Now and Forever

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As other reviewers to date note, "Now and Forever" is an unusual Shirley Temple movie, with a quite different ending. But for who Temple was as a child star of the day, such an ending would not be uncommon or bad for people in similar situations. The bottom line being the welfare and future of the child. The film is definitely drama with some music, where most of Shirley's childhood films are comedies with music, and usually some drama. Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard do quite well in this film against Temple's Penelope Day. Cooper's Jerry Day, struggles with conscience because of his daughter, while he continues to thrive on scams that make enough to carry him from one to the next. The film is based on a story, "Honor Bright," by Jack Kirkland. That is a phrase picked up and used by various authors in the 19th century, that had come to mean to tell the truth, or Scout's honor. Here are some favorite lines from this film. Toni Carstairs Day, "Well, what happens now?" Jerry Day, "What do you mean, dear - what happens now?" Toni, "I mean, what happens now?" Jerry, "Oh, you mean, what happens?" Toni, "Yes. What happens?" Jerry, "Why, nothing. I, I mean..." Toni, "You mean, nothing." Jerry, "No, I don't mean that at all." Jerry Day, "Lookie here, Toni. I know what's eating you. You think I haven't any business with that kind. Well, you're wrong. Dead wrong." Jerry Day, "You are a rat, Uncle Felix." Felix Evans, "Yes, I know."

'Now and Forever' had two main things going for it. A cast including Gary Cooper (not one of my favourite actors but a likeable one), Shirley Temple (one of cinema's most legendary child actresses for good reason) and Carole Lombard (always a delight to watch and her tragic premature death is still a great loss). Henry Hathaway directing a film atypical for him at that time. Also liked the idea for the story and was intrigued by Cooper and Lombard paired together. There are a lot of good things about 'Now and Forever', but couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed and thinking that Cooper, Lombard, Temple and Hathaway have done better work in better films. Actually, 'Now and Forever' is a must for Temple, yet regarding Cooper and Lombard it is from personal opinion mainly to be seen if you want to see all of their films (am not saying that that is the only reason) and that is the case with Hathaway. Also if you're interested in seeing a film different from his minor westerns, when he was starting to move away from them and moving on to bigger features. Starting with these good things, 'Now and Forever' looks beautiful and glossy (something that can be meant in a positive and negative way, but is positive in this case). With the gorgeous fashions standing out, Lombard as always looks wonderful and the photography clearly loves her. Temple's song "The World Owes Me a Living" is very sweet and she sings and performs it remarkably expertly for a six year old. A warm glow can be found as well as charm, mostly provided by Temple. Laughs (early on though) and poignancy, like Temple's heart-wrenching reaction at her father's lie, are apparent. Hathaway fares quite competently, it could have had a lighter hand at times but this is not the work of an amateur. Guy Standing and Charlotte Granville come off best of the cast. The leads do very well, even if all three did better things. Cooper is charming and offbeat, even if his character is a weasel, and Lombard, though she could have had more to do in a role that is not particularly meaty, displays her usual elegance and charm with what she had. Stealing the film though is the delightfully adorable Temple who also showed a wide variety of emotions. The chemistry between the leads is nicely done, especially Cooper and Temple. However, the sentimentality can go overboard and the script can be a little too talk-heavy and is uneven in quality (amiable at some points, plodding in others in the more serious moments). The story can lose focus and doesn't always find the right tone, with some suspension of disbelief needed from the credulity straining. Do agree too that the ending juxtaposed too much dramatically and tonally with the rest of the film. On the whole, pleasant but flawed. 6/10

Director: HENRY HATHAWAY. Based on the story Honor Bright by Jack Kirkland, Melville Baker. Screenplay: Vincent Lawrence, Sylvia Thalberg. Camera: Harry Fischbeck. Film editor: Ellsworth Hoagland. Art directors: Hans Dreier, Robert Usher. Song: Larry Morey, Leigh Harline, "The World Owes Me a Living", sung by Shirley Temple. Additional song by Harry Revel and Mack Gordon. Additional music: Rudolph G. Kopp, John Leipold, Karl Hajos. Costumes: Travis Banton. Sound recording; Harold C. Lewis. Western Electric Sound System. Producer: Louis D. Lighton. Executive producer: Adolph Zukor. Copyright 29 August 1934 by Paramount Productions, Inc. New York opening at the Paramount, 12 October 1934. U.S. release: 31 August 1934. U.K. release: 30 March 1935. Sydney release at the Prince Edward (on a double bill with Cary Grant's Kiss and. Make Up), 5 January 1935 (ran 3 weeks). 9 reels. 81 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Callous jewel thief (Cooper, would you believe?) tries to sell his motherless child to his brother-in-law for $75,000. NOTES: Academy Award to Shirley Temple for her outstanding contribution to screen entertainment in 1934. Originally, Stephen Roberts was assigned to direct, and Claudette Colbert was announced for the Lombard role. COMMENT: Now and Forever is exactly how long this talking bore of a film seems to last. Admittedly, it opens promisingly. Cooper and Lombard are a pair of confidence crooks. Even though they talk too much, we are fascinated by the ingenious way in which Coop swindles the Shanghai Hotel out of his bill. But the story then becomes increasingly slight and banal. Almost nothing happens as soon as Miss Temple enters (about 15 minutes in). The characters just sit around and talk, talk, talk. When a bit of action finally does come along, it is the most tamely staged in all of Hathaway's films. Although the picture is set in Shanghai and Paris, there is no location work except for a brief sequence on a lake. Hathaway has stated that he pays close attention to acting. This we doubt. In nearly all his movies, there are performances that seem strained and amateurish. (Perhaps because of a lack of rapport?) In this film, I would single out Shirley Temple and Gary Cooper. She just rattles off her lines like a well-trained parrot, while his naturally slow delivery is even more expressionless than usual. Even a talented player like Carole Lombard can give little animation to her routinely conventional role. Sir Guy Standing is similarly hamstrung. Although he plays in his customary hearty manner, his characterization seems shallow and superficial. Charlotte Granville is okay in a part in which Alison Skipworth would have been preferable. Other roles are small, but competently played. Miss Temple has one song. She puts it across with enthusiasm, if little talent. (Hathaway doesn't think too highly of her vocal ability either, as he breaks into the middle of the song with a scene off- stage.) Although production values are very moderate, photography and sets are attractive. Other credits are okay, though Miss Lombard is saddled with some ridiculous costumes. OTHER VIEWS; Shirley Temple is such a charmer that she makes even a sludgy script pleasant-going. I also enjoyed Sir Guy Standing as a self-confessed rat and Charlotte Granville as a typical Hollywood bejeweled Jessie Ralph matron. Cooper and Lombard are both sufficiently adroit and charismatic to overcome the wearisome banalities of much of their dialogue. "Now and Forever" is beautifully photographed and set. Not a typical Hathaway movie by any means, but very competently directed. All the same, it's true that Hathaway only sparks into real life during the action bits — particularly in the smooth piece of camera-work with which he interrupts Shirley's song, which continues off while Coop steals the necklace, then back to Shirley for the delightful last verse. — JHR writing as George Addison.