The Time of Your Life (film)
Encyclopedia
The Time of Your Life is a 1948 film starring James Cagney
adapted from the 1939 William Saroyan
play of the same title
. The movie was adapted by Nathaniel Curtis, directed by H. C. Potter
, and featured William Bendix
as Nick, Wayne Morris as Tom, Broderick Crawford
as Krupp, and Ward Bond
as McCarthy. A Cagney Production, The Time of Your Life was produced by Cagney's brother William and co-starred their sister Jeanne
as Kitty Duval.
The film follows the adventures of a group of regulars at Nick's including Joe (James Cagney), a wealthy man who has given up working in order to hold court at the bar and have fun. He also wants to live "a civillised life" where he doesn't have to hurt anyone and believes that the real truth about people is to be found in their dreams of themselves, not the hard facts of their actual existence. Joe has a stooge named Tom (Wayne Morris) who runs his eccentric errands until a woman with a past named Kitty comes in and Tom falls in love with her.
Admirers of the play, the Cagneys acquired the film rights of the play on the condition that the film could not be in release longer than seven years. They allowed the director and cinematographer two weeks to block
the film but they changed their minds once filming began, blowing out the budget.
Some believe the drama flopped miserably at the box office but it is remembered as one of the best screen versions of the play. Jackie Gleason
played Cagney's role in a critically acclaimed television version for Playhouse 90
ten years later (which also featured James Barton as Kit Carson); the Playhouse 90 production featured Jack Klugman
as Nick the bartender, Dick York
as Tom, and Betsy Palmer
as Kitty Duval.
The Production Code of Administration made the producers change Blick's character from a police detective into an informer and a blackmailer.
... Joseph T. (who observes people)
William Bendix
... Nick (saloon owner who loves horses)
Wayne Morris ... Tom (Joe's stooge and friend)
Jeanne Cagney
... Kitty Duval (stage name of Katerina Koronovsky)
Broderick Crawford
... Krupp (a bewildered cop)
Ward Bond
... McCarthy (a blatherskite — a person who blathers a lot)
James Barton ... Kit Carson (a cowboy also called Murphy)
Paul Draper
... Harry (the natural-born tap dancing comedian)
Gale Page ... Mary L. (a woman of quality)
Jimmy Lydon
... Dudley Raoul Bostwick (a young man in love) (billed as James Lydon)
Richard Erdman
... Willie (the pinball machine maniac)
Tom Powers
... Freddie Blick a stool pigeon and frame up artist
Pedro de Cordoba
... Arab philosopher
Reginald Beane ... Wesley (the pianist)
John 'Skins' Miller ... Drunk
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
adapted from the 1939 William Saroyan
William Saroyan
William Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
play of the same title
The Time of Your Life
The Time of Your Life is a 1939 five-act play by American playwright William Saroyan. The play is the first drama to win both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. The play opened 25 October 1939 at the Booth Theatre in New York City...
. The movie was adapted by Nathaniel Curtis, directed by H. C. Potter
H. C. Potter
Henry Codman Potter was an American theatrical producer/director and a motion picture director.-Biography:...
, and featured William Bendix
William Bendix
William Bendix was an American film, radio, and television actor, best remembered in movies for the title role in the movie The Babe Ruth Story and for portraying clumsily earnest aircraft plant worker Chester A. Riley in radio and television's The Life of Riley...
as Nick, Wayne Morris as Tom, Broderick Crawford
Broderick Crawford
Broderick Crawford was an Academy Award-winning American stage, film, radio and TV actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his starring role in the television series "Highway Patrol."-Early life:...
as Krupp, and Ward Bond
Ward Bond
Wardell Edwin "Ward" Bond was an American film actor whose rugged appearance and easygoing charm were featured in over 200 movies and the television series Wagon Train.-Early life:...
as McCarthy. A Cagney Production, The Time of Your Life was produced by Cagney's brother William and co-starred their sister Jeanne
Jeanne Cagney
Jeanne Carolyn Cagney was an American film and television actress.-Biography:She was born in New York City, the younger sister of film actor James Cagney and actor/producer William Cagney. She married Jack Morrison on June 6, 1953; they had two children...
as Kitty Duval.
Plot and Production
Mostly filmed on one set, the film takes place in Nick's (William Bendix) Pacific Street Saloon, Restaurant and Entertainment Palace in San Francisco where a sign outside tells people to come in as they are.The film follows the adventures of a group of regulars at Nick's including Joe (James Cagney), a wealthy man who has given up working in order to hold court at the bar and have fun. He also wants to live "a civillised life" where he doesn't have to hurt anyone and believes that the real truth about people is to be found in their dreams of themselves, not the hard facts of their actual existence. Joe has a stooge named Tom (Wayne Morris) who runs his eccentric errands until a woman with a past named Kitty comes in and Tom falls in love with her.
Admirers of the play, the Cagneys acquired the film rights of the play on the condition that the film could not be in release longer than seven years. They allowed the director and cinematographer two weeks to block
Blocking (stage)
Blocking is a theatre term which refers to the precise movement and positioning of actors on a stage in order to facilitate the performance of a play, ballet, film or opera. The term derives from the practice of 19th century theatre directors such as Sir W. S...
the film but they changed their minds once filming began, blowing out the budget.
Some believe the drama flopped miserably at the box office but it is remembered as one of the best screen versions of the play. Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
played Cagney's role in a critically acclaimed television version for Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California...
ten years later (which also featured James Barton as Kit Carson); the Playhouse 90 production featured Jack Klugman
Jack Klugman
Jacob Joachim "Jack" Klugman is an American stage, film and television actor known for his roles in sitcoms, movies, and television and on Broadway...
as Nick the bartender, Dick York
Dick York
Richard Allen "Dick" York was an American actor. He is best remembered for his role as the first Darrin Stephens on the ABC television fantasy sitcom Bewitched...
as Tom, and Betsy Palmer
Betsy Palmer
Betsy Palmer is an American actress, best known as a regular panelist on the game show I've Got a Secret, and later for playing Pamela Voorhees in the notorious slasher film Friday the 13th.-Life and career:...
as Kitty Duval.
The Production Code of Administration made the producers change Blick's character from a police detective into an informer and a blackmailer.
Original ending
The film was shot using Saroyan's original ending where Kit shot and killed Blick offstage. The audience heard the shots and saw Kit walk in relating the event as one of his stories "I shot a man once. In San Francisco. Shot him two times...Fellow named Blick or Glick or something. Couldn't stand the way he talked to ladies". As the preview audiences reacted unfavourably, Cagney asked Saroyan to write a more acceptable ending but Saroyan priced his work out of Cagney's reach.A new action packed climax was written and filmed with Cagney beating the daylights out of Blick and Nick throwing him out onto the street.Cast
James CagneyJames Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
... Joseph T. (who observes people)
William Bendix
William Bendix
William Bendix was an American film, radio, and television actor, best remembered in movies for the title role in the movie The Babe Ruth Story and for portraying clumsily earnest aircraft plant worker Chester A. Riley in radio and television's The Life of Riley...
... Nick (saloon owner who loves horses)
Wayne Morris ... Tom (Joe's stooge and friend)
Jeanne Cagney
Jeanne Cagney
Jeanne Carolyn Cagney was an American film and television actress.-Biography:She was born in New York City, the younger sister of film actor James Cagney and actor/producer William Cagney. She married Jack Morrison on June 6, 1953; they had two children...
... Kitty Duval (stage name of Katerina Koronovsky)
Broderick Crawford
Broderick Crawford
Broderick Crawford was an Academy Award-winning American stage, film, radio and TV actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his starring role in the television series "Highway Patrol."-Early life:...
... Krupp (a bewildered cop)
Ward Bond
Ward Bond
Wardell Edwin "Ward" Bond was an American film actor whose rugged appearance and easygoing charm were featured in over 200 movies and the television series Wagon Train.-Early life:...
... McCarthy (a blatherskite — a person who blathers a lot)
James Barton ... Kit Carson (a cowboy also called Murphy)
Paul Draper
Paul Draper (dancer)
Paul Draper was a noted American tap dancer and choreographer. Born into an artistic, socially prominent New York family, the nephew of Ruth Draper was an innovator in the arts. Despite the pressure his family put on him to become an engineer, Paul’s love for dance persisted and ultimately won out...
... Harry (the natural-born tap dancing comedian)
Gale Page ... Mary L. (a woman of quality)
Jimmy Lydon
Jimmy Lydon
Jimmy Lydon is an American movie actor and television producer, whose career in the entertainment industry began as a teenage actor in the 1930s....
... Dudley Raoul Bostwick (a young man in love) (billed as James Lydon)
Richard Erdman
Richard Erdman
Richard Erdman is an American film and television actor and director.-Notable roles:...
... Willie (the pinball machine maniac)
Tom Powers
Tom Powers
Tom Powers was an American stage and film actor. He was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA and died in Hollywood, California, of heart disease.- Career :...
... Freddie Blick a stool pigeon and frame up artist
Pedro de Cordoba
Pedro de Cordoba
Pedro de Cordoba , was an American actor.Pedro de Cordoba, who appeared in his first film, a 1915 version of Carmen, was actually a classically trained theatre actor who confessed he did not enjoy appearing in silent films nearly as much as he liked working on stage...
... Arab philosopher
Reginald Beane ... Wesley (the pianist)
John 'Skins' Miller ... Drunk
Sources
- The Time of Your Life (1948 movie version) at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- The Time of Your Life (1958 TV version) at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...