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It Happened Tomorrow

Play trailer Poster for It Happened Tomorrow 1944 1h 24m Comedy Drama Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
What would happen if someone could get tomorrow's newspaper headlines today? This charming period comedy tells the story of a reporter (Dick Powell) who wishes he could scoop his colleagues by knowing about events before they occur. When a mysterious old man gives him the news a day in advance, his life is turned upside down. Racing to prevent a headline predicting his own death, he gets mixed up with a beautiful fortune teller (Linda Darnell) and her overprotective uncle (Jack Oakie)
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It Happened Tomorrow

Critics Reviews

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James Agee TIME Magazine 02/27/2018
By & large the simple comic pleasures of the picture lose themselves in intricate artifice, until the last half-hour. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Jun 4
2.5/4
...a stirring premise that’s employed to mildly watchable (yet entirely disappointing) effect by Clair... Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 06/13/2021
3/4
A premise that sounds perfect for The Twilight Zone. Go to Full Review
Christopher Lloyd Sarasota Herald-Tribune 03/21/2011
3/5
More a daffy comedy than a true newspaper movie. Go to Full Review
Fernando F. Croce CinePassion 02/13/2010
The premise illustrates the director's view of his medium as a playground of visions Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 03/08/2009
B-
Meticulously crafted nonsense. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Steve D 05/29/2023 Cute idea too thin in practice. See more robert m 09/04/2022 Fun madcap fantasy from the 40s. See more 04/01/2019 Fun post-musical, pre-film noir Dick Powell flick See more 07/01/2017 I wanted to see the original my favorite television show of the 1990s. To my surprise the movie theater from 1944 was a class better than the tv series. The scenario is brilliant! Mysterious editorial worker gives the young journalist newspaper in which are described the future of the event. Journalist uses it to write articles in advance. Thanks to this successful and wins the heart of a beautiful woman. But this is the beginning of his troubles. The story is extremely logical, of course, within the context of the events on the screen. For example, the Hero provides for bank robbery, but police suspect him of complicity, the scenario is very consistent: the events described in the newspaper must always to happen, although not always in the way they understand it. The discovery of how the hero read about his death, though not actually died, calls the admiration for cunning writers. The film is extremely funny, especially amused me supporting the role of Jack Oakie that great played Uncle overly child welfare for his niece. Very magical figure is an old Pop who handed the lead hero tomorrow's newspaper. It seems a mysterious spirit that has power over time. I have a feeling that in some strange way survived all these era, about which he talked at the beginning of the movie, from the beginning of creation press. It's a symbolic personification the history of journalism. However, when the whole mood and funny scenes, the most important thing is the message of the movie-not worth it to know your future-better yourself to discover what has prepared us, then we will avoid unnecessary stress, and you may find that the life will make us beautiful a surprise. Great comedy with elements fabulous and a touch of romanticism. Worth a watch. See more 07/16/2015 Rather corny in its telling but still able to make something of its fantasy plot, focused on being able to see tomorrow's newspaper today. Dick Powell gives his all as the man who receives copies of the next day's editions from an older co-worker who has started acting very mysteriously (after stating that time is a meaningless concept). Linda Darnell and Jack Oakie play a travelling fortune-teller act that provides a counterpoint. As you might foretell, knowing the future isn't all it is cracked up to be and there are some drawbacks to being able to predict crimes and horse races. Director Rene Clair (working in Hollywood after some great French comedies) manages to inject a bit of screwball energy into proceedings but this is just harmless family fun. See more 07/26/2014 Amiable enough of comedy about Dick Powell as a turn of the century newspaper reporter who somehow is able to get the following day's paper a day in advance, giving him a heads-up on big stories or what's going to happen in town. It's a pretty light film and was at one time a property that was owned by Frank Capra, who sold it before he left to help with the war effort. I've never been a huge Dick Powell fan and this film was right before he was about to change his persona from this sort of lightweight comedy and musicals to more of a tough guy with "Murder, My Sweet". I like that Dick Powell much better. The beautiful Linda Darnell and Jack Oakie are support in players and the film also features Edgar Kennedy and John Philliber.And yes, "Early Edition" was probably a rip off of this film's story. See more Read all reviews
It Happened Tomorrow

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Movie Info

Synopsis What would happen if someone could get tomorrow's newspaper headlines today? This charming period comedy tells the story of a reporter (Dick Powell) who wishes he could scoop his colleagues by knowing about events before they occur. When a mysterious old man gives him the news a day in advance, his life is turned upside down. Racing to prevent a headline predicting his own death, he gets mixed up with a beautiful fortune teller (Linda Darnell) and her overprotective uncle (Jack Oakie)
Director
René Clair
Producer
Arnold Pressburger
Screenwriter
Dudley Nichols, René Clair
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
United Artists, Arnold Pressburger Films
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 28, 1944, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Jun 11, 2007
Runtime
1h 24m
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