Don't Believe the Hype

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

George Brent and Merle Oberon star as doomed lovers in "'Til We Meet Again," also starring Geraldine Fitzgerald, Binnie Barnes, Pat O'Brien and Frank McHugh. This film is a remake of the beautiful "One Way Passage" starring William Powell and Kay Francis. Some of the scenes and dialogue have been kept exactly, new scenes and characters have been added, and one relationship has changed in this version. Frank McHugh reprises his role as a petty crook, now named Rockingham.But it's the same story, told in a much more dramatic fashion than "One Way Passage" which somehow kept its whimsy though it is the tale of two people who are going to die - one by the hangman's noose and the other from heart disease - who fall in love as they're traveling from Hong Kong to San Francisco by ship. Neither knows the fate awaiting the other. Hardesty (Brent) is being brought back to the states by a tough detective (O'Brien) who also has a heart. He's attracted to a Countess (Barnes), who is a phony and after the money of a wealthy Brit (Eric Blore). In this film, it is not Rockingham who knows the Countess (Binnie Barnes) but rather Dan Hardesty (Brent), and this script has given them a past romance as well. The Countess tries her best to keep the sergeant occupied while Hardesty plans his escape, with Rockingham playing middle man.This poignant tale is given more profound treatment both in the writing and by director Edmund Goulding. Part of the reason for this is that it was intended to be another "Dark Victory," but Bette Davis refused it. In fact, the part that Geraldine Fitzgerald plays, someone Joan (Oberon) meets and befriends aboard ship, is very similar to the role she played in "Dark Victory." George Reeves (who went on to play Superman on TV and is now the subject of a film himself) plays Fitzgerald's husband.Brent is no William Powell, of course - his character is rougher around the edges and doesn't have the sense of humor or irony that Powell gave Hardesty. Brent, however, gives a solid, tender performance. McHugh this time around shares the comic honors with Eric Blore and therefore has less to do, and there's a lot less comedy. Binnie Barnes' Countess is less exotic than Aline McMahon's and sadder. O'Brien's Sgt. Burke is older and tougher this time around, though he's still a soft touch.Though Kay Francis was lovely as Joan in "One Way Passage," Merle Oberon is breathtaking in beauty and frailty. For this viewer, she's the best thing about this remake. Desperate to live after she meets Dan, she savors each moment, refusing to consider the consequences of too much activity. It's a heroic, heartbreaking performance.It was fascinating to be able to see and compare both films. Both are successful in their own way. The ending is the same in both, so expect to smile and cry at the same time. It's as uplifting as it is poignant, and no matter the treatment of the story, the message of "'Til We Meet Again" and "One Way Passage" is the same: Love is the only thing that lasts.

I first saw this film back in 1941 when I was very young and was captivated by the beauty of Merle Oberon even at that very early age. I waited more than 35 years to see this movie once again and even surprised myself at my recall and searched without any luck for a copy of it. Binnie Barnes was outstanding in this film as was the entire cast but the casting of George Brent as Dan Hardesty and Merle Oberon as Joan Ames were perfectly suited for their roles. Was the haunting melody that was always played when George Brent and Merle Oberon were sharing those Paradise Cocktails called "Dark Passage" and where can the words be found to it that was sung by the Hawaiian group on board the ship? One of the true great love romances of it's period and since recording it on VHS when TNT last aired it, I have watched it 3 times.

This classic black and white film is among the most outstanding in film history. The use of shadows and light throughout the filming accentuates the story line. The story line is bolstered by the strong characters played by prominent actorsMerle Oberon and company play credible roles in a plot designed to capture the emotions and sentiment of the viewer. The push and pull of the emotions keep building the level of the viewers participation in the film. The acting and directing cause the viewer to live within the film.Although it is a remake of a movie not as good as this one, and others have used similar story lines and twists since this one, it is the classic story following through on a promise.

my ex was a truck driver. The night that I was watching this movie, he called just as they were arriving in Hawaii. I missed the rest of the movie and was extremely disappointed. I tried to find it again on TV and only once that I know, was it shown. I imagined scenarios for many years trying to figure out what the ending would be. I finally found a company that had access to many film archives and obtained a copy. I've only had it a week and I have already watched it 3 times. The rest of the movie was better than anything that I dreamed up. I liked the twists and turns of the plot and the ending was classic. Of course, you could always imagine that the ending was different, but I think that the way it ended enhanced the love story. True love overcomes all difficulties in the end.