This Love of Ours
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
William Dieterle
Merle Oberon
Claude Rains
Charles Korvin
Carl Esmond
Sue England
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Noted French research scientist Dr. Michel Touzac travels to Chicago for a medical convention, and once there, is convinced by his colleagues to go to Hinky Joe's, a nightclub, where the Great Joseph Targel, a sketch artist, is performing. Though he doesn't recognize her at first, Michel is surprised to discover that his wife Karin, whom he had left behind in France, is working as Targel's musical accompanist. Karin later attempts suicide, and Michel performs an experimental operation which saves her life. As Karin lays in bed, Michel browses through her diary, which prompts him to recall their first meeting in Paris, when Michel, a young intern, was called to the theater to tend to Karin's sprained ankle: After a brief courtship, Michel and Karin marry, and she gives up her career in the theater. A few years after the birth of their daughter Susette, the jealous Michel overhears two older women gossiping in a bakery, accusing the beautiful Karin of infidelity. Michel then follows Karin to the home of Uncle Robert, a blind gentleman, but before he can confront the two, he is diverted by a friend. After learning that Karin goes to Bob's every afternoon, Michel publicly accuses her at Susette's birthday party of adultery. Karin then strikes Michel and rushes upstairs, only to come down later that evening to discover that Michel has left and taken Susette with him. The diary ends with an entry stating that after months of searching for her daughter, Karin gave up hope and moved to America. As Karin begins her recovery from the suicide attempt, Michel has her moved to the Rossmore Resort, a private sanitarium in Wisconsin, where he tells her that Susette thinks that her mother is dead. Despite her hatred for Michel, Karin agrees to return home with him, where she is presented to the teenage Susette as Michel's "new" wife Florence. Susette rejects her new mother, however, having grown up idolizing the "dead" Karin so much that she had built a shrine to her. In an attempt to bring Karin and Susette together, Miss Tucker, the housekeeper, leaves the Touzac household, but her departure only drives another wedge between mother and daughter. Later, Targel visits the Touzacs and asks the unhappy Karin to return to the stage with him. During Susette's birthday party, Bob arrives and tells Karin that he and Michel became close friends after Michel learned that he was merely taking piano lessons from her. Bob also tells Karin that he later moved to America with Michel and Susette, where he regained his eyesight through an operation, and that Michel has never stopped loving her. Upon the conclusion of her birthday party, Susette asks Targel to draw a portrait of her mother, but upon hearing Karin speak of her mother, Susette becomes upset and threatens to leave home. Though still in love with Michel, Karin decides that it is best for all if she is the one to leave. As Michel tries to stop Karin, Susette overhears him call Karin by her real name and finally realizes that she is her real mother. Susette then stops Karin from leaving by calling out, "Mother, mother."
Director
William Dieterle
Cast
Merle Oberon
Claude Rains
Charles Korvin
Carl Esmond
Sue England
Jess Barker
Helene Thimig
Harry Davenport
Dave Willock
Ralph Morgan
Howard Freeman
Fritz Leiber
Selmer Jackson
Ann Codee
Ferike Boros
Maris Wrixon
Leon Tyler
Doris Merrick
Andre Charlot
Cora Witherspoon
William Edmunds
Barbara Bates
Robert Raison
Evelyn Falke
Joanie Bell
Beatrice Roberts
Daun Kennedy
Poni Adams
Kathleen O'malley
Jean Trent
Joan Fulton
Karen Randle
Kerry Vaughn
Frank Arnold
Loulette Sablon
Ralph Littlefield
Simone La Brousse
Irving Greines
Billy Ward
Gerald Perreau
Vicki Benedict
Olivia West
Diane Miller
Kay Smith
Robert Cole
Andre Marsaudon
George Renavent
Jacques Catelain
Eve Garrick
Nanette Vallon
Francesca Waskowitz
Rosita Marstini
Adrienne D'ambricourt
Ian Wolfe
Tony Ellis
Nolan Leary
Vangie Beilby
Louise Long
Richard Ryan
Cyril Delevanti
Herbert Heywood
Joel Fluellen
Ruth Brennan
Pearl Early
Bobby Dillon
Dickie Love
Bonnie Henjum
Hugh Maguire
Pamela Payton
Mickey Kuhn
Sewall Shurtz
Ian Bernard
Jana Eckland
Loretta Cunningham
Eleanor Taylor
Edna May Wonacott
George Davis
Constance Purdy
Marcelle Corday
Crew
Lucien Ballard
Travis Banton
Howard Benedict
Bernard B. Brown
Charles Carroll
Robert Clatworthy
Carmen Dirigo
Oliver Emert
Fred Frank
Russell A. Gausman
John B. Goodman
Nanette Grant
Frank Gross
Jean Kenney
John Klorer
Leonard Lee
Eugene Lourie
Bruce Manning
Jack P. Pierce
Ronald K. Pierce
H. J. Salter
Victor Stoloff
Edward Todd
Richard Towers
Vera West
Film Details
Technical Specs
Award Nominations
Best Score
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working titles of this film were As It Was Before and As Before, Better than Before. According to Hollywood Reporter, Universal purchased the rights to the Luigi Pirandello play as a starring vehicle for actor Charles Boyer. In April 1944, Universal begin negotiations with David O. Selznick to borrow actress Ingrid Bergman for a planned Bruce Manning production to star Boyer and Bergman. New York Times reported in July 1945 that Universal later attempted to sell the film rights to the novel to M-G-M for $250,000, but the deal failed due to a European rights problem. H. J. Salter's musical score for this film was nominated for an Academy Award in 1945, but lost to Miklos Rozsa's work on David O. Selznick production Spellbound (see entry above). Rita Hayworth and Charles Korvin starred in a Lux Radio Theatre production of This Love of Ours on February 4, 1946. The Luigi Pirandello play was filmed again by Universal in 1956 as Never Say Goodbye, starring Rock Hudson and Cornell Borchers and directed by Jerry Hopper.
