Time out of mind (1947)
Gothic Melodrama / Directed by Robert Siodmak
PLOT
The son of a wealthy man is expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a man of the sea. And yet, that is not his calling. His true passion is music. The family servant, Kate—who is in love with Chris—helps him escape the clutches of his father so he can go to Paris and become a professional pianist.
COMMENTS
I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. I’ll often watch a film not knowing anything about it. The discovery can be part of the fun. Sometimes you’ll be pleasantly surprised, other times not so much.
This was a case where I felt unmoved. It seems to me like the director tried hard to make this something it wasn’t. Some sources tag it as a ‘film noir,’ but it is not that. While it does have some elements of the genre—the play on shadows, the dark mood—it lacks the vital component of a crime.
At the same time, this also attempts to be a gothic tale. On that front, it is (only slightly) more successful. Again, the mood and lighting, but also the creepy house and the desperation of the characters—both Chris’ and Kate’s—all contribute to that gothic feel. And yet, even there, it ultimately fails.
It is hard to pinpoint to what exactly makes the enterprise collapse. I suspect it is a mixture of things. The actors, certainly, could have been better chosen. That is not to say they are bad, but some (Chris and Jake, though for different reasons) feel out of place, while others come off bland (Kate). This all makes it difficult to care for the characters. We turn into casual observers—perhaps even voyeurs—instead of becoming invested in the story.
There are some sappy moments, too. Like when Chris tells Kate he loves her. The words don’t sound natural coming out of him, but contrived and filled with too heavy a dose of saccharine.
Add to that a few plot holes. For instance: why does Jake agree to lend Kate money? What happened to Chris’ mother? How did Dora and Chris get married? What exactly happened in Paris?
One other thing that bugged me is that the main female characters (Kate, Rissa, and Dora) look too much alike. There were scenes where I was confused, wondering which of the three I was seeing.
Finally, I thought the musical scenes (especially the two concerto sequences) were just too long. They could easily have been shortened (especially the last one) without taking anything away from the plot.
Overall, it was a decent film, but in my opinion it could have been much better.
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Have you watched this movie? What did you think of it?
What is your favorite gothic film?
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TRIVIA NOTES
Robert Siodmak was a prolific director with an international career. Born in Germany, he also shot films in France, Italy, the UK and, of course, the United States. Though best remembered for his films noir (“Phantom lady,” “The strange affair of uncle Harry,” “The killers,” etc.), he also shot comedies (“My heart belongs to daddy”), horror (“Son of Dracula,” “The spiral staircase”), and adventure movies (“Cobra woman,” “The crimson pirate”).
Phyllis Calvert was a British actress, best known as one of the leading stars of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 40s. Some highlights of her career include “The man in grey,” “Fanny by gaslight,” “Two thousand women,” and “Madonna of the seven moons.”
Leo G. Carroll, who played Chris’ unyielding father, had a long career in film and television. Despite being born in England, he worked in Hollywood for most of his life. He is known for playing in six Hitchcock productions, though is perhaps best remembered as Solo and Kuryakin’s boss, Alexander Waverly, in The man from U.N.C.L.E. He also co-starred in Topper and the short-lived Going my way.
Though he had some success in the earlier years of his career, Eddie Albert is now best remembered for his television roles in Green acres, Switch, and Falcon Crest. He was the father of actor Edward Albert.
Supporting actress Lilian Fontaine (who appears in only one scene) was the mother of the more famous actresses Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine.
Composer Miklos Rozsa was born in Budapest and worked in France and the United Kingdom before moving to the States in 1940. He scored many classic films such as “The thief of Bagdad,” “Jungle book,” “Double indemnity,” “Spellbound,” “The asphalt jungle,” “Quo vadis,” “Knights of the Round Table,” “Ben-Hur,” “King of kings,” “The golden voyage of Sinbad,” and “Time after time.” His last soundtrack was for Carl Reiner’s 1982 comedy “Dead men don’t wear plaid.”
CREDITS
Directed by Robert Siodmak.
Screenplay by Abem Finkel & Arnold Phillips.
Based on the novel by Rachel Field.
Produced by Robert Siodmak.
Music by Miklos Rozsa & Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco.
Cinematography by Maury Gertsman.
Edited by Ted J. Kent.
Starring Phyllis Calvert as Kate Fernald, Robert Hutton as Christopher Fortune, Ella Raines as Rissa Fortune, Eddie Albert as Jake Bullard, Leo G. Carroll as Capt. Fortune, Helena Carter as Dora Drake, John Abbott as Max Lieberman, Henry Stephenson as Wellington Drake, Olive Blakeney as Mrs. Fernald, Harry Shannon as Capt. Rogers, Janet Shaw as Penny, Emil Rameau as Alfred Stern, Samuel S. Hinds as Dr. Weber, Lilian Fontaine as aunt Melinda, Houseley Stevenson as George, Maudie Prickett as Annie.
Produced by Universal-International.
Distributed by Universal-International.
Released on May 3, 1947.
Running time: 88 minutes.
Genre: Gothic Melodrama.
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Text (c) 2023 by Alex S. Garcia.
Header: screenshot of the film’s title card.
Film poster from imdb.com