FAQ

The White Cliffs of Dover tells the story of how Susan Dunn (Irene Dunne), an American, came to England on a two-week vacation and wound up spending the rest of her life there. No dates are given, but it appears to start just after the turn of the 20th century as later events encompass both WWI and WWII.

The White Cliffs of Dover was based on a novel in verse (i.e., a 52-chapter poem) entitled The White Cliffs by American writer Alice Duer Miller [1874-1942]. Novels in verse are few and far between in English, but The White Cliffs had sold over a million copies. The screenplay was written by Claudine West, Jan Lustig, and George Froeschel. Many of the voiceover speeches are direct quotations from the original book.

Dover is located on the far southeast of England, along the English Channel. The white cliffs can be seen when approaching England from France and Belgium. For a map, see here.

As Susan is approaching the white cliffs at the beginning of the movie, she mentions the Magna Carta as being a part of England's history. The Magna Carta is an English legal document, written in 1215 CE, establishing that the king of England was not above the law.

Just after Susan and her father, Hiram (Frank Morgan), arrive in England and board the train, Hiram complains that an open window in the train compartment will affect his "lumbago", and he continues to complain about it during his stay in England. Lumbago is a catchall term for lower back pain.

Hiram, who likes to complain about everything English, is served suet pudding and complains about that, too. Suet pudding is similar to mincemeat, made from suet (fat), raisins, and seasonings.

Most likely King George V [ reigned 1910-1936].

When Hiram makes a toast at Susan and John (Alan Marshal)'s wedding, he mentions the artifact that the British stole from the White House. He's referring to a time earlier in the movie, when he and Colonel Forsythe (C. Aubrey Smith) were playing chess. They wind up arguing about the origins of a certain move, Hiram claiming an American origin and Forsythe a British one. Forsythe wipes out the board, shows Hiram that it once belonged to Dolly Madison, wife of U.S. President James Madison (president from 1809-1817), and explains that it was taken by his grandfather during the 1812 British siege on Washington. Hiram accuses him of stealing it.

WWII has begun. Johnny (now played by Peter Lawford) and Betsy (now played by June Lockhart) have gone off to fight, each in their own regiment, and Susan has taken a job as head nurse in a triage center. She gets word that they're bringing in some 300+ wounded soldiers. One of them turns out to be Johnny. The doctor informs her that he has but 4-6 hours to live. Susan keeps vigil at his bedside, talking to him during the times when he is awake. He tells her how his regiment landed at Dieppe (France) where he witnessed the bombing of the little bandshell that Susan and his father found so charming during the four days they had together in the first war. Susan hears the American troops marching down the street and opens the window so that Johnny can hear them, too. She tells him about another time, 25 years ago, when she stood with baby Johnny in her arms and proudly watched American troops marching down the street. "Your people and my people," she says. "How well they march together." Johnny smiles and turns his head to the side in death. The soldiers keep marching to the tune When Johnny Comes Marching Home.

Yes. The White Cliffs may be read here.

Altogether, maybe four minutes. Elizabeth Taylor plays Betsy Kenney, the daughter of tenants renting land from the Ashwoods. She is seen in three scenes. In one, she snuggles up against young Johnny Ashwood (Roddy McDowall). Taylor was about 10 or 11 years old at the time.