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The Best Years of Our Lives
The Best Years of Our Lives
It's the hope that sustains the spirit of every GI: the dream of the day when he will finally return home. For three WWII veterans, the day has arrived. But for each man, the dream is about to become a nightmare.
rating
7.8
runtime
171 min

Release

1946-12-25

Cast

Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
as Fred Derry
Fredric March
Fredric March
as Al Stephenson
Harold Russell
Harold Russell
as Homer Parrish
Teresa Wright
Teresa Wright
as Peggy Stephenson
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy
as Milly Stephenson
Cathy O'Donnell
Cathy O'Donnell
as Wilma Cameron
Virginia Mayo
Virginia Mayo
as Marie Derry
Hoagy Carmichael
Hoagy Carmichael
as Butch Engle
Gladys George
Gladys George
as Hortense Derry
Roman Bohnen
Roman Bohnen
as Pat Derry
Ray Collins
Ray Collins
as Mr. Milton
Minna Gombell
Minna Gombell
as Mrs. Parrish
Walter Baldwin
Walter Baldwin
as Mr. Parrish
Steve Cochran
Steve Cochran
as Cliff Scully
Dorothy Adams
Dorothy Adams
as Mrs. Cameron
Don Beddoe
Don Beddoe
as Mr. Cameron
Marlene Aames
Marlene Aames
as Luella Parrish
Charles Halton
Charles Halton
as Prew
Ray Teal
Ray Teal
as Mr. Mollett
Howland Chamberlain
Howland Chamberlain
as Thorpe
Dean White
Dean White
as Novak
Erskine Sanford
Erskine Sanford
as Bullard
Michael Hall
Michael Hall
as Rob Stephenson
Victor Cutler
Victor Cutler
as Woody Merrill
Claire Du Brey
Claire Du Brey
as Mrs. Talburt - Perfume Customer (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty
Pat Flaherty
as Salvage Foreman (uncredited)
Jackie Jackson
Jackie Jackson
as A Boy (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien
William H. O'Brien
as Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
Bert Stevens
Bert Stevens
as Man at Airport / Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Marion Gray
Marion Gray
as Department Store Customer (uncredited)
Jimmy Ames
Jimmy Ames
as Jackie (uncredited)
Carol Andrews
Carol Andrews
as Saleswoman (uncredited)
Mary Arden
Mary Arden
as Miss Barbour (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor
Gertrude Astor
as Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Edward Biby
Edward Biby
as Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Harry Cheshire
Harry Cheshire
as Minister at Wedding (uncredited)
Sidney Clute
Sidney Clute
as Drugstore Clerk (uncredited)
Tom Coleman
Tom Coleman
as Waiter (uncredited)
Joyce Compton
Joyce Compton
as Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
James Conaty
James Conaty
as Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin
Heinie Conklin
as Customer (uncredited)
Bert Conway
Bert Conway
as ATC Sergeant (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper
Clancy Cooper
as Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Mady Correll
Mady Correll
as Announcer (uncredited)
Roy Darmour
Roy Darmour
as Parking Lot Attendant (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson
Hal K. Dawson
as Man at Airport (uncredited)
Lawrence Dobkin
Lawrence Dobkin
as Bank Customer with Hat (uncredited)
Lester Dorr
Lester Dorr
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Tom Dugan
Tom Dugan
as Doorman (uncredited)
Dick Earle
Dick Earle
as Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Edward Earle
Edward Earle
as Steese - Bank (uncredited)
Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards
as Corporal at ATC Counter (uncredited)
Billy Engle
Billy Engle
as Customer (uncredited)
Ben Erway
Ben Erway
as Lou Latham - Bank (uncredited)
Doris June Fesetta
Doris June Fesetta
as Camera Girl (uncredited)
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee Ernie Ford
as Nightclub/Hillbilly Singer (uncredited)
Louise Franklin
Louise Franklin
as Ladies' Room Attendant (uncredited)
Harry Gillette
Harry Gillette
as Card Player at Lucia's (uncredited)
Herschel Graham
Herschel Graham
as Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins
Earle Hodgins
as Diner Attendant at Lucia's (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes
Stuart Holmes
as Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Ray Hyke
Ray Hyke
as Gus - Salvage Worker (uncredited)
John Ince
John Ince
as Ryan - Bank Guard (uncredited)
Teddy Infuhr
Teddy Infuhr
as Dexter - Brat in Drugstore (uncredited)
Georgia Kane
Georgia Kane
as Singer (uncredited)
Robert Karnes
Robert Karnes
as Technical Sergeant (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Kenner G. Kemp
as Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Donald Kerr
Donald Kerr
as Steve the Bartender (uncredited)
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
as Musician - Drum Solo (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ethelreda Leopold
Ethelreda Leopold
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Alyn Lockwood
Alyn Lockwood
as Counter Girl (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack
Wilbur Mack
as Man at Airport (uncredited)
Susan Mann
Susan Mann
as Announcer (uncredited)
Thomas Martin
Thomas Martin
as Waiter (uncredited)
Michael Mauree
Michael Mauree
as Glamour Girl (uncredited)
Doreen McCann
Doreen McCann
as A Girl (uncredited)
Peggy McIntyre
Peggy McIntyre
as Girl at Soda Fountain - Mollett Scene (uncredited)
Russell Meeker
Russell Meeker
as Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Chef Milani
Chef Milani
as Giuseppe - Lucia's Restaurant Proprietor (uncredited)
Harold Miller
Harold Miller
as Wealthy Man at Nightclub (uncredited)
Ernesto Molinari
Ernesto Molinari
as Card Player (uncredited)
William Newell
William Newell
as Waiter at Bank Dinner (uncredited)
Georgie Nokes
Georgie Nokes
as One of Homer's 'Kids' (uncredited)
Joe Palma
Joe Palma
as Card Player (uncredited)
Leo Penn
Leo Penn
as ATC Corporal (uncredited)
Caleb Peterson
Caleb Peterson
as Black Soldier at Airfield (uncredited)
Norman Phillips Jr.
Norman Phillips Jr.
as Clarence 'Sticky' Merkle (uncredited)
Jack Rice
Jack Rice
as Apartment Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgway
Suzanne Ridgway
as Girl at Table with Cliff (uncredited)
Mickey Roth
Mickey Roth
as Boy at Soda Fountain - Mollett Scene (uncredited)
Loretta Russell
Loretta Russell
as Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Ruth Sanderson
Ruth Sanderson
as Mrs. Garrett (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford
Ralph Sanford
as George H. Gibbons (uncredited)
Noreen Sayles
Noreen Sayles
as Girl (uncredited)
Stephen Soldi
Stephen Soldi
as Card Player (uncredited)
John Tyrrell
John Tyrrell
as Angus - Butch's Waiter (uncredited)
Amelita Ward
Amelita Ward
as Counter Girl (uncredited)
Jan Wiley
Jan Wiley
as Perfume Saleswoman (uncredited)
Marek Windheim
Marek Windheim
as Waiter at Lucia's Restaurant (uncredited)
Catherine Wyler
Catherine Wyler
as Department Store Customer (uncredited)
Judy Wyler
Judy Wyler
as Department Store Customer (uncredited)
William Wyler
William Wyler
as Drug Store customer (uncredited)
Dick Gordon
Dick Gordon
as Maitre d'Hotel (uncredited)
REVIEWS
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tanty

Another great Willy Wyler movie. The story, with time, is quite expectable but the characters are well defined and developed by the cast. Also, it is a good (and probably, too positive) review of the after WWII war lives of the US veterans. A must to be seen.

NA

Geronimo1967

This is really quite a touching story, recounting the experiences of three American veterans of WWII who return home and have to adapt to their new, not always welcoming, circumstances. Frederic March is "Al" who returns to a senior position in a bank - responsible for helping other returning soldiers with loans to start to get their lives back together; "Fred" (Dana Andrews) returns to a far less optimistic outlook, ending up working for peanuts selling perfume in a drug store, and finally the outwardly cheery "Homer" - who lost both his hands and who cannot decide whether his long term fiancée actually loves him anymore, or just feels pity. William Wyler and Robert Sherwood manage to interweave the inter-connected tales poignantly, illustrating the frustrations, bordering on despair, not only of the three men - in completely different ways; but also of their respective partners who must also adjust to their return, and to their new circumstances once the war is has been won. There are some strong performances from their ladies too - Myrna Loy and Teresa Wright, less so the always rather wooden Virginia Mayo and by the end you do have some, slight, semblance of an idea of just how tough it was for these men to lose the security and discipline of their army lives and to cope with a life that has, in many cases, just moved on without them.