Aircraft Graveyard scene from The Best Years of Our Lives

By popular demand the entire aircraft graveyard scene from the 1946 movie "The Best Years of Our Lives" that I used in my B-17 movie (Bit O' Lace)

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  Entertainment

[logancody05]

At 0:45 the actor Roman Bohnen begins reading the commendation. It's a very moving reading. However, watch the scene again, and this time focus on Gladys George as she's emotionaly overwhelmed, her eyes tear up at exactly the right moment. She gives a wonderful performance without saying a word.

[oversteer1000]

Can't escape the reality that not only are the planes in the graveyard are expendable but also the people who flew them. Very powerful scene.

[jonainwood]

this shows what it was like for alot of WW2 veterans after the war ended...specifically the ones that were discharged from Armored Forces in '45. to Dana Andrews character the war was a great long tragic/victorious festival. his job during the war became his religion. to him the planes he flew became his children. in the end his extended family of war planes became corpses.

[Morgan McNeely]

Powerful, amazing & moving.

[Laureen Zouai]

3:50



[grabit1]

Yup. She sure does. And I've noticed it myself many times before.

[grabit1]

I didn't know that. I'll take your word for it. He was an actor around this time before becoming a director.

[FIVEOFEVER]

I'm with ya there! I think this is the only movie that ever made me cry. I try to watch it alone just for that reason..........a timelss classic!

[lotsandlotsofbubbles]

Anyone else have an insane crush on Dana Andrews? ;)

[kz1000ps]

Tears are welling up just thinking of this scene.....I'm a grown man but every time I get to this part I can't help but lose control of my emotions. Dana's sullen face, the beautiful panning shots, and the music....oh the music. As soon as the camera starts climbing at 2:19 I lose it, every damn time. Favorite film of the 1940s, and that's saying a LOT.

[William Byron]

So thanks for uploading this. You can feel the entire weight and emotion due to the choice of camera angles, zoom ins, and, of course, Dana Andrews. I don't say this in a bad way but the first thing that would have came to my mind if you brought up post-war stress in film would have been the humorous aspects of 'Airplane!' or something- this changed everything. A great, great study in emotion. Loved Dana Andrews in The Ox-Bow Incident and Laura, too.

[William Byron]

Saw this on TCM last night and was ashamed I hadn't seen it before. It is worth noting that I have seen various "war flashback" moments in television and cinema since I was a child in the 80s and actually took them for granted- they were an obvious, almost expected, stereotype, and had no emotional content. This was incredible, I am still amazed that Dana Andrews and the director could accomplish so so much by using so little, or at least, making it seem like so little. Utterly powerful.