Waterloo Bridge (1940 Film)

Waterloo Bridge (1940 Film)

Waterloo Bridge is a 1940 remake of the 1931 film also called Waterloo Bridge, adapted from the 1930 play Waterloo Bridge.

The film was made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sidney Franklin and Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay is by S. N. Behrman, Hans Rameau and George Froeschel, based on the Broadway drama by Robert E. Sherwood. The music is by Herbert Stothart and cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg. The film stars Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh, her first film after the success of Gone with the Wind. MGM bought the 1931 version from Universal when they did this remake.

Waterloo Bridge tells the story of a dancer and an officer who meet in a chance encounter on Waterloo Bridge. This initial encounter occurs during an air raid in World War I. But because of the Hays Code, which had not been in effect when the 1931 film version was made, the plot of the 1940 version had to be changed and somewhat sanitized. In the original play and film, Myra is an ordinary chorus girl of easy virtue, and Roy is too naive to realize this until near the end. In the 1940 version, Myra is a ballerina in a prestigious dance company, who descends into prostitution after mistakenly believing that Roy has been killed. In the first film, Myra is accidentally killed; in the 1940 version, she commits suicide in order not to involve Roy in a scandal.

The film was a success at the box office and nominated for two Academy Awards — Best Music for Herbert Stothart and Best Cinematography. It was also considered a personal favourite by both Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor.