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NR | 1h 30m | Drama, Fantasy, Romance | 1951
Old paintings of sprawling landscapes and families posing together can make bygone centuries look inviting, with gentlemen wearing splendid coats and ladies in beautiful gowns.
Those portraits rarely showed the reality that most people were accustomed to back then—filthy streets, dreadful medical treatments, and other everyday hardships that ordinary people had to endure.
This fascination with earlier times figures into director Roy Ward Baker’s “I’ll Never Forget You” (1951), a romantic fantasy from 20th Century-Fox starring Tyrone Power and Ann Blyth.
An American scientist living in London has grown thoroughly dissatisfied with modern civilization. His research into his family history has led him to believe that he can somehow travel back to 1784, a period he considers far more civilized and agreeable.
The story had previously reached movie screens as “Berkeley Square” (1933), starring the great Leslie Howard, which followed an earlier stage production of the same name.
It’s a timeless plotline: For hundreds of years, people have wondered whether they’d have been happier living in other eras, especially after reading about many of the supposed virtues of the good old days.
However, actually experiencing those times could cure that enthusiasm pretty quickly. Then again, what if those same bygone years introduced us to someone we could fall in love with? That would make the decision to return to modern times considerably more difficult, now wouldn’t it?
An Awkward Family Arrangement
Atomic scientist Dr. Peter Standish (Power) has inherited an old house in Berkeley Square, where he’s spent years studying the people who once lived there. His colleague, Dr. Roger Forsyth (Michael Rennie), becomes concerned about Peter’s fascination with the past.
Peter talks about traveling back through time. The house even contains a portrait of an ancestor who looks remarkably like Peter himself. Then, during a thunderstorm, a lightning strike sends him back to 1784. There, the Pettigrew family welcomes him as their American cousin, who is expected to marry Kate Pettigrew (Beatrice Campbell).
Peter knows a lot about the household from his historical research, although his familiarity with events that haven’t happened yet soon causes trouble. His modern expressions and scientific knowledge also leave the family wondering whether he’s entirely sane.
Things become especially awkward when he meets Kate’s younger sister, Helen (Blyth), whose existence was never mentioned in the old family records. The two gradually develop an attraction, much to the inconvenience of Peter’s expected marriage and Helen’s own suitor, Mr. Throstle (Raymond Huntley).
Peter discovers that Georgian England has plenty of unpleasant surprises, including poverty, filthy surroundings, and primitive medical practices, all of which are a rude awakening for someone accustomed to 20th-century comforts.
Humor and Romance
Director Baker infused quite a bit of wry humor into Peter’s romantic notions about Georgian England, especially when the scientist discovers how people actually lived in 1784. Viewers will enjoy Peter’s insistence on bathing every day, which leaves the household servants hauling buckets of water upstairs while everyone wonders what’s wrong with him.
The screenplay (by Ranald MacDougall) also gets some amusement out of Peter’s habit of discussing inventions and events that won’t happen for generations.
Power handles Peter’s growing bewilderment quite well, especially as his enthusiasm for the past begins running up against its unpleasant realities. Blyth gives Helen a sweetness and sincerity that make their developing romance enjoyable, although some of the more dramatic turns require a generous amount of imagination.
One of the film’s nicest touches is the decision to photograph modern London in black and white and switch to Technicolor for the 18th-century scenes. It makes good use of the period interiors, and the elaborate costumes give the older world an inviting appearance.
“I’ll Never Forget You” announced its intentions through the title and publicity photograph. Still, viewers will enjoy the unusual time-travel premise, the charming performances, and the thought that love might occasionally make even the most inconvenient centuries seem worth visiting.
“I’ll Never Forget You” is available on YouTube.
‘I’ll Never Forget You’
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Starring: Tyrone Power, Ann Blyth, Michael Rennie
Not Rated
Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Release Date: Dec. 7, 1951
Rated: 3 1/2 stars out of 5
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