Director: John M Stahl
Screenplay: Dwight Taylor
Based on a story by: James M Cain
Starring: Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, Barbara O’Neill, Onslow Stevens, Nydia Westman, Nella Walker, Fritz Field
Country: United States
Running Time: 92 min
Year: 1939
BBFC Certificate: PG
Author James M Cain’s stories have been adapted into some real classics of the big screen. The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, and Mildred Pierce are perhaps the best known and most highly acclaimed adaptations of Cain’s works. The author’s unpublished serial A Modern Cinderella , which he later wrote as a novel The Root of His Evil, was the inspiration for three films, including one in the 1950s by the great Douglas Sirk, but it’s the first of these loose adaptations that is the subject of this review.
When Tomorrow Comes, directed by John M Stahl and released in 1939, is a romantic drama which follows the immediate attraction between struggling waitress (Irene Dunne) and wealthy concert pianist Philip (Charles Boyer). The pair fall head over heels in love but Helen discovers that Philip is a married man, and the story turns from a budding romance to a will they or won’t they story.
Film writer and critic Geoff Andrew describes the film as one of surprises, and I’d certainly agree with that take. Whilst on the surface it’s a conventional romantic melodrama, it contains some elements that make it stand out. First is the political overtones laid more explicit in the union rally, which is amongst the first scenes in the film, where Helen’s political leanings are revealed. Despite Philip having very different views he is in awe at Helen as he watches as the camera pans beautifully around her. Then we have the world in which Helen lives. Not only is she struggling in her job, she’s also living in a poor neighbourhood, which is wonderfully evoked through production design and little character moments involving characters on the streets that we never meet again.
Helen’s world is in complete contrast to that of the rich Philip, and it’s here why we can clearly see the meaning of the original story, though the film differs a lot from it; this is a modern day Cinderella story, with Helen swept off her feet by her prince charming, Philip.
That aforementioned production design shines through throughout the film, from the diner scene that opens the movie, to the neighbourhood where Helen lives and right the way through to a church where the couple seek refuge during a storm. The storm sequence is another of the surprises, as Andrew rightly points out – it has a very different feel to the rest of the film and is quite terrifying, genuinely, as the couple drive through horrific conditions to find a place of safety. The rain is bucketing it down, a car is discovered flipped over, a tree comes crashing down, and the thunder and wind is like that heard in a horror film. The sound design in this sequence is brilliant; Bernard B Brown won an Oscar for the film and this section of the movie must be a strong reason why (Best Sound Recording – 1940 Academy Awards).
This then leads to the couple’s stay in a church which was a scene that led to a plagiarism lawsuit from writer Cain due to its similarity to a scene in Serenade, another of his stories. We’ll briefly return to that lawsuit in the look at the special features.
The scenes in the diner, at the union rally and the section involving the storm are some of the best scenes in a remarkable film, that’s anchored by a brilliant performance by Dunne. She’s easy to warm to from the outset and brings the different elements of Helen’s character to life; struggling waitress, political activist, woman in love, devastated at discovering her lover is a married man.
The final act sees Helen and Philip’s wife meet and this is where the film falls down just a little bit for me. The finale all feels a little rushed, albeit the bittersweet aspect of Helen’s fairytale not being quite that as she discovers her lover is married to a woman who won’t divorce him, does mean the story doesn’t exactly go where it seems to be, which is the final of those surprises.
So, whilst I didn’t warm to the final act due to it being quite rushed (I could have done with another 15 minutes or so), what preceded it was well acted, backed by sumptuous production design and included some real surprises of the genre.
Film: 
When Tomorrow Comes is released on 23rd September 2024 by Powerhouse Films on their Indicator label. It is Region B and the UK Blu-ray premiere of the film and limited to 3,000 copies. The 2K restoration is phenomenal, with the film looking outstanding. It’s a very clean print, for the most part, with rich detail, and depth of clarity. The audio is also great.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
2K restoration
Original mono audio
Audio commentary with academic and curator Eloise Ross (2024)
Stormy Weather (2024, 20 mins): writer and critic Geoff Andrew assesses When Tomorrow Comes and its place within the career of producer-director John M Stahl
The Mark of Cain (2024, 21 mins): critic Michael Brooke discusses the great hard-boiled crime novelist James M Cain, whose 1938 magazine serial A Modern Cinderella inspired When Tomorrow Comes and its two remakes
Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
Script gallery: complete dialogue and continuity screenplay
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Limited edition exclusive 40-page booklet with a new essay by Pamela Hutchinson, an archival interview with John M Stahl, a look at author James M Cain’s reaction to the film, a pair of archival promotional pieces in which actors Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer each profile their co-star, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
The commentary by Australian academic and curator Eloise Ross is marvellous, giving the perfect balance of insight into the film and scenes as they playout, and background to all of those involved in front, and behind, of the camera. Ross also delves into the failed copyright infringement case Cain brought against Universal for the film, essentially claiming that one of the scenes copied that of one a scene in another of his stories, Serenade. There’s plenty to take away from the track and it’s always entertaining and a very easy listen. One of three first class special features.
Stormy Weather is a 20 minute look at the background to the film with critic Geoff Andrew. Andrew’s piece contains a wealth of information and compares this version of the movie with the original book, highlighting changes, as well as running through the career of director John M. Stahl. Andrew also gives his thoughts on several scenes from the film. It’s a typically first-rate piece from the writer and critic.
The Mark of Cain is a wonderful 21 minute overview by Michael Brooke of author James M Cain’s career in writing and of the differences between source material and film. We learn about Cain’s parents, what sparked his passion for writing and his early career as a newspaper reporter. We also get a look at his film screenwriting (which wasn’t very fruitful) and then move into his breakthrough novel The Postman Always Rings Twice. Brooke gives a fascinating look at the original source material and the film and their huge differences. He also touches on Cain’s legal battle with Universal, and other adaptations of his work. It was my personal favourite of the extra features, but there’s not much in it: the commentary and two interviews are all fantastic.
The image gallery contains just shy of 40 images including production stills and posters
The script gallery contains more than 300 stills of the dialogue and continuity script.
The 40-page booklet is a typically fabulous one from Indicator, which begins with a well researched and written essay by Pamela Hutchinson. The rest of the booklet contains archival interviews and pieces with director Stahl, about the legal battle between author Cain and Universal, with actors Dunne and Boyer, and critical responses.
When Tomorrow Comes debuts on UK Blu-ray with a fantastic restoration, three marvellous and well curated extra features and a fantastic booklet. Fans of the film are likely to be impressed with the love it’s been given by the Indicator label.
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