''Time Out of Mind'' is a 1947 American film noir

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German film director who also worked in the United States. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for a series of films noirs he made in the 1940s, such as ''The Killers'' (194 ...

and starring

Phyllis Calvert Phyllis Hannah Murray-Hill (née Bickle; 18 February 1915 – 8 October 2002), known professionally as Phyllis Calvert, was an English film, stage and television actress. She was one of the leading stars of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 1 ...

, Robert Hutton and

Ella Raines Ella Wallace Raines (August 6, 1920 – May 30, 1988) was an American film and television actress. Early life Raines was born Ella Wallace Raines on August 6, 1920, in Fall City, Washington. She studied drama at the University of Washingto ...

. The film was made by

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

on a large budget of $1,674,500, but the film was not a commercial success. The British actress Calvert was a major star in Britain and other countries for her roles in the

Gainsborough Melodramas The Gainsborough melodramas were a sequence of films produced by the British film studio Gainsborough Pictures between 1943 and 1947 which conformed to a melodramatic style.Brooke, Michael. (2014)Gainsborough Melodrama Screenonline British Film Ins ...

Plot

The son of a wealthy

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

family shocks his relatives by announcing he wants to pursue a career in music.

Cast

as Kate Fernald * Robert Hutton as Christopher Fortune *

as Clarissa 'Rissa' Fortune *

Eddie Albert Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...

as Jake Bullard *

Leo G. Carroll Leo Gratten Carroll (25 October 1886 – 16 October 1972) was an English actor. In a career of more than forty years, he appeared in six Hitchcock films including ''Spellbound'', '' Strangers on a Train'' and ''North by Northwest'' and in thre ...

as Capt. Fortune * Helena Carter as Dora Drake *

John Abbott Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott (March 12, 1821 – October 30, 1893) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the third prime minister of Canada from 1891 to 1892. He held office as the leader of the Conservative Party. Abbo ...

as Max Leiberman *

Henry Stephenson Henry Stephenson (born Harry Stephenson Garraway; 16 April 1871 – 24 April 1956) was a British actor. He portrayed friendly and wise gentlemen in many films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his roles were Sir Joseph Banks in ''Mutiny on the Bou ...

as Wellington Drake *

Olive Blakeney Olive Blakeney (August 21, 1894 October 21, 1959) was an American actress. Early years Blakeney was born in Kentucky and attended the Cincinnati School of Expression. Career Blakeney played as a super in visiting stage shows at $1 per perfor ...

as Mrs. Fernald * Harry Shannon as Capt. Rogers * Janet Shaw as Penny *

Emil Rameau Emil Rameau (born Emil Pulvermacher; 13 August 1878 – 9 September 1957) was a German film and theatre actor, and for many years the deputy artistic director at the Schiller Theater. He appeared in nearly 100 films between 1915 and 1949. Lif ...

as Alfred Stern *

Samuel S. Hinds Samuel Southey Hinds (April 4, 1875 – October 13, 1948) was an American actor and former lawyer. He was often cast as kindly authority figures and appeared in more than 200 films until his death. Early years Hinds was born in Brooklyn, New Y ...

as Dr. Weber * Lilian Fontaine as Aunt Melinda (as Lillian Fontaine) *

Houseley Stevenson Houseley Stevenson (30 July 1879 – 6 August 1953) was a British-American character actor who was born in London on July 30, 1879, and died in Duarte, California on August 6, 1953. He began his movie career in 1936 and had a short career in ...

as George *

Maudie Prickett Maudie Prickett (born Maudie Marie Doyle; October 25, 1914 – April 14, 1976) was an American character actress who performed in over 300 stage, film, and television productions during a career that spanned nearly four decades. Death In ...

as Annie

Production

Novel

The film was based on a novel by Rachel Field which was published in 1935. The ''New York Times'' said it "comes to life". The book became a best seller.

Development

Film rights were bought by Universal who in July 1936 announced a film version would start the following month under the direction of

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Frankenstein'' (1931), '' The O ...

with

Jane Wyatt Jane Waddington Wyatt ( ; August 12, 1910 – October 20, 2006) was an American actress. She starred in a number of Hollywood films, such as Frank Capra's ''Lost Horizon'', but is likely best known for her role as the housewife and mother Marga ...

to play Kate. Field came out to Hollywood to consult on the script. The film ended up not being made for a number of years however two very successful movies were filmed of Field novels, ''All This and Heaven Too'' and ''And Now Tomorrow'' which revived Universal's interest. In April 1945 Universal said Jane Murfin would produce. In July

Ferde Grofe Ferde AS is a Norwegian toll company owned by Agder, Rogaland and Vestland counties. The company was created on 5 October 2016 is headquartered in Bergen. The company was called Sørvest Bomvegselskap AS until 1 January 2018. All toll roads in No ...

was signed to write the music. In December 1945 J Arthur Rank of Britain announced he had signed a deal with Universal which would involve exchange of talent. Phyllis Calvert, one of his leading stars, was attached to ''Time Out of Mind''. In July 1946 Universal announced they would make the film that year, with Calvert to star and Robert Siodmak to direct. Calvert had been reluctant to make the movie but admired ''The Spiral Staircase'' and agreed to take the role after Siodmak became attached. Eddie Albert was announced as male star but he eventually dropped out and the male lead would be played by Ric Hutton, borrowed from Warner Bros.Filmdom Comic Revel Likely for Celluloiding Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 23 Sep 1946: A2. Calvert arrived in Los Angeles in September. She says the studio threw her a big party then the producer told her that Siodmak was not going to be available and Frank Ryan would take over as director. The star protested and insisted Siodmak have the job. She says this led to a reputation for her being difficult. Siodmak called it "a preposterous film... the story was absurd (who can sympathise with a main character who doesn't believe steam will ever supplant the sailing ship?)".Encounter with Siodmak Taylor, Russell. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 28, Iss. 3, (Summer 1959): 180. Siodmark says he was about to direct a film in Britain when presented with the script, but he refused to do it. "Apparently this put them on the spot" he later said claiming they "sent a deputation literally on its knees begging me to come back and direct it." His agent used this to negotiate "a mad contract whereby they trebled my salary for two years and gave me the right to veto the finished film's release if I didn't like it." By October Siodmak was back on the movie. In November 1946, the week before filming was to start, Murfin left Universal. Siodmak took over as producer.

Shooting

Calvert found it an unpleasant experience, saying she felt like "an alien guinea pig". However while in the US she signed to Paramount for a five-film contract over five years. Calvert says that Universal publicity manufactured a fictional pregnancy and a miscarriage for Calvert. "I hated America and they hated me!" she said.Film: For love? Hell no, I did it for money Frustrated by the British studios, Phyllis Calvert went to Hollywood. What followed was even worse.: OREIGN EditionSweet, Matthew. The Independent 25 Feb 2000: 12. Siodmak said he and cinematographer Maury Gertsman "had a great time loading the film with every crazy effect we could think of."

Reception

Siodmak later said he did not have to use his veto "as they played the film for just one day in a tiny Park Avenue cinema then it disappeared forever." The ''New York Times'' called the film "singularly empty".At the Park Avenue T.M.P. New York Times 7 Apr 1947: 20. ''Filmink'' said the film is best remembered today (if at all) for (a) being director Robert Siodmak's one dud in a series of classic films for Universal, and (b) an unsuccessful attempt to launch British star Phyllis Calvert in Hollywood."

References

Bibliography

* Greco, Joseph. ''The File on Robert Siodmak in Hollywood, 1941-1951''. Universal-Publishers, 1999.

External links

* * * * {{Robert Siodmak 1947 films 1947 drama films 1940s English-language films American drama films Universal Pictures films Films set in Maine Films directed by Robert Siodmak Films scored by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Films scored by Miklós Rózsa Films scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof American black-and-white films 1940s American films