Somewhere I'll Find You

"Somwhere I'll Find You," released in 1942, was produced amid some chaos. Lana Turner was fired after marrying Arte Shaw against Mayer's wishes, and Esther Williams was given the role. However, Turner got the role back. Filming was halted for five weeks due to Carole Lombard's death. And then Gable wanted the title changed, because he said he wouldn't walk back on the set with the film being called "Somewhere I'll Find You." Supposedly the film's name was changed to "Red Light," probably just to get him through the rest of it.

Since seeing "Cass Timberlane," I've been giving some thought to MGM taking the easy way out with their scripts at times. I think this film is another example. The story is quite ordinary - two brothers (and two pretty unlikely brothers, Clark Gable and Robert Sterling with nearly a 17-year difference in their ages) both interested in the same woman (Turner). All three are reporters; the film takes place right before Pearl Harbor.

This would have been a much more interesting film with more focus on the situation in Hanoi, where the Turner character goes missing, and the efforts of the reporters to get the truth printed so that the average U.S. citizen would be aware of what was really happening. This is touched on, and actually, one of the scenes in the editor's office is very funny. Instead, we have Gable going after Turner because he thinks she's a tramp and bad for his brother, who wants to marry her. You can see the ending coming a mile away.

Keenan Wynn and Van Johnson have small parts in the film. By the end of the war, Johnson would be a very popular leading man at MGM, and Wynn would see bigger roles.

The very end of "Somewhere I'll Find You" is the pure propaganda found in films made during this period. It was an important part of film-making, and it's always interesting to see the U.S. atmosphere in these years. The world was going to change mightily, and so was Hollywood, with its major stars going off to war.

Gable's return would be the most difficult - he was older than some of the other classic stars, a grieving widower, and he would forever be in the shadow of Rhett Butler. When Turner cuts a deck of cards in the film, she gets the King. And that's what we get here, just before he goes into the service.

What a pleasant way to spend two hours when one can't sleep. I loved Lana Turner's face, a little baby fat and that water and soap look. Another thing I really liked was the dialog, even the jokes held up well, despite their 70 year span since having been written. I was surprised to come to this site and see how many of the comments were negative. I like to think myself intelligent, beyond the attraction of the quasi harlequin romance of the story, so I'm going to sum up my over exaggerated enjoyment of this film with the fact that I have yet to see either Honky Tonk or Homecoming. If I liked this one, I am sure I'll love the other two. :-)

This movie begins as a comedy,then turns into a war movie,with the incredible scene of Lana Turner evacuating children.The gags are ponderous (the news paper owner who ends up completely naked in his office),and it 's hard to believe that the two brothers are a family unit.The part in Asia suffers from studio film sets:for instance the jungle looks like exotic public gardens.

The ending sets the record straight:it is a propaganda movie and nothing more.

This is a war/romance drama like too many others; but the star studded cast keeps your interest. Clark Gable and Robert Sterling are brothers and both are war correspondents that fall in love with the same girl; and what a girl(Lana Turner).Turner gets the brothers attention while evacuating children in Indochina during WWII. The love scenes between Gable and Turner sizzle and make you forget the flimsy story line. Patricia Dane is quite an eye full herself. Also in the cast are Van Johnson, Frank Faylen, Keye Luke and Reginald Owen. If you like this; check out HOMECOMING(1948), another Gable/Turner war drama with more substance.

Had the opportunity to view this film on TV, which was shown in the early AM hours and found it very interesting for a WWII. Clark Gable gave a great performance, despite the fact, that in real life he lost the soul mate of his life and managed to show his great ability as an actor in playing the part of Lana Turner's lover. This was sort of a pick me up for audiences during the war years and having two men after one woman was a different twist. Robert Sterling gave a great supporting role as a guy who was also in love with poor Lana Turner and managed to hold his own against Clark Gable. This is truly a great 1942 Classic and a great picture with Turner & Gable at their very best. Enjoy.