Tonight's Movie: Next Time We Love (1936) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

James Stewart and Margaret Sullavn star in NEXT TIME WE LOVE (1936), just released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

Sullavan is billed alone over the title, followed by Stewart and "Raymond" Milland. It was Sullavan's fifth film and Stewart's third, while Milland had been in films since the late '20s, often in small parts.

As the film begins, newspaperman Chris Tyler (Stewart) and college student Cecily Hunt (Sullavan), desperately in love, throw caution to the winds and marry on the spur of the moment.

Cecily, having left college for marriage, is conscious of still wanting to have her own career, rather than spending her days in Chris's shadow; she hopes to be an actress. Chris's close friend Tommy (Milland), who works in the theatrical world, arranges some meetings for Cecily and her career takes off.

Trouble rears its head when Chris receives a plum reporting assignment in Rome. Cecily doesn't want to leave her blossoming career and move to Europe -- and she also doesn't want to have their baby overseas. She sends Chris off on the assignment without telling him she's expecting, wanting him to achieve his dream of being a foreign correspondent, but he returns when he learns about the baby.

In the ensuing years Chris and Cicely continue to spend extensive time apart due to their careers, despite their continuing love for one another. But eventually Chris's letters grow increasingly distant, causing Cecily to fear his love is finally waning...and Tommy finally confesses to Cicely that he feels more for her than friendship.

This is the kind of plot that I often find annoying, as two ostensibly smart people make questionable choices, prioritizing work over their relationship. However, the screenplay -- which had many contributors, including Preston Sturges -- is written with enough sensitivity and insight that it kept me more interested than impatient. Some of the characters' perspectives seemed quite modern, which made watching it over eight decades later an interesting viewing experience.

Thanks also to top-notch acting by the three leads, I liked this movie perhaps more than I expected, given the plot. It's a worthwhile film, particularly for those who appreciate the lead actors...and, really, who doesn't?

The incandescent Sullavan is such a memorable film presence that it's hard to believe that she only made 17 films in a film career which likewise stretched for 17 years, from 1933 to 1950.

Four of those films were with Stewart, beginning with this movie and continuing with THE SHOPWORN ANGEL (1938), THE MORTAL STORM (1940), and THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940).

As in their later films, they have a marvelous chemistry, making it believable that despite all their time apart, at each reunion they realize anew that they're still desperately in love.

Likewise Milland as Tommy is totally likeable, even when he finally confesses his feelings. No one comes off as a "bad guy"; they're just people with complicated feelings, but ultimately they're loyal and do the right thing.

NEXT TIME WE LOVE was directed by Edward H. Griffith and filmed by Joseph Valentine. It runs 87 minutes.

The supporting cast includes Grant Mitchell, Robert McWade, Anna Demetrio, Ronnie Cosby, and, in one scene, Hattie McDaniel.

The Kino Blu-ray print is excellent. Extras consist of a six- film Kino Lorber trailer gallery and a commentary track by Lee Gambin and Elissa Rose.

Watch for a review of Kino Lorber release of another of Sullavan's films, BACK STREET (1941), coming in the future.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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