A successful composer finds his creative and romantic inspiration in the devoted young daughter of his late mentor.
In the Swiss Alps, composer Lewis Dodd (Charles Boyer) enjoys a bohemian life with his mentor, Albert Sanger, and Sanger’s four free-spirited daughters. After Sanger’s sudden death, the family is separated. Dodd impulsively marries a wealthy socialite, Florence Creighton (Alexis Smith), and moves to London, where her suffocating high-society world stifles his musical talent. His inspiration is rekindled when one of Sanger’s daughters, the adoring Tessa (Joan Fontaine), runs away from her oppressive boarding school to be with him. As their bond deepens, he begins work on a new masterpiece, but their happiness is threatened by a tragic turn of events during its premiere.
This romantic melodrama uses the familiar figure of a tormented artist to explore the clash between societal convention and authentic inspiration. The film’s own score became a notable artistic achievement beyond the screen. Composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold wrote an original symphonic tone poem, “Tomorrow,” for the picture. The piece found a life of its own, becoming popular enough to be performed by vocalist Eileen Farrell for a national radio broadcast shortly after the film’s release. This real-world success mirrors the film’s narrative, in which true art is born from genuine passion rather than calculated ambition.
Production Co: Warner / 120 minutes / 1943
Director: Edmund Goulding
Music: Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Main Cast: Charles Boyer (Lewis Dodd), Joan Fontaine (Tessa Sanger), Alexis Smith (Florence Creighton), Brenda Marshall (Toni Sanger), Charles Coburn (Charles Creighton), May Whitty (Lady Constance Longborough), Peter Lorre (Fritz Bercovy)
