When Tomorrow Comes (1939)

An internationally known concert pianist (Charles Boyer) stops into a diner for lunch and promptly falls in love with a waitress (Irene Dunne). Based on the short story A MODERN CINDERELLA by James M. Cain (THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE) and directed by John M. Stahl (LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN). The pairing of Boyer and Dunne in LOVE AFFAIR earlier in the year resulted in a box office hit so they were quickly reteamed for this romantic melodrama which was also a big hit. The film was not without controversy when Universal was sued by James M. Cain claiming they inserted a scene from his book SERENADE (not filmed until 1956) into the film. He lost the lawsuit. As to the film itself, fortunately Boyer and Dunne have a pleasing chemistry which compensates for the flat screenplay. It's a pleasant enough endeavor but star power can only go so far. The movie's highlight is a hurricane sequence that traps the lovers who seek shelter in a church. The film's best performance comes from Barbara O'Neil as Boyer's mentally unstable wife. Remade by Douglas Sirk in 1957 as INTERLUDE. With Onslow Stevens, Nydia Westman and Fritz Feld.