Since You Went Away (1944)

Colonel William G. Smollett: Oh yes, and another thing. I neglected to inform your mother that I like my breakfast promptly at seven. Coffee, thin toast, and two eggs, boiled, two and a half minutes, under no circumstances more than three.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: But golly, Colonel Smollett, we can't afford to give you breakfast.
Colonel William G. Smollett: Indeed?
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: Even as it is now, poor Mother doesn't know what she's going to do. When Fidelia was here, the bills didn't seem so high, but now, with the way things are going -
Colonel William G. Smollett: Please. I'm quite prepared to pay.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: Oh. That's fine. What would you say to fifty cents a day?
Colonel William G. Smollett: That seems a bit high under the circumstances.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: All right, we'll make it three dollars a week. There's the doorbell. Well, let's call it a deal. Good night, Colonel.

---

Lieutenant Solomon: It's a wonderful party, Mrs. Hilton.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: It's Tony. He brings life to any party.
Lieutenant Solomon: Tony's doomed to go through life as everybody's darling.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Even to his men?
Lieutenant Solomon: Well, they don't think of him as darling, exactly. Hero worship's more like it. I'll bet he didn't tell you he's been recommended for the Navy Cross.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: No, really?
Lieutenant Solomon: Uh-huh. Oh, he'll make jokes about it, but he's very proud of it.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Well, where did -
[Tony enters]
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Oh, I want to talk to you, John Paul Jones.
Lieutenant Tony Willett: What have I done now?
Mrs. Anne Hilton: The Navy Cross - that's what you've done.
[Tony glares at Lt. Solomon]
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Yes, he told me. Do they give you a ribbon?
Lieutenant Tony Willett: Uh-huh.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Well what does it look like? What are the colors?
Lieutenant Tony Willett: [pointing at a ribbon on Lt. Solomon's chest] As a matter of fact, it looks just like that.
Lieutenant Solomon: Aw, stop it, Tony. This is an old one. It's last year's model.
Lieutenant Tony Willett: Listen, Anne, he'll joke about it, but he's really very proud of it.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Well, he said the same thing about you.
Lieutenant Solomon: If you people will excuse me now.
Lieutenant Tony Willett: Oh, he did, did he?

---

Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: You will marry me when it's over, won't you, Jane? You won't be mad at me because I didn't marry you now?
Jane Deborah Hilton: Of course I won't be mad. But you take care of yourself.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: I will.
Jane Deborah Hilton: You write to me.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: I will. You do understand, don't you?
Jane Deborah Hilton: I think so.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: You know it's because I wouldn't want you to be - Well, you know, if anything happened to me ...
Jane Deborah Hilton: A widow, you mean.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Well, yes, but not only that. If something happened - I mean, if I was -
Jane Deborah Hilton: If you were wounded? Oh, Bill, I'd take care of you the rest of our lives, always.

---

read more quotes from Since You Went Away...

Katharine Cornell loved the book and campaigned to play the role, but David O. Selznick turned her down in favor of Claudette Colbert.
Shirley Temple had been in retirement for two years when David O. Selznick persuaded her to join the film.
Tay Garnett directed part of the film uncredited; Edward F. Cline, a specialist in comedies, was brought in to direct the comedy sequences; producer David O. Selznick filled in as director for four days when director John Cromwell was not available.
read more facts about Since You Went Away...