drama film
directed by William Wyler
, and starring Fredric March
, Myrna Loy
, Dana Andrews
, Teresa Wright
, and Harold Russell
, a United States
paratrooper who lost both hands in a military training accident. The film is about three United States servicemen trying to piece their lives back together after coming home from World War II
. Samuel Goldwyn
was inspired to produce a film about veterans after reading an August 7, 1944 article in Time
magazine about the difficulties experienced by men returning to civilian life.
[about Homer] They [the Navy] couldn't train him to put his arms around his girl to stroke her hair.
[to Milly and Peggy] How 'bout we go celebrate the old man's homecoming...I want to do something, see something. I've been in jungles and around savages so long, I gotta find out I'm back in civilization again.
[to Mr. Novak] You'll get your loan...You look like a good risk to me. And when those tomato plants start producing, I'll come out for some free samples.
[to Peggy] I think they ought to put you in mass production.
[to Marie] I don't want to be right back where we started. We can never be back there again. We never want to be back there.
[to Homer, about Wilma] Take her in your arms, and kiss her. Ask her to marry you. Then marry her. Tomorrow if you can get a license that fast. If you want anybody to stand up for you at your wedding...
You know what it'll be, don't you, Peggy? It may take us years to get anywhere. We'll have no money, no decent place to live. We'll have to work - get kicked around.
Marie Derry: [to Fred] Oh, you're marveous. All those ribbons. You gotta tell me what they all mean.