Now and Forever (1934 film)

Now and Forever
File:Now and Forever 1934 Poster.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Henry Hathaway
Produced by	Louis D. Lighton
Screenplay by	Vincent Lawrence Sylvia Thalberg
Story by	Jack Kirkland Melville Baker
Starring	Gary Cooper Carole Lombard Shirley Temple
Music by	Harry Revel Mack Gordon
Cinematography	Harry Fischbeck
Edited by	Ellsworth Hoagland
Production company	Paramount Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	August 31, 1934 (1934-08-31) (USA)
Running time	83 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Now and Forever is a 1934 American drama film directed by Henry Hathaway. The screenplay by Vincent Lawrence and Sylvia Thalberg was based on a story by Jack Kirkland and Melville Baker. The film stars Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard, and Shirley Temple in a story about a criminal going straight for his child's sake. Temple sang "The World Owes Me a Living". The film was critically well received. Temple adored Cooper who nicknamed her 'Wigglebritches' (Windeler 140). This is the only film in which Lombard and Temple appeared together.

Plot summary

A lazy and irresponsible Jerry Day (Gary Cooper), desperate for quick cash, is willing to sell the custody rights of his own daughter Penelope (Shirley Temple), whom he's never seen. Cooper's girlfriend Toni Carstairs (Carole Lombard) is shocked by this callousness and walks out on him, but when Cooper meets his daughter and has a change of heart, he reclaims the little girl and is reunited with Toni. Still, Cooper can't hold down a job. Another get-rich-quick scheme ends unhappily when Cooper is forced to participate in a jewel robbery.

Cast

• Gary Cooper as Jerry Day
• Carole Lombard as Toni Carstairs
• Shirley Temple as Penelope Day
• Sir Guy Standing as Felix Evans
• Charlotte Granville as Mrs. Crane
• Gilbert Emery as James Higginson
• Henry Kolker as Mr. Clark
• Tetsu Komai as Mr. Ling

Production

Temple was loaned out to Paramount by Fox Films for $3,500 a week in what would be her second movie at Paramount. It would also be the first movie in which a stand-in (Marilyn Granas) was hired for Temple. Temple had a good rapport with the adult crew, especially Gary Cooper, who bought her several toys and made a number of sketches for her. During the making of the movie, Dorothy Dell, who costarred with Temple in Little Miss Marker and developed a close personal friendship with her, died in an automobile accident. Temple was not told about this until filming was started on the crying scene in the movie in which her character finds out her father was lying to her about stealing the jewelry. The tears she was crying in that scene were in effect real tears.

Reception

The film was popular at the box office.

The New York Times thought the film "a sentimental melodrama" and "a pleasant enough entertainment." Temple was highly praised for her performance.

Temple sang "The World Owes Me a Living", a version of which also featured in a Silly Symphonies animation of The Ant and the Grasshopper in the same year. Louella Parsons was amazed "at the ease with which [Temple] reels off her lines, saying big words and expressions. There is nothing parrot-like about Shirley. She knows what she is talking about." Temple-fever spread with the release of the film. Her fan mail (which numbered 400–500 letters a day) was delivered in huge mail sacks to the studio and a secretary was hired to manage it (Edwards 66).

See also

• Gary Cooper filmography
• Shirley Temple filmography
• Carole Lombard filmography

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Now and Forever at IMDb
• Now and Forever at the TCM Movie Database
• Now and Forever at AllMovie
• Now and Forever at the American Film Institute Catalog