Don share one room, while Anita and Lola take the other. During his stay, Tony tries unsuccessfully to persuade Anita to take him back. Meanwhile, the hapless Don becomes sick, and the doctor prescribes no physical activity of any sort for a month. Bishop Peabody is told by his lawyer that Anita's divorce is not legal. Later, he informs his granddaughter that Tony will be doing his parachute stunt that day. She attends. Tony tells his valet and friend Benton (

Hugh Herbert Hugh Herbert (August 10, 1885 – March 12, 1952) was an American motion picture comedian. He began his career in vaudeville and wrote more than 150 plays and sketches. Career Born in Binghamton, New York, Herbert attended Cornell Unive ...

) that he hid a lockpick in the wrong airplane, but goes ahead with the trick anyway. He frees himself dangerously close to the ground. After he is pulled unconscious out of the water, Anita rushes to his side. When he regains consciousness, they are reconciled. In the final scene, they enter their Connecticut home.

Cast

* Loretta Young as Anita Halstead *

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in '' Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other role ...

as Tony, "The Great Arturo" *

Hugh Herbert Hugh Herbert (August 10, 1885 – March 12, 1952) was an American motion picture comedian. He began his career in vaudeville and wrote more than 150 plays and sketches. Career Born in Binghamton, New York, Herbert attended Cornell Unive ...

as Benton *

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North ...

as Aunt Abby * C. Aubrey Smith as Gramps, aka Bishop Peabody * Raymond Walburn as Mr. Harley Bingham * ZaSu Pitts as Mrs. Cary Bingham * Broderick Crawford as Don Burns * Virginia Field as Lola De Vere *

Eve Arden Eve Arden (born Eunice Mary Quedens, April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an American film, radio, stage and television actress. She performed in leading and supporting roles for nearly six decades. Beginning her film career in 1929 ...

as Gloria, a friend of Anita's *

Ralph Graves Ralph Graves (born Ralph Horsburgh; January 23, 1900 – February 18, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director and actor who appeared in more than 90 films between 1918 and 1949. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Graves had already ...

as Mr. Morrisey * Lionel Pape as Mr. Howard * Fred Keating as Master of Ceremonies

Production

Originally, producer Walter Wanger had planned to film

Sacha Guitry Alexandre-Pierre Georges "Sacha" Guitry (; 21 February 188524 July 1957) was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the boulevard theatre. He was the son of a leading French actor, Lucien Guitry, and follo ...

's 1917 play ' (based on the illusionists

Émile Isola Émile Isola was born on 4 September 1860 in Blida, Algeria and died in Paris on 17 May 1945. Along with his younger brother Vincent Isola with whose life and career he was closely involved, he was a conjurer and theatre director in Paris; they wer ...

and

Vincent Isola Vincent Isola (24 July 1862 in Blida, Algeria – 31 August 1947 in Paris) was a French theatre director. Along with his older brother Émile Isola with whose life and career he was closely involved, he was a conjurer and theatre director in P ...

), but the Production Code Administration deemed it too risqué for filming. Screenwriters Gene Towne and G. Graham Baker made so many changes that Wanger eventually billed the film as an original screenplay. Wanger and director

Tay Garnett William Taylor "Tay" Garnett (June 13, 1894 – October 3, 1977) was an American film director and writer. Biography Early life Born in Los Angeles, Garnett attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served as a naval aviator in Wo ...

used footage of their around the world trip that they shot for ''

Trade Winds The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisp ...

'' (1938), their previous collaboration. ''Eternally Yours'' also featured footage from the

1939 New York World's Fair The 1939–40 New York World's Fair was a world's fair held at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York, United States. It was the second-most expensive American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Pur ...

.Miller, Frank
"Articles: 'Eternally Yours'."
''TCM'', 2019. Retrieved: August 30, 2019.

Paul LePaul Paul LePaul (August 2, 1900 – June 8, 1958) was an American magician. Career LePaul was born Paul Shields Braden in Olney, Illinois. He grew up in St. Louis, Mo. He started his professional career around 1920, doing a manipulative act entire ...

, the magician who was a technical adviser to ''Eternally Yours'' has a cameo doing card tricks with

Hugh Herbert Hugh Herbert (August 10, 1885 – March 12, 1952) was an American motion picture comedian. He began his career in vaudeville and wrote more than 150 plays and sketches. Career Born in Binghamton, New York, Herbert attended Cornell Unive ...

. Tay Garnett also has a bit part in the film. Paul Mantz performed aerial stuntwork and photography for the film. Two aircraft in ''Eternally Yours'' were: * Stinson Model A * Ford Trimotor 4ATD s/n 24, NC5578

Reception

Frank S. Nugent Frank Stanley Nugent (May 27, 1908 – December 29, 1965) was an American screenwriter, journalist, and film reviewer, who wrote 21 film scripts, 11 for director John Ford. He wrote almost a thousand reviews for ''The New York Times'' before lea ...

in his review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', said: "....the love affair between Loretta Young and David Niven in "Eternally Yours" (at the Roxy) is certain to provoke its fair share of local interest and comment. To begin with, it is a gratifyingly high-toned affair in which chinchilla coats, de luxe world tours, champagne hangovers and lodges in the Adirondacks are tossed about as freely and familiarly as the average person tosses off a blue-plate lunch. But its real novelty is Mr. Niven as a magician and Miss Young as the lady he first carelessly causes to disappear, and then pursues to the four corners of the earth."Nugent, Frank S
"The Screen."
''The New York Times'', October 7, 1939. '' Variety'' magazine was more succinct, noting, the film, "... will have to depend on name power to get it by." Overall, ''Eternally Yours'' recorded a loss of $107,747.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Bernstein, Matthew. ''Walter Wagner: Hollywood Independent''. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000. . * Halliwell, Leslie. ''Leslie Halliwell's Film Guide''. New York: Harper & Roe, 1989. .

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eternally Yours 1939 films 1939 comedy-drama films American aviation films American comedy-drama films American black-and-white films Films about magic and magicians Films directed by Tay Garnett United Artists films Films produced by Walter Wanger Films scored by Werner Janssen 1930s American films

Plot

Cast

Production

Reception

See also

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

External links