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The Best Years of Our Lives

It's the hope that sustains the spirit of every GI: the dream of the day when he will finally return home. For three WWII veterans, the day has arrived. But for each man, the dream is about to become a nightmare.

Director(s)

William Wyler

Jonathan C. Boyle

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Cast & Crew

William H. O'Brien

William H. O'Brien

Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)

Suzanne Ridgway

Suzanne Ridgway

Girl at Table with Cliff (uncredited)

Billy Engle

Billy Engle

Customer (uncredited)

James Conaty

James Conaty

Dinner Guest (uncredited)

Harold Miller

Harold Miller

Wealthy Man at Nightclub (uncredited)

Ray Collins

Ray Collins

Mr. Milton

Erskine Sanford

Erskine Sanford

Bullard

Ralph Sanford

Ralph Sanford

George H. Gibbons (uncredited)

Don Beddoe

Don Beddoe

Mr. Cameron

Jan Wiley

Jan Wiley

Perfume Saleswoman (uncredited)

Louise Franklin

Louise Franklin

Ladies' Room Attendant (uncredited)

Bert Stevens

Bert Stevens

Man at Airport / Dinner Guest (uncredited)

Roy Darmour

Roy Darmour

Parking Lot Attendant (uncredited)

Dick Gordon

Dick Gordon

Maitre d'Hotel (uncredited)

Stuart Holmes

Stuart Holmes

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Kenner G. Kemp

Kenner G. Kemp

Dinner Guest (uncredited)

Donald Kerr

Donald Kerr

Steve the Bartender (uncredited)

Dorothy Adams

Dorothy Adams

Mrs. Cameron

Herschel Graham

Herschel Graham

Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)

Wilbur Mack

Wilbur Mack

Man at Airport (uncredited)

Lawrence Dobkin

Lawrence Dobkin

Bank Customer with Hat (uncredited)

Heinie Conklin

Heinie Conklin

Customer (uncredited)

Tom Dugan

Tom Dugan

Doorman (uncredited)

Charles Halton

Charles Halton

Prew

Stephen Soldi

Stephen Soldi

Card Player (uncredited)

Ray Teal

Ray Teal

Mr. Mollett

Joe Palma

Joe Palma

Card Player (uncredited)

Blake Edwards

Blake Edwards

Corporal at ATC Counter (uncredited)

Sidney Clute

Sidney Clute

Drugstore Clerk (uncredited)

Hal K. Dawson

Hal K. Dawson

Man at Airport (uncredited)

Cathy O'Donnell

Cathy O'Donnell

Wilma Cameron

William Wyler

William Wyler

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Gladys George

Gladys George

Hortense Derry

Edward Biby

Edward Biby

Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)

Ernesto Molinari

Ernesto Molinari

Card Player (uncredited)

Fredric March

Fredric March

Al Stephenson

Teddy Infuhr

Teddy Infuhr

Dexter - Brat in Drugstore (uncredited)

Gertrude Astor

Gertrude Astor

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Russell Meeker

Russell Meeker

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Pat Flaherty

Pat Flaherty

Salvage Foreman (uncredited)

Ethelreda Leopold

Ethelreda Leopold

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Marek Windheim

Marek Windheim

Waiter at Lucia's Restaurant (uncredited)

Joyce Compton

Joyce Compton

Hat Check Girl (uncredited)

Myrna Loy

Myrna Loy

Milly Stephenson

Teresa Wright

Teresa Wright

Peggy Stephenson

Marion Gray

Marion Gray

Department Store Customer (uncredited)

Dana Andrews

Dana Andrews

Fred Derry

John Tyrrell

John Tyrrell

Angus - Butch's Waiter (uncredited)

Lester Dorr

Lester Dorr

Bar Patron (uncredited)

Howland Chamberlain

Howland Chamberlain

Thorpe

Jackie Jackson

Jackie Jackson

A Boy (uncredited)

Claire Du Brey

Claire Du Brey

Mrs. Talburt - Perfume Customer (uncredited)

Robert Karnes

Robert Karnes

Technical Sergeant (uncredited)

William Newell

William Newell

Waiter at Bank Dinner (uncredited)

Jack Rice

Jack Rice

Apartment Desk Clerk (uncredited)

Clancy Cooper

Clancy Cooper

Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Bert Conway

Bert Conway

ATC Sergeant (uncredited)

Walter Baldwin

Walter Baldwin

Mr. Parrish

Edward Earle

Edward Earle

Steese - Bank (uncredited)

John Ince

John Ince

Ryan - Bank Guard (uncredited)

Loretta Russell

Loretta Russell

Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)

Virginia Mayo

Virginia Mayo

Marie Derry

Roman Bohnen

Roman Bohnen

Pat Derry

Minna Gombell

Minna Gombell

Mrs. Parrish

Amelita Ward

Amelita Ward

Counter Girl (uncredited)

Harry Cheshire

Harry Cheshire

Minister at Wedding (uncredited)

Earle Hodgins

Earle Hodgins

Diner Attendant at Lucia's (uncredited)

Tennessee Ernie Ford

Tennessee Ernie Ford

Nightclub/Hillbilly Singer (uncredited)

Gene Krupa

Gene Krupa

Musician - Drum Solo (archive footage) (uncredited)

Alyn Lockwood

Alyn Lockwood

Counter Girl (uncredited)

Norman Phillips Jr.

Norman Phillips Jr.

Clarence 'Sticky' Merkle (uncredited)

Georgie Nokes

Georgie Nokes

One of Homer's 'Kids' (uncredited)

Doreen McCann

Doreen McCann

A Girl (uncredited)

Ben Erway

Ben Erway

Lou Latham - Bank (uncredited)

Catherine Wyler

Catherine Wyler

Department Store Customer (uncredited)

Leo Penn

Leo Penn

ATC Corporal (uncredited)

Steve Cochran

Steve Cochran

Cliff Scully

Victor Cutler

Victor Cutler

Woody Merrill

Hoagy Carmichael

Hoagy Carmichael

Butch Engle

Dick Earle

Dick Earle

Bank Dinner Guest (uncredited)

Jimmy Ames

Jimmy Ames

Jackie (uncredited)

Ray Hyke

Ray Hyke

Gus - Salvage Worker (uncredited)

Mady Correll

Mady Correll

Announcer (uncredited)

Chef Milani

Chef Milani

Giuseppe - Lucia's Restaurant Proprietor (uncredited)

Thomas Martin

Thomas Martin

Waiter (uncredited)

Mickey Roth

Mickey Roth

Boy at Soda Fountain - Mollett Scene (uncredited)

Harold Russell

Harold Russell

Homer Parrish

Marlene Aames

Marlene Aames

Luella Parrish

Dean White

Dean White

Novak

Michael Hall

Michael Hall

Rob Stephenson

Carol Andrews

Carol Andrews

Saleswoman (uncredited)

Mary Arden

Mary Arden

Miss Barbour (uncredited)

Tom Coleman

Tom Coleman

Waiter (uncredited)

Doris June Fesetta

Doris June Fesetta

Camera Girl (uncredited)

Harry Gillette

Harry Gillette

Card Player at Lucia's (uncredited)

Georgia Kane

Georgia Kane

Singer (uncredited)

Susan Mann

Susan Mann

Announcer (uncredited)

Michael Mauree

Michael Mauree

Glamour Girl (uncredited)

Peggy McIntyre

Peggy McIntyre

Girl at Soda Fountain - Mollett Scene (uncredited)

Caleb Peterson

Caleb Peterson

Black Soldier at Airfield (uncredited)

Ruth Sanderson

Ruth Sanderson

Mrs. Garrett (uncredited)

Noreen Sayles

Noreen Sayles

Girl (uncredited)

Judy Wyler

Judy Wyler

Department Store Customer (uncredited)

Jonathan C. Boyle

Jonathan C. Boyle

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Details

GenresDrama, Romance, War
Runtime2h 51 mins
Released on25 Dec 1946
Languageen
Age RatingNR
Produced InUnited States of America
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Reviews

Andres Gomez

8/10

Another great Willy Wyler movie. The story, with time, is quite expectable but the characters are well defined and developed by the cast. Also, it is a good (and probably, too positive) review of the after WWII war lives of the US veterans. A must to be seen.

CinemaSerf

7/10

This is really quite a touching story, recounting the experiences of three American veterans of WWII who return home and have to adapt to their new, not always welcoming, circumstances. Frederic March is "Al" who returns to a senior position in a bank - responsible for helping other returning soldiers with loans to start to get their lives back together; "Fred" (Dana Andrews) returns to a far less optimistic outlook, ending up working for peanuts selling perfume in a drug store, and finally the outwardly cheery "Homer" - who lost both his hands and who cannot decide whether his long term fiancée actually loves him anymore, or just feels pity. William Wyler and Robert Sherwood manage to interweave the inter-connected tales poignantly, illustrating the frustrations, bordering on despair, not only of the three men - in completely different ways; but also of their respective partners who must also adjust to their return, and to their new circumstances once the war is has been won. There are some strong performances from their ladies too - Myrna Loy and Teresa Wright, less so the always rather wooden Virginia Mayo and by the end you do have some, slight, semblance of an idea of just how tough it was for these men to lose the security and discipline of their army lives and to cope with a life that has, in many cases, just moved on without them.

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