It is 1914 and air raid sirens screech as a group of young girls hurry past, seeking shelter. Released 1940, waterloo bridge stars vivien leigh, robert taylor, lucile watson, c. She meets one soldier who does not realise the craic and they begin to fall in love. The plot is absolutely haunting and it will stick with you until you see another romantic film, and even thin you mind will still come back to waterloo bridge. A ballerina turns to prostitution when her fiance is reported killed in world war i. I highly recommend this film to any fan of vivien or robert. But i thought perhaps the vision of nino rota in the rose garden might help explain the failure of waterloo. Myra is having trouble paying her bills, and is behind on her rent to her landlady mrs. A great film with vivien leigh and robert taylor in their prime, of which both of whom have selected this film as their personal favourite in all of their filmography. In an extended flashback narration, it recounts the story of a dancer and an army captain who meet by chance on waterloo bridge. Directed by mervyn leroy based on robert sherwoods play with a screenplay by s.
Well, because waterloo itself isnt a very good or interesting film, and if youve seen either half of war and peace youve seen the better half of waterloo. The film was remade in 1940 as waterloo bridge and as gaby in 1956. Academy award winner vivien leigh stars as a ballet dancer who finds her greatest happiness and deepest sorry, her life and her death on londons waterloo bridge. Waterloo bridge 1940 official trailer vivien leigh movie. After listening anne hathaway version of i dreamed a dream i got addicted to it. Behrman, hans rameau and george froeschel, based on the broadway drama by robert e. Waterloo bridge is a beautiful and dramatic love story and one of the best roles of vivien leigh and robert taylor. Waterloo bridge simple english wikipedia, the free. At the beginning of the film, american myra deauville is working as a chorus girl on the london stage. Waterloo bridge is a film directed by mervyn leroy with robert taylor, vivien leigh, lucile watson, virginia field, year. There is one type of precode movie that frustrates me more than any other. When he is later reported dead, a distraught and penniless leigh drifts into prostitution, only to be shocked by taylors reappearance sometime later. Although i wish the ending had been different, i guess it would take away from the drama and the plot. Every scene is beautifully photographed with a luminocity that the precode version lacks.
Media in category waterloo bridge 1940 film the following 3 files are in this category, out of 3 total. Waterloo bridge is a film full of memorable scenes. Ive spent a lot of time proselytizing to people about the wonder and excitements of the movies of the early 1930s, and running into a. Kitty and roy searching for myra in every dirty dive in london. Waterloo bridge simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The film jumps ahead two years to find myra working as a streetwalker, along with her friend kitty, who lives next door. Waterloo bridge is a tepid soap opera about myramae clarke, a dancer who has fallen on tough times. One night she meets kindhearted roy cronin douglass montgomery, whos a young and naive soldier looking for company. The first bridge on the site was designed in 180910 by john rennie for the strand bridge company and opened in 1817 as a toll bridge. In the original, made in 1931, the heroine is nothing more or less than a streetwalker, patrolling londons waterloo bridge during world war i in hopes of picking up the occasional soldier. Mae clarke had the best role of her career as the heroine of waterloo bridge, the first of three filmizations of robert l. Waterloo bridge 1940 stream and watch online moviefone. As fate would have it, cronin is called to active duty shortly thereafter.
Today, the rights to all three films are held by warner bros. In this film, robert taylor, a british officer from a wealthy family, falls in love with ballerina vivien leigh. Feb 14, 2015 the forgotten women who helped build waterloo bridge this article is more than 5 years old. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. The movie was based on the stage play same name by robert sherwood and had already received the hollywood treatment once before in 1931. Myra crossing waterloo bridge contemplating how to earn money and knowing full well she cannot rely on the kindness of strangers. Synopsis at the onset of world war i, british officer roy cronin robert taylor and ballerina myra vivien leigh meet and fall in love. They are marching through what looks like a wheatfield, following paths which have already been made. Their chemistry is fantastic in the first and romantic part of the story. Ive spent a lot of time proselytizing to people about the wonder and excitements of the movies of the early 1930s, and running into a snoozefest is simply frustration. The granite bridge had nine arches, each of 120 feet 36.
Taylors uncle reluctantly agrees to the upcoming marriage. Waterloo bridge 1931 a world war i soldier douglass montgomery in london falls for a young woman mae clarke during an air raid, not realizing she is a prostitute. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing waterloo bridge 1931 near you. I am always looking for a vivien leigh film that has a worthy leading man and waterloo bridge is one of my favorites. Waterloo bridge 1940 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. These pictures of waterloo bridge are from a collection of photographs featuring the bridges over the river thames in london. Whale however seems to have had taken instantly to the talkie medium, picking up film grammar with ease and yet with the unique approach of the outsider. At the onset of world war i, british officer roy cronin robert taylor and ballerina myra vivien leigh meet and fall in love. Given the omnipresence of the motion picture production code in 1940, the second film version of robert e. Sweet performances, stunning couple, and a plot that really gets to you. Sep 30, 2019 waterloo bridge is a great film for those who consider themselves hopeless romantics.
Suddenly she hears the voice of a man behind her propositioning her unseen to the audience. On 9 march, liveseys film will be shown at somerset house, followed by a discussion on how to. It has been two years since she was in a show, three weeks since she paid her rent and she. Rent waterloo bridge 1940 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. The forgotten women who helped build waterloo bridge this article is more than 5 years old. Synopsis plot on the eve of world war ii, a british officer revisits waterloo bridge and recalls the young man he was at the beginning of world war i and the young ballerina he met just before he left for the front. Watching this film, it is easy to see why the two stars had fond memories of it. Waterloo bridge is a 1940 remake of the 1931 american drama film also called waterloo bridge, adapted from the 1930 play waterloo bridge. However, these new troops are marching on a route so far unused by either the french or allied armies, so therefore the field should have been untouched these paths.
In the original, made in 1931, the heroine is nothing more or less than a streetwalker, patrolling londons waterloo bridge during world war i in hopes of. Both remakes were made by metrogoldwynmayer, which bought the 1931 version from universal. At the start of wwii, general roy cronin, standing midspan of waterloo bridge in london as he is set to go off to war in france, recalls that exact place in a time during wwi when he met by chance the love of his life, myra lester. An american soldier falls in love with a dancehall girl in london, not realizing that she is a prostitute. During the battle, both the allied and french commands spot unknown troops marching towards the battlefield. A perfect film from start to finish, it is a wonder that waterloo bridge is not released on dvd yet. Aubrey smith waterloo bridge 1940 official trailer vivien leigh movie during world war i, believing her fiance to be dead, a young ballerina loses. There is also a rumored colourised version, oh please. Then i realized how it fits myra, vivien leigh caracter in waterloo. Order chronologically suggested corrections add a plot summary add the ending.
Waterloo bridge 1931 is an early precode drama directed by james whale london, 1917. The people at the walt disney studio, where he was working at the time, got one for him, and he showed it often in his last few months. Waterloo bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the river thames in london, england between blackfriars bridge and hungerford bridge. Waterloo bridge 1931 is an early precode drama directed by james whale. The forgotten women who helped build waterloo bridge. Waterloo bridge is a 1931 american precode drama film directed by james whale. Read the full synopsis of waterloo bridge, 1931, directed by james whale, with mae clarke, kent douglass, doris lloyd, at turner classic movies. Nov 08, 2018 waterloo bridge is a film full of memorable scenes. Waterloo bridge is not particularly attractive, and is therefore difficult to photograph well.
Roy takes a walk through waterloo bridge, finds a place on the bridge which seems to be familiar to him, and stands and gazes at the river and takes out something out of his pocket, which looks like a lucky charm. The first bridge on the site was designed in 180910 by john rennie for the strand. Waterloo bridge is a film directed by james whale with mae clarke, douglass montgomery, doris lloyd, frederick kerr, year. Douglass montgomery here credited as kent douglass plays a young american soldier who, while on leave from world war i, meets myra during an air raid in london and falls in love with her, unaware she is a prostitute. On his way to france to fight in world war ii, colonel roy cronin stops his cab on londons waterloo bridge and reflects on the past. The first waterloo bridge was opened by the prince regent accompanied, fittingly, by the duke of wellington, on 18 june 1817, the second anniversary of the battle of waterloo. Nov 25, 2016 the first waterloo bridge was opened by the prince regent accompanied, fittingly, by the duke of wellington, on 18 june 1817, the second anniversary of the battle of waterloo. Mar 22, 2010 apparently waterloo bridge was a favorite for both leigh and taylor, and they enjoyed working together for a second time the first time being on a yank at oxford in 1938. Apparently waterloo bridge was a favorite for both leigh and taylor, and they enjoyed working together for a second time the first time being on a yank at oxford in 1938. Waterloo bridge, with vivien leigh and robert taylor, opens at the capitol slightly honorable, with pat obrien and edward arnold, at loews state. In waterloo bridge, whales second picture, we open with a sweeping tracking shot, reminiscent of those with which the aforementioned mr curtiz often opened his pictures both before and after the sound barrier. Waterloo bridge is a beautifully filmed, romantic melodrama, directed by mervyn leroy and starring vivien leigh and robert taylor. After a chance meeting on the titular london bridge, leighs promising ballerina and taylors youngofficer fall hopelessly in love, planning to marry until he is called back to the front. Waterloo bridge is a 1931 american precode drama film directed by james whale and starring mae clarke, kent douglass, doris lloyd, and bette davis.
The film was made by metrogoldwynmayer, directed by mervyn leroy and produced by sidney franklin and mervyn leroy. At the onset of world war i, british officer roy cronin and ballerina. The forgotten women who helped build waterloo bridge life. This film, in my opinion, is the one where vivien looks most beautiful. This weekend marks the 75th anniversary of waterloo bridge, which premiered on may 16th, 1940. Returning from the front during world war ii, captain roy cronin robert taylor remembers the woman he loved. This is a bit of a historical film when you think about it, too. Fandango fanalert sign up for a fanalert and be the first to know when tickets and other exclusives are available in your area. Robert taylor and vivien look great together in this lovely yet saddening story. As air raid sirens sound, british army colonel taylor finds himself on waterloo bridge, the very spot where he fell in love with ballerina leigh on the eve of the previous war. Photos of waterloo bridge prints of waterloo bridge.
Then, he was an army captain, she a member of a ballet troupe and school, their meeting during an air raid. On the eve of world war ii, a british officer revisits waterloo bridge and recalls the young man he was at the beginning of world war i and the young ballerina he met just before he left for the. So beautiful, powerful, and mesmerizing, yet with a philosophical side that will grab even people who do not care much for melodramas. The plot point turns one of the most beautiful and unforgetable romances into a heartbreaking drama with a very sad conclusion. The screenplay by benn levy and tom reed is based on the 1930 waterloo bridge by robert e. Aubrey smith the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 43 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic. He told friends then that he would like a print of one picture he had made waterloo bridge. Waterloo bridge is an ideal film to have released on dvd, its has all the ingredients of success thriving all over the title. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing waterloo bridge near you. Waterloo bridge is a great film for those who consider themselves hopeless romantics. She plays myra lester, a ballet dancer who falls in love with captain roy cronin during the first world war. The biggest mistakes you never noticed in waterloo 1970. Sherwoods waterloo bridge would have to be laundered and softened to pass muster.
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