One More Tomorrow

Just wondering if anyone noticed the dark Buick convertible driven by the hero in this film. It's not conspicuous. It's a 1941 Buick Super convertible. I'm wondering if it's that same one Gary Grant drove during his 1948 film, Mr Blandings Builds his Dreamhouse. If this was a car on the Warner lot, the it might have gotten into other films, and might have survived to this day in some collectors collection. I'd love to know the story of this car, and its present whereabouts, if it still exists. Very nice car for the time. It's an exceptional car of the era. Buick had the most powerful engines of the day, and this model had a 125 HP engine with dual carburetors, that jazzed up its performance considerably.

This was a surprisingly good film. I expected a tear jerker but instead found a pleasent, entertaining story. Although, I must confess what makes the movie so entertaining for me is the role of Jack Carson. Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan made several movies together, and they were never better. I am a big Jack Carson fan. He can play a villain or a buffoon and make the character believable. He usually played, as in this film, second banana to the star of the movie, and like all great second bananas, he steals every scene he's in.

This was a dramatic film that was very excellent,but predictable.With that cast,who cares!!Alexis is money hungry and out to marry Dennis.Dennis is in love with Ann.When Dennis asks Ann to marry him she says....well I won't spoil it.I recommend you see it.It's a great movie worth sitting through. Any Dennis Morgan,Alexis Smith or Ann Sheridan fan should see it.I highly recommend it!

Someone over at Warner Brothers thought that Philip Barry's play The Animal Kingdom might make a good vehicle for their new male buddy team of Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson. So in roles pioneered by Leslie Howard and William Gargan on stage and in the RKO original film, Morgan and Carson took over the parts and did well with them as the playboy and the butler.

The story is updated to reflect wartime conditions. Morgan is an affable sort of playboy who likes giving parties and one time his little clambake is covered by photographers Ann Sheridan and Jane Wyman. Both are from a liberal type magazine that sounds a lot like PM which was in vogue at the time. Morgan who despite his affluence and his playboy lifestyle is a decent sort. He pulls the magazine out of red ink and takes over as publisher.

But on the homefront scheming society girl Alexis Smith has set her cap for Morgan. When he marries her Sheridan is heartbroken but that sure isn't the end of the story.

Fans of Philip Barry's work will also recognize items in the plot from The Philadelphia Story and Holiday. One More Tomorrow was filmed during the war years, but civilians didn't get to see it until the end of World War II. I imagine our Armed Forces saw it in the interim.

To get the rights to it the Brothers Warner had to buy them from RKO who I am sure was grateful for the coin as it always had financial problems until Howard Hughes bought the studio.

One More Tomorrow holds up well over 70 years later, the performances are fresh and strong and the quintet of leads is cast impeccably. What was interesting was Jane Wyman who in those years went from playing girl Friday roles which she had at Warner Brothers became a serious dramatic actress as she had gotten great reviews for The Lost Weekend and The Yearling. One More Tomorrow fit well into the collection of films that Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson were doing at the time. Alexis Smith got a real juicy part and made the most of it as a woman you really love to hate. This also fits in well with Ann Sheridan, it's a part she gave a lot of Oomph to.

I think Philip Barry fans will be pleased as One More Tomorrow keeps the spirit and message of The Animal Kingdom well intact.

Warner Brothers studio apparently had little confidence in this picture and apparently shelved it for three years before ultimately releasing it. Interesting, as it's one of the better Warner films of the era! I think the studio was uncertain about the film because the film does question conventional morality...even pushing the Production Code about as far as anyone did at the time. The other reason I think they sat on the film is that the movie starred many of the second-tier actors-- Jack Carson, Dennis Morgan, Alexis Smith and Ann Sheridan. Had it starred bigger names, I doubt if it would have sat as long...and I don't think the film would have been quite as good. It's hard to imagine Cagney, Bogart or Bette Davis in this film!

When the film begins, you learn that although Tom Collier (Morgan) is from a very wealthy family, he's not content to live the indolent life of the rich or go into the family business. He wants to make it on his own and soon buys a struggling magazine that is considered liberal and on the fringe. It's NOT what the family wants but his father loves him and doesn't press Tom too often to change jobs. But Cecelia (Smith) has every intention of changing him and making him exactly what sort of rich man she demands. Fortunately, Tom has instead fallen for a less conniving and more loving lady, Christie (Sheridan). But when Sheridan rejects Tom, he is easy pickings for Cecelia and they soon marry. However, problems clearly are looming as she's intent on breaking Tom and Tom is determined to be his own man. What's to become of them?

This is a very good film and brings up some great moral quandaries. However, the movie has one problem...Cecelia is just too obviously a horrible person. Had she been a bit more subtle in her machinations, the film would have been even better. Despite this, the acting is excellent, direction quite good and the story quite original and challenging. Well worth seeing.