Set in 1945, against the chaotic backdrop of World War II, this touching romantic drama delves into the platonic love story between Laura, a housewife, and a doctor she happens to meet at a railway station.
While at the waiting room of a railway station, Alec Harvey's kind act of removing grit from Laura's eye, sparks an attraction, that first blossoms into friendship and then grows further, into love.
However, Laura is married and consumed by the guilt of having an extramarital affair. As they continue to meet every Thursday in the small café, with their passion for each other growing stronger with each meeting, how will their relationship pan out? Will Laura break boundaries to unite with Alec or will they go their separate ways?
Cast: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard
Crew: David Lean (Director), Robert Krasker (Director of Photography), Sergei Rachmaninoff (Music Director)
Rating: U (India)
Release Dates: 24 Aug 1946 (India)
Tagline: A story of the most precious moments in woman's life!
Did you know? The original Broadway production, from which this movie was adapted, was presented as the one act play "Still Life" as part of the repertory presentation "Tonight at 8:30" that opened at the National Theatre on November 24, 1936 and ran for 118 performances with a cast that included Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence. Read More
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as Laura Jesson
as Dr Alec Harvey
as Fred Jesson
as Dolly Messiter
as Myrtle Bagot
as Beryl Walters
as Albert Godby
Direction
Director
Production
Producer
Writers
Screenplay Writer
Camera and Electrical
Director of Photography
Music
Music Director
Art
Art Director
Editorial
Editor
Film Type:
Feature
Language:
English
Colour Info:
Black & White
Sound Mix:
Mono
Frame Rate:
24 fps
Aspect Ratio:
1.37:1
Stereoscopy:
No
Taglines:
A story of the most precious moments in woman's life!
Goofs:
Errors in Geography
Carnforth Station has had its name board covered and replaced with a big sign reading Milford Junction, but the smaller platform notices still show the next train's destinations as Hellifield, Skipton, Bradford and Leeds.
Continuity
In the middle of the film the refreshment room owner pours milk into Albert's tea twice, once just before and again just after the point of view changes.
Continuity
When Laura is running away from Dr. Lynn's apartment in the rain, her book is next to her body, under her purse. Halfway down the street, the angle changes on the still-running Laura, but now the book is outside her purse. And it never gets wet.
Continuity
As Laura enters the apartment, the pattern of water marks on her back changes.
Continuity
Laura runs through a downpour but is dry when she walks into the refreshment room.
Character Error
Near the beginning of the film Laura's husband refers to a Symphony concert he once took her to. Later Laura tells Alec that her husband is not musical.
Carnforth Station has had its name board covered and replaced with a big sign reading Milford Junction, but the smaller platform notices still show the next train's destinations as Hellifield, Skipton, Bradford and Leeds.
Continuity
In the middle of the film the refreshment room owner pours milk into Albert's tea twice, once just before and again just after the point of view changes.
Continuity
When Laura is running away from Dr. Lynn's apartment in the rain, her book is next to her body, under her purse. Halfway down the street, the angle changes on the still-running Laura, but now the book is outside her purse. And it never gets wet.
Continuity
As Laura enters the apartment, the pattern of water marks on her back changes.
Continuity
Laura runs through a downpour but is dry when she walks into the refreshment room.
Character Error
Near the beginning of the film Laura's husband refers to a Symphony concert he once took her to. Later Laura tells Alec that her husband is not musical.
Trivia:
Laura and Alec have lunch at the Kardomah, a real chain of coffee houses throughout England and a rival to the more ubiquitous Lyon's Corner Houses.
The original Broadway production, from which this movie was adapted, was presented as the one act play "Still Life" as part of the repertory presentation "Tonight at 8:30" that opened at the National Theatre on November 24, 1936 and ran for 118 performances with a cast that included Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence.
The film trailer they see is for 'Flames of Passion', a fictional film, supposedly based on a novel, 'Gentle Summer' by Alice Porter Stoughey, both fictional.
The two films that Laura and Alec choose between are- 'The Loves of Cardinal Richelieu' and 'Love in the Mist', are fictional.
This movie was David Lean's first Oscar nomination as director.
David Lean, Anthony Havelock-Allan, Ronald Neame and Noel Coward have all wanted Celia Johnson to play the part of Laura Jesson. Johnson hated making films, but after Coward read the part to her in October 1944, she knew that she had to play that part.
The first choice for the Doctor Alec Harvey had been Roger Livesey, but when David Lean and Anthony Havelock-Allan saw Trevor Howard, in a rough cut of 'Johnny in the Clouds' they decided to offer the part to Trevor Howard.
On initial release, the film was banned by the strict censorship board in Ireland on the grounds that it portrayed an adulterer in a sympathetic light.
Carnforth station was chosen partly because it was so far from the South East of England that it would receive sufficient warning of an air-raid attack that there would be time to turn out the filming lights to comply with wartime blackout restrictions.
According to several Billy Wilder biographies, the scene in this film where Alec tries to use a friend's apartment in order to be alone with Laura inspired Wilder to write The Apartment.
The original Broadway production, from which this movie was adapted, was presented as the one act play "Still Life" as part of the repertory presentation "Tonight at 8:30" that opened at the National Theatre on November 24, 1936 and ran for 118 performances with a cast that included Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence.
The film trailer they see is for 'Flames of Passion', a fictional film, supposedly based on a novel, 'Gentle Summer' by Alice Porter Stoughey, both fictional.
The two films that Laura and Alec choose between are- 'The Loves of Cardinal Richelieu' and 'Love in the Mist', are fictional.
This movie was David Lean's first Oscar nomination as director.
David Lean, Anthony Havelock-Allan, Ronald Neame and Noel Coward have all wanted Celia Johnson to play the part of Laura Jesson. Johnson hated making films, but after Coward read the part to her in October 1944, she knew that she had to play that part.
The first choice for the Doctor Alec Harvey had been Roger Livesey, but when David Lean and Anthony Havelock-Allan saw Trevor Howard, in a rough cut of 'Johnny in the Clouds' they decided to offer the part to Trevor Howard.
On initial release, the film was banned by the strict censorship board in Ireland on the grounds that it portrayed an adulterer in a sympathetic light.
Carnforth station was chosen partly because it was so far from the South East of England that it would receive sufficient warning of an air-raid attack that there would be time to turn out the filming lights to comply with wartime blackout restrictions.
According to several Billy Wilder biographies, the scene in this film where Alec tries to use a friend's apartment in order to be alone with Laura inspired Wilder to write The Apartment.
