"I'll Never Forget You" is a drama fantasy and love story set in London. Or, is it a psychological thriller of sorts? This is a revised story from a 1933 film, "Berkeley Square" that was based on a stage play that itself was based somewhat on the unfinished 1917 novel, "The Sense of the Past," by American author, Henry James. The early play and film clearly fantasized about a person changing places in time. James' novel had a touch of comedy as well. While this remake closely follows the details of the first film, the plot twist at the end offers another possible conclusion. Perhaps all of Peter Standish's fantasy was just that - a fantasy of his imagination whilst he was having a nervous breakdown. I found that an intriguing and clever possibility at the end. It wouldn't be the only film with such a plot, although I can't think of another one woven in a plot of changing places in time.
If one is drawn in by the love in the story, it might be easy to miss this bigger plot. But the love is a key to the solution in the end. Tyrone Power is an American nuclear scientist, Peter Standish. He is working as part of a team in a British research project, with a close associate, Roger Forsyth. He's something of a loner and has been in London for several months. Roger drives him home one evening and he sees the elegant, historic house where Peter lives. It has never had its interior changed beyond electrical and plumbing updating since the mid-18th century.
Peter tells Roger part of his family tree dating back two centuries, and how he inherited the house. He shows Roger a diary and other historical records. Roger finds that Peter is obsessed with his family's past. Peter says that he is going back 150 years to 1874 London. He has romanticized ideas of the beauty of London and that time. When Roger asks him how he would go back and return, he doesn't know, but that it will happen. Roger is worried about his mental state and wants to stay the night, but Peter says, no. After he walks Roger to his car and starts back to his house, lightning strikes right behind him.
As he picks himself up and opens the door, he's in 18th century dress, and he has just arrived from America. Meeting him at the door is Kate Pettigrew, the woman he would marry according to the diary and records. He then meets the duchess and the rest of the family. He knows them all from having studied the family records, but he's stymied when he meets the younger sister of Kate, Helen Pettigrew (played by Ann Blyth). There was no mention of her in the records.
Over the next few weeks, Peter explores London, rents a cellar where he assembles some rudimentary inventions - an array of batteries with a light, a model boat with a miniature steam engine, and others. But he also sees the drudgery of many people, and the filth of the city. He also says things to family members and others about things that had not yet occurred. Others are frightened by him and think that he may be mad. Some plan to have him committed to an asylum. He has grown close with Helen and distant from Kate. Authorities go to his lab and are frightened by the inventions, thinking that he uses some sort of witchcraft. They destroy the lab. He has convinced Helen that he has come from the future. He and Helen profess their love for one another and Helen now says she can envision some of the inventions of the future he has talked about.
As Peter is about to be taken to an asylum, a storm comes up and lighting strikes again. The next instance, he's back - or forward to the 20th century and just entering his house. Roger arrives and says they had been looking for him everywhere. He had been sick and behaving strangely and wildly for weeks. Peter asks him what he had done and Roger says, "For the past seven weeks you've been having a nervous breakdown. This is the first time you've even known who I am."
When Roger's sister arrives, Martha is the Helen of the past. Peter says that she reminds him of someone he knew. Martha says, "I should hope so. Roger and I have been taking care of you for weeks now." Peter then says, "Maybe I did have a nervous breakdown." Then he remembers that Helen had shown him an ancient Egyptian cross that was known as a key of life. She put it in a desk cupboard, saying that they would be united in love "in Gods time." Peter rushes upstairs and finds the cross. He then hurries out to St. Mark's graveyard to look for Helen's grave. He finds it and reads the inscription that she was the younger daughter of Lord and Duchess Pettigrew. She died Sept. 17, 1784, at age 23. That was the day that Peter had last been with here and when he returned to his own time. Martha is now at the gravesite, and they walk off together with Roger joining them at the gate.
So, did Peter really get transported back and forth in time by bolts of lightning? Or had he become so obsessed with his family history that he had a nervous breakdown and imagined his change in time? Was it a far-out fantasy, or a man's hallucinations in a psychological thriller? Audiences may be divided on this, but to me this was a very clever plot and screenplay done with a lesson in mind - about living for the present and future, and not in the past.
If one is drawn in by the love in the story, it might be easy to miss this bigger plot. But the love is a key to the solution in the end. Tyrone Power is an American nuclear scientist, Peter Standish. He is working as part of a team in a British research project, with a close associate, Roger Forsyth. He's something of a loner and has been in London for several months. Roger drives him home one evening and he sees the elegant, historic house where Peter lives. It has never had its interior changed beyond electrical and plumbing updating since the mid-18th century.
Peter tells Roger part of his family tree dating back two centuries, and how he inherited the house. He shows Roger a diary and other historical records. Roger finds that Peter is obsessed with his family's past. Peter says that he is going back 150 years to 1874 London. He has romanticized ideas of the beauty of London and that time. When Roger asks him how he would go back and return, he doesn't know, but that it will happen. Roger is worried about his mental state and wants to stay the night, but Peter says, no. After he walks Roger to his car and starts back to his house, lightning strikes right behind him.
As he picks himself up and opens the door, he's in 18th century dress, and he has just arrived from America. Meeting him at the door is Kate Pettigrew, the woman he would marry according to the diary and records. He then meets the duchess and the rest of the family. He knows them all from having studied the family records, but he's stymied when he meets the younger sister of Kate, Helen Pettigrew (played by Ann Blyth). There was no mention of her in the records.
Over the next few weeks, Peter explores London, rents a cellar where he assembles some rudimentary inventions - an array of batteries with a light, a model boat with a miniature steam engine, and others. But he also sees the drudgery of many people, and the filth of the city. He also says things to family members and others about things that had not yet occurred. Others are frightened by him and think that he may be mad. Some plan to have him committed to an asylum. He has grown close with Helen and distant from Kate. Authorities go to his lab and are frightened by the inventions, thinking that he uses some sort of witchcraft. They destroy the lab. He has convinced Helen that he has come from the future. He and Helen profess their love for one another and Helen now says she can envision some of the inventions of the future he has talked about.
As Peter is about to be taken to an asylum, a storm comes up and lighting strikes again. The next instance, he's back - or forward to the 20th century and just entering his house. Roger arrives and says they had been looking for him everywhere. He had been sick and behaving strangely and wildly for weeks. Peter asks him what he had done and Roger says, "For the past seven weeks you've been having a nervous breakdown. This is the first time you've even known who I am."
When Roger's sister arrives, Martha is the Helen of the past. Peter says that she reminds him of someone he knew. Martha says, "I should hope so. Roger and I have been taking care of you for weeks now." Peter then says, "Maybe I did have a nervous breakdown." Then he remembers that Helen had shown him an ancient Egyptian cross that was known as a key of life. She put it in a desk cupboard, saying that they would be united in love "in Gods time." Peter rushes upstairs and finds the cross. He then hurries out to St. Mark's graveyard to look for Helen's grave. He finds it and reads the inscription that she was the younger daughter of Lord and Duchess Pettigrew. She died Sept. 17, 1784, at age 23. That was the day that Peter had last been with here and when he returned to his own time. Martha is now at the gravesite, and they walk off together with Roger joining them at the gate.
So, did Peter really get transported back and forth in time by bolts of lightning? Or had he become so obsessed with his family history that he had a nervous breakdown and imagined his change in time? Was it a far-out fantasy, or a man's hallucinations in a psychological thriller? Audiences may be divided on this, but to me this was a very clever plot and screenplay done with a lesson in mind - about living for the present and future, and not in the past.