September 18 - The Way We Were

Today’s movie is a romantic drama with a scene that happens on September 18. Watch it tonight and enjoy

THE WAY WE WERE                 

In 1944 Katie Morosky who works at a New York radio station goes with her boss to the El Morocco nightclub in New York and meets a naval officer, Hubbell Gardiner, who she has not seen for seven years. In college she was the unconventional Jewish spokeswoman for the college Communist club, while he was an All-American athelete and writer. They have a few interesting encounters. She takes the intoxicated Hubbell home from El Morocco and they have sex. He leaves for his job in Washington, but later returns to New York and they begin a relationship. On September 18, 1944 [49:40 to 50:23] Katie gives Hubbell a typewriter as a Rosh Hashanah gift, so he can start work on a new novel. She has difficulty fitting in with his friends. They have a huge blow-up after her anger over his Republican friends jokes at FDR’s death, but make up and get married. They move to California where he becomes a mediocre screenwriter, instead of the serious writer she wants him to be. Katie becomes involved in the battle against the Hollywood blackist and the House Un-American Activities committee. Even though Katie is pregnant Hubbell has an affair with Carol Ann, his girlfriend in college and the ex-wife of his best friend J.J.   They two separate after she realizes he will always choose the easiest path, while he realizes he can’t  and doesn’t want to live up to her expectations.  Years later they meet in New York. He is a writer for a TV show and now married to Carol Ann, while she is agitating to ban the bomb. The two go their separate ways.  

A muddled tear-jerker romance. This film just skims the surface of this story. It never really gets to the meat, but as mere entertainment it is enough to hold your attention.

In 1944,  Rosh Hashanah was on this date.

Producer - Ray Stark

Director - Sydney Pollack

Screenplay - Arthur Laurents

Awards – The movie won the Best Original Score and Best Original Song Oscars. The film was also nominated for the Best Actress(Streisand), Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Best Cinematography at the 46^th Academy Awards. 

Runtime - 118 minutes

Released - October 19, 1973

Starring –

Barbra Streisand as Katie Morosky

Robert Redford as Hubbell Gardiner

Patrick O'Neal as George Bissinger

Sally Kirkland as Pony Dunbar

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014