Waterloo Bridge (1940) is playing on Turner Classic Movies on Fri, July 25, 2014 10:15 PM est. Closed captioned. This was both Robert Taylor’s and Vivien Leigh’s favorite movie.
Robert Taylor was an inspired choice for the role… Not only does he have an imposing screen presence, but he brings the perfect mix of enlightenment, humor, compassion and emotion to the part…
Opposite him, Oscar Winner Vivien Leigh, perfect in her innocent lovely look, radiantly beautiful, specially that evening in a trailing white chiffon gown… Leigh floods her role with personal emotion giving her character a charismatic life of its own… As a great star, she delivers a heartfelt performance turning her character into a woman who undergoes an emotional awakening…
In this sensitive motion picture, Mervyn LeRoy captures all the tenderness and moving qualities… He makes every small thing eloquent, concentrating the highly skilled efforts of many technicians on the telling of a very simple bittersweet love story… Vivien Leigh paints a picture that few men will be able to resist… Her performance captures the audience to the point of complete absorption… Robert Taylor (carrying sympathy all the way) quietly throws all his vitality as an ambition actor into the task… Their film, a credit to both, is a heavily sentimental tale about the vagaries of wartime…
Love is the only thing this movie is about… The story is simple: Myra Lester (Leigh) is a frail creature, an innocent young ballet dancer and Roy Cronin (Taylor) is an aristocratic British army officer… When their eyes met it took no time at all for their hearts to feel the loving call… They meet on London’s Waterloo Bridge during an air raid, and fall deeply in love… Their romance is sublime, and they soon agree to marry…
The lover’s marriage has to be postponed when the handsome officer is suddenly called to the front… Sadly, the sweet ballerina misses her performance to see her captain off at Waterloo Station… Fired from the troupe, she is joined by her loyal friend, Virginia Field (Kitty Meredith), and the two vainly try to find work, finally sinking into poverty and the threatening fear that goes with it…
The film is replete with beautiful and poignant scenes, specially the ‘Auld Lang Syne’ waltz scene in the Candlelight Club, before Taylor leaves for France…
Seen today, ‘Waterloo Bridge’ has retained all its charm and power, all its rich sentiment, and tragic evocations… Review by Righty-Sock (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico for the IMDB.
Robert Taylor Actor 
I don’t know when this review was written, but way back in the year 1960-61, when I was a senior in college, I inherited the job of ordering the “Free Flicks” to be shown twice on Saturday nights at what was then an all-female campus. There were some complaints about this one by the pseudo-sophisticated young ladies and their Saturday night dates. I don’t know how many, but the college staff woman that I “reported” to on this unpaid but, for me, delightful job told me about them. The movie was 20 years old at the time. Are today’s audiences less cynical & able to appreciate a true classic? I suspect some of them are, simply because they are watching TCM. Elaine Stritch, who just passed away, was a co-host for one showing of this movie and found it very moving and tragic. There is just so much irony in it, the final irony being that Roy wanted Myra no matter what he found out about her. And we are left with the impression that he never married. The early deaths of both stars make it even sadder, but more compelling (at least for me) to watch. They were both very much alive and working when I first saw the film.
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I think TCM and the availability of DVDs has made people more appreciative of old movies. The ending of “Waterloo Bridge” is so sad and yes ironic because they could have made a life together. I think the old Colonel understood just who Myra was and approved of her anyway. But life is so often sad. I’m thinking of putting a post here asking people to write to TCM and ask for Mr. Taylor to be recognized next summer. What do you think?
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He was recognized as Star of the Month in April 2010 with, I believe, 54 of his movies. Also in September 2001, when I couldn’t get TCM & everyone was preoccupied with the darkest event in American history, 9/11. So the requests should acknowledge that he has been recognized as a Star of the Month, if not as a Star of the Day in August. This omission was particularly glaring on August 5, 2011, his 100th birthday, the day after Lucille Ball was honored on HER 100th birthday the day before. Perhaps because they own the MGM library (through the 1960s I believe) & a month almost never goes by that several of his movies are not shown, added to the 2 Star of the Month honors, they feel justified in continually ignoring him in August (although he is usually seen as one of the stars in an “honored” star movie or so). And I’m guessing there are some unforgiving liberals with long memories out there. But I think your post is a great idea.
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