Turn Back the Clock

I had never heard of this movie until just catching it on TCM. What a pleasant surprise, as I've always loved alternative reality stories, whether "It's A Wonderful Life, the "Back to the Future" series or the several Twilight Zone episodes that this movie seemed to be a model for.

This is not literally a time travel movie, and I kind of like that it's made clear this is all a dream (induced by anesthesia). But it still has a lot of dramatic impact. The idea of "what if I had my life to live over again, knowing what I know now" seems to have a universal appeal. The very clever screenplay spins several variations on this theme, and even if the "lesson" learned by the hero is predictable, there are enough plots twists to maintain viewer interest. And as another reviewer commented, the script makes great use of true historical event. This movie is actually a pretty good history lesson. Probably a lot of viewers are unaware that our entry into World War I was very controversial and not at all universally favored at the time.

The script is particularly clever in it's parallel construction between the "real" story and the dream. The roles of the rich guy vs. the struggling storekeeper are reversed, but in both cases, there is the concept of changing one's life with a bold and maybe risky investment of one's life savings.

My only quibble is that the movie seems to end abruptly after the Lee Tracy character regains consciousness and finds that he's still married to Mary and back to reality. I actually thought there would be another plot twist, with him discovering that Otto Kruger is a con man trying to get his $4,000, and not really a rich success. That would've added another wrinkle to the "be happy with what you have" message.

I pretty much guessed the ending (which I won't reveal here), but that didn't stop me enjoying the story! Lee Tracy does a good job in the role of Joe Gimlet, frustrated and discontent store owner, who wishes his life had turned out different, especially after running into his old friend Ted (Otto Kruger), who's now wealthy and married to the boss's daughter, Elvina (Peggy Shannon) that could have been his wife, if things had been different.

Instead, he married girl next door Mary (Mae Clark), whose practical outlook on life is making him feel stifled and resentful. When he storms out into the street after an argument, it appears he may get his wish for all he missed out on, as he finds himself 20 years younger, and trading places with Ted. Joe breaks up with Mary and marries Elvina and proceeds to make his money/success dreams come true, while Ted marries Mary and seems content with the simple life.

And then the words "be careful what you wish for" come back to haunt him!

I think some parts were overdone, like Joe's drinking and shooting off his mouth, especially about things he remembers from the past/future that hasn't happened yet, making some people think he's flipped his lid. But all in all, it's an enjoyable film.

Lee Tracy earns a meager living as a cigar store owner with his wife Mae Clarke. One night, after a fight with his wife over money, he's hit by a car and wakes up in the hospital to find he's twenty years in the past. Now he can do things differently, including marrying wealthy Peggy Shannon. Armed with knowledge of the future, he becomes successful and powerful. But over time he comes to realize how good he had it in his other life.

A good role for Lee Tracy, a largely forgotten star from the 1930s. Tracy was a versatile actor, equally great at both comedy and drama. Mae Clarke and Peggy Shannon are both excellent here. Fine support from Otto Kruger, C. Henry Gordon, and Clara Bandick. Look out for the cameo from the Three Stooges. It's the first film appearance of the Stooges after Curly had joined. Love those MGM sets. A compelling tale of "what might have been," years before It's a Wonderful Life and countless other movies used similar ideas. Especially interesting for history buffs as the movie offers insights on views back then regarding a variety of topics from World War I on up to the Great Depression.

A unique film of the "if I had it all to do over" variety, Turn Back The Clock gives Lee Tracy a chance to show the full range of his talents as an average Joe who wants a second chance at life and gets it.

Director Edgar Selwyn and screenwriter Ben Hecht delivered a small masterpiece in 1933 that might seem familiar now to later generations. Everyone from Frank Capra to Rod Serling has used the same theme successfully - the lesson to be learned: you can't change the past without consequences, so maybe its better just to be happy with what you have.

TCM has this one in its vault, so see it if you're a Tracy fan. You won't be disappointed. Excellent performances by Mae Clarke and Peggy Shannon as well. Funny and dramatic with some of the delightful over the top stuff you'd expect from an early Thirties film, but fast and insightful at the same time.

Oh, and an uncredited guest bit with The Three Stooges as wedding singers!

This is the type of fantasy Frank Capra put his stamp on just a few years later. It stars Lee Tracy as a working-class guy who begins to regret his humble life after meeting up with old friends who have become wealthy; he gets his chance to go back in time and live his life over again. Premise has since been used time and again, but here it's given a surprisingly fresh and clear-eyed take. Tracy is the only acting liability among the performers(he's too broad for a subtle picture like this one). It's well-paced, amusing, shies away from mushy sentimentality, and features The Three Stooges--unbilled in a cameo as wedding singers!