Since You Went Away (1944)

Colonel William G. Smollett: Good morning. Mrs. Hilton, I presume?
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Yes.
Colonel William G. Smollett: May I be permitted to observe that this is the first house I've found in this godforsaken community that doesn't smell of cabbage.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Well, it does sometimes.
Colonel William G. Smollett: I was given to understand at the office of the Purchasing Division, to which I have the misfortune to be attached, that you had a room for rent.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Yes, but I specified an officer. You see, my husband -
Colonel William G. Smollett: My name is Smollett, William G., Colonel, United States Army, retired. Retired, I might add, by virtue of certain fatuous opinions held in the War Department which judge a man's usefulness neither by his experience nor his ability, but by the number of years since he was weaned.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: [dog growls and barks] Soda. Soda!
Colonel William G. Smollett: There was nothing in the information I was furnished, madam, which indicated that you had children and domestic pets.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Well, I'm sorry, but they go with the house.
Colonel William G. Smollett: We won't discuss it. With your permission, madam, may we dispense with further conversation? I should like to inspect the room.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Certainly. Just follow me. I do hope you'll forgive me if I've been long-winded.
Colonel William G. Smollett: Not at all, madam. Through a full, and somewhat protracted existence, I have learned to accept the natural tendency of all women to be garrulous.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: You're very tolerant, Colonel.

---

Major Sam Atkins: Hello, Tony. I didn't know you were in town.
Lieutenant Tony Willett: Hello, Sam. It's quite a dance you fellows are putting on here. What's the matter? You look upset.
Major Sam Atkins: Just got some bad news. Good evening, Mrs. Hilton.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Good evening, Major.
Major Sam Atkins: Plane crash. Don't say anything about it now, it might spoil the fun.
Lieutenant Tony Willett: That's too bad. Where'd it happen?
Major Sam Atkins: Right outside town. Lost one of my best boys.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: What was his name?
Major Sam Atkins: Mahoney. He hit some wires.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Oh, not Johnny!
Major Sam Atkins: Did you know him? Well, I hope he wasn't, uh...
Mrs. Anne Hilton: But it can't be! We were talking to him here just a little while ago.
Major Sam Atkins: I'm extremely sorry, Mrs. Hilton. I had no idea that you knew him. I shouldn't have said anything.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: It was just that I liked Johnny very much. I know his father.
Major Sam Atkins: A terrible thing.
Soldier at Dance: Beg pardon, sir. The car's ready for you now, sir.
Major Sam Atkins: Be right there.
Soldier at Dance: Yes, sir.
Major Sam Atkins: I've got to go and examine the wreck. Not a very pleasant job, I can tell you. Good night.
Lieutenant Tony Willett: Good night.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Oh Tony, how awful. His poor parents.
Lieutenant Tony Willett: Lucky Johnny. Come on, Anne. Let's dance.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Dance?
Lieutenant Tony Willett: Look Anne, you'll be hearing plenty of things like this. Might as well get used to them now.

---

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?

---

read more quotes from Since You Went Away...

At the time, the longest and most expensive Hollywood film since David O. Selznick's own Gone with the Wind.
Shirley Temple had been in retirement for two years when David O. Selznick persuaded her to join the film.
Jennifer Jones and Robert Walker play young lovers. In real life, they were at the end of a failed marriage and divorced shortly after. She later married David O. Selznick, the producer of this film.
read more facts about Since You Went Away...