Irene Dunne,
Alan Marshal,
Roddy McDowall
This sentimental tale of one woman's unwavering courage in the face of two world wars was inspired by the poem of the same name by Alice Duer Miller. Filmed during WWII, THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER serv...( read more
)es as a classic studio treatment of pro-British sentiment and America's own honorable part in the war. Irene Dunne stars as Susan Dunn Ashwood, an American who traveled to England in 1914 with her father as a young woman and met and fell in love with Sir John Ashwood (Alan Marshal), a wealthy British aristocrat. Susan's life in England is told in a series of nostalgic flashbacks as she looks back on her past trials and tribulations. Her passionate love for her new husband was cut short by the onset of WWI; despite his courage and bravery, he died on the battlefield, and Susan was left to bear and raise their young son alone. Young John Ashwood II (played as a child by Roddy McDowall and as a young man by Peter Lawford) is a courageous young descendant of his honorable father, and as the Second World War threatens, he begins his own tour of duty. Susan is a Red Cross employee who must service young wounded soldiers and is soon devastated to find her own son among those hurt in battle, leading to a heartbreaking scene of loss and patriotism. This wartime tale of terrific hardship and bravery was shot with great attention to detail. In order to make the British surroundings authentic, MGM hired British major Cyril Seys Ramsey Hill as a technical adviser. The ever-able Clarence Brown directed a stellar cast that also featured a very early performance from Elizabeth Taylor.
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