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Tarfumes.com - Somewhere I'll Find You
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List Price: $19.98
Our Price: $42.99
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: MGM (Warner)
Starring: Clark Gable, Lana Turner, Robert Sterling, Patricia Dane, Reginald Owen
Directed By: Wesley Ruggles
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302759983
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 6302759986
Label: MGM (Warner)
Manufacturer: MGM (Warner)
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MGM (Warner)
Release Date: 1998-09-01
Running Time: 108
Studio: MGM (Warner)
Theatrical Release Date: 1942-09
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Stars Make Love and War
Comment: Jonny (Clark Gable) and Kirk (Robert Sterling) Davis are reporters, but they aren't too popular with the newspaper they work for. They're war correspondants and they want to print the facts, not gloss over them to prevent America from joining the war. While out of work for a short time, they run across another reporter, a beautiful blonde named Paula (Lana Turner). Kirk has fallen in love with her and hopes to make her his wife, but Jonny's got her wrapped around his finger. He wants her just as badly, but his attention span is short, and he hurts her more than she bargained for. All the while, a war is raging between Japan and China with these reporters thrust into the midst of it all.
Unfortunately, the back of the VHS box makes this movie out to be more of an intense romance than it actually is. Sure, there is chemistry between Turner and Gable, but most of it is sexual and it wears away pretty quickly. However, if you're a fan of Gable, you'll enjoy this movie simply for his presence. This was the last film he made before going off to war and changing dramatically. He was a bit hardened by this time, but the personality he created in his films of the 30s and 40s is still present here. He's brash and imperfect, but perfect because he's flawed. His character's own strength and values make him endearing to both men and women. Also peppered in are some very funny moments, including some snappy dialogue that you might miss if you don't pay enough attention.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Romantic Wartime Drama With Vivid Realistic Overtones
Comment: Made just after the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbour, MGM's "Somewhere I'll Find You", is an interesting film in that it successfully incorporates a full fledged romantic story of a young woman torn between the love of two brothers, with that of an at times grim war story that pulls no punches in its depiction of what war is actually about and what the viewing public at that time could expect more of in the future. Starring Box Office King Clark Gable in his last film before joining active service, he is teamed here most effectively for the second time with rising actress Lana Turner. The pair really ignite the screen here despite their age difference, and make "Somewhere I'll Find You", an at times telling illustration of where the world was going in early 1942. The film indeed seemed to be shadowed by a number of disturbing contemporary events during production as Gable's wife the beautiful Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash while on a war bond selling tour just one month into production which forced the film to shut down for 4 weeks before Gable was fit to return to work.
"Somewhere I'll Find You", tells of two brothers who are different as day and night. Jonny Davis (Clark Gable), and Kirk (Robert Sterling). Both are war correspondents who are called back to their office by boss George Stafford (Charles Dingle), after he is not pleased with their "too realistic" despatches about the possible coming war. While in New York Jonny encounters old date Paula Lane who is a boarder at the home of Evie Manning (Lee Patrick). Paula never really got over Jonny even though she knows he is unreliable and has begun a relationship with Kirk mainly because he is more stable and dependable. The passion ignites between Jonny and Paula again however but when Jonny interfers between her and Kirk but is not interested in a committed relationship she takes an assignment to Indo China to report "from a woman's point of view", the encroaching war. When Paula is reported missing the brothers both desperate for a job head to the area to search for her and report back to the newspaper. Paula is found by the brothers with the assistance of local resistance man Thomas Chang (Keye Luke), in Indo China where she is involved in smuggling Chinese babies out of enemy territory. The old triangle of brotherly rivalry resurfaces and it takes the brothers to the shores of Bataan where a dejected Kirk has joined the armed forces. When he is killed bravely fighting off the Japanese landing Jonny and Paula are reunited and Jonny now intent upon telling the real story of the ugliness and waste of war begins for the first time to see the necessity of taking a more responsible view of life and relationships with war eminent.
Directed by Wesley Ruggles who was responsible for a real mixed bag of films from Clark Gable's earlier 1932 effort "No Man Of Her Own", which was his only teaming with Carole Lombard; through to Mae West's "I'm No Angel",here he creates a pleasing blend of romantic melodrama with wartime relevance aware that the viewing public where anxious for any information about what was happening overseas. Often criticised for preaching wartime propaganda in particular in Gable's last rousing speech, the film has to be viewed in the context of the time in that it was a natural thing to want to rouse people to stand together and face the possible approaching enemy. That aside, "Somewhere I'll Find You", makes a good but not classic drama and Gable delivers his usual polished performance as the lovable rogue who is not prepared to be tied down by any woman. Lana Turner more than holds her own in the stakes against Gable and while she makes at times a highly unlikely reporter her wartime scenes as a Red Cross Nurse are convincing and as in their previous effort together (Honky Tonk), she has a natural chemistry with Gable. Taking the role of the decent but colourless younger brother Robert Sterling delivers as good a performance as the limited role requires and its interesting to see him work with the older Lee Patrick who he would have a long association with in the 1950's when both starred in the classic "Topper", television series. The recreation of the wartime locations are highly effective in "Somewhere I'll Find You", in particular those of the hot and sweaty army base in the jungle and the shoreline locations for the scenes depicting the boat landings of the Japanese. These scenes are full of the expected tension and fear and the use of asian actors such as the talented Keye Luke as the man helping the two brothers to find Turner in Indo China helps bring an authentic ring to the proceedings. Like most MGM films of the early 40's it is interesting to see up and coming actors featured in smaller roles and here we have Van Johnson in a small role playing one of the lieutenants during the Japanese landings.
"Somewhere I'll Find You", is very much a product of the time it was made in which perhaps explains why it is not a better known film today. However that certainly doesn't detract from its overall value as a piece of entertainment and a commentary on the time it was made in. Having the romantic leads forced to be dealing with contemporary issues in between the love scenes is also an interesting part of this films topical appeal. The combination of Clark Gable and Lana Turner really shows what starpower was all about in the great days of Holywood's studio system when actors screen personas were manufactured by the studio brass and actors were slotted into particular 'types",for most of their careers. For an at times excellent illustration of how bad war can really be "Somewhere I'll Find You", makes great entertainment and is a very vivid picture of how people started to live their lives once the World War took centre stage.
Customer Rating:
Summary: It Has Its Moments . . . And Its Flaws
Comment: The Story: Two brothers (Clark Gable and Robert Sterling) are reporters who come back from Europe just before World War II and cannot convince their editor that war is imminent in Europe. Robert Sterling is in love with a young reporter at the paper, Lana Turner, but the sparks fly when Turner meets Gable, who's the worldly, playboy-type brother. Gable knows Turner would be good for his brother and that he himself wouldn't be good for Turner's character, but also can't keep his eyes off her. Turner gets sent to Asia to see what's happening there. She disappears, and the newspaper sends Gable and Sterling to find her. Then, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor and all three reporters are stuck on the wrong side of the Pacific, safety-wise, but the right side, story-wise.Commentary: The movie does some things very well, like portraying the chemistry between Gable and Turner, depicting the ugliness of war realistically, and creating the nationalistic atmosphere that existed early in the War (my father backs that view up, and he volunteered in 1942). However, the characters, especially Gable and Sterling, seem caricaturish: Gable is the playboy who's unsettled and dangerous, Sterling is the good boy who's stable but might be boring in the long run. They each show flashes of depth, but not enough. Turner gives a more three-dimensional portrayal of a woman torn between two extremes: the exciting man who won't be good for her and the boring man who will give her a future and fidelity. Some of the dialogue in the film comes off like it was a propaganda film, but many filmmakers at the time saw it as their patriotic duty to support the war effort. Overall, it is interesting and has episodes of realism that let us peer into that time, but the acting and dialogue are uneven.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Girl Really IS Hot....
Comment: I'd be lying if I said I bought this movie just because I'm a big Clark Gable fan as Lana Turner really is as fantastic as any actress Gable had worked with. The story is compelling and at times feels forced, but Gable carries himself perfectly as an at times despicable character, but as always the heart of gold shines through. Powerful speech to end the movie tells me all I need to know about how Americans in the 40's felt about the war. Something someone my age couldn't ever really know.
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