Themes: Sibling Relationships, Members of the Press, Love Triangles
Main Cast: Clark Gable, Lana Turner, Robert Sterling, Patricia Dane, Reginald Owen
Release Year: 1942
Country: US
Run Time: 108 minutes
Plot
Unable to convince their isolationist New York editor (Charles Dingle) that America must be alerted to the threat of encroaching Nazism, pugnacious war correspondents Johnny and Kirk Davis (Clark Gable and Robert Sterling) are relieved of their European assignments. Back in the USA, Johnny inagurates a rogueish flirtation with Paula Lane (Lana Turner), an aspiring reporter who has harbored a long-standing crush on Johnny. Even so, Paula enters into a romantic relationship with Kirk, prompting Johnny to break up the affair-for Kirk's own good, of course. Paula's hopes for a lasting romance with Johnny are crushed when he refuses to discourage her from accepting an assignment in IndoChina. Later on, both Johnny and Kirk are sent off to cover the war in the Far East, where they are reunited with Paula, now busily shepherding Chinese war orphans to safety. The action moves to Bataan, where Kirk is killed in service of his country, leaving Johnny to write a passionate tribute to his brother-and, by extention, everyone else who has lain down his or her life for the cause of Democracy. During production of Somewhere I'll Find You, Clark Gable's actress-wife Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash while participating in a war-loan drive; the impact of the tragedy is painfully obvious in Gable's performance, which becomes abruptly less playful and more somber in the final reels. New MGM recruits Van Johnson and Keenan Wynn make impressive appearances in uncredited roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
In a spirit of patriotism, Lana Turner leaves her usual glamour accoutrements behind for one key scene in Somewhere I'll Find You, only to have Clark Gable call her "a Swiss cheese the rats have gotten to." So much for realism, but that's the kind of movie this is. Turner suffers while Gable fires off one-liners in a doomed attempt not to fall in love. Pearl Harbor, of course, changes all that, and Gable nobly sacrifices kid brother Robert Sterling to the defense of democracy while keeping the Japs at bay at a back lot Bataan. And Turner, well, she is right there with him, down, perhaps, but far from out. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Somewhere I'll Find You is a film released by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer in 1942. The film stars Clark Gable and Lana Turner. The film took almost two years to complete. This was the last film Gable starred in before he enlisted in World War II. The next film he starred in was Adventure (1945).
Plot
In World War II, two brothers feud over a beauty whom they both have fallen in love with.
Production
The film was designed as another vehicle for the immensely popular Gable/Turner pairing. Following their success in 1941's Honky Tonk, MGM was looking to capitalize on their new team as it had not seen a Gable pairing this successful since Joan Crawford and Jean Harlow in the 30's. Once filming began, Gable and Turner continued their friendly working relationship. Filming was suspended for one month when Gable's wife, Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash. Gable was permitted leave from filming for his grief and the studio even went as far as to prepare to scrap the film. The film was retitled as Red Light but changed back to Somewhere I'll Find You before its release. It was the last film made by Gable prior to his military service during World War II; he did not make another film until 1945.
The film was, like the Gable/Turner pairing the year before, another success and they were teamed for two more films in the future, their first pairing together after six years in 1948's Homecoming.
