Destiny
(1944)
65 mins | Drama | 22 December 1944
Cast:
Gloria Jean, Alan Curtis, Frank Craven [ More ]Director:
Reginald Le BorgWriters:
Roy Chanslor, Ernest PascalCinematographers:
Paul Ivano, George RobinsonEditor:
Paul LandresProduction Designers:
John B. Goodman , Abraham Grossman, Richard RiedelProduction Company:
Universal Pictures Company, Inc.The working title of this film was The Fugitive. Destiny was originally planned as the third of four episodes in Universal's 1943 anthology film Flesh and Fantasy (See Entry), which was directed by Julien Duvivier and produced by Duvivier and actor Charles Boyer. According to HR, this particular episode of the omnibus film was to begin production in late Oct 1942, with stars John Garfield, on loan from Warner Bros., and Teresa Wright. Wright, however, was forced to turn down the role when she was ordered to rest by her physician, while Garfield was suspended by his home studio for refusing the loan-out role. According to HR news items, the filmmakers had intended to shoot the entire episode outdoors in the Malibu Lake area, but a fire destroyed the planned location. In mid-Nov 1942, HR announced that Alan Curtis, a former M-G-M player newly signed to a Universal contract, would replace Garfield, and that musical star Gloria Jean would take Wright's place, appearing in her first drama since her debut in the 1939 Universal film The Underpup (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40; F3.4859). HR news items also noted that Bonita Granville had been considered for Jean's role.
Shooting on the Duvivier-Boyer produced episode ran from early Dec 1942 to early Feb 1943, with Paul Ivano acting as director of photography. Modern sources report that once Universal decided it could not use the episode in Flesh and Fantasy, it paid producers Duvivier and Boyer $25,000 each to relinquish their rights to the deleted segment, then ...
The working title of this film was The Fugitive. Destiny was originally planned as the third of four episodes in Universal's 1943 anthology film Flesh and Fantasy (See Entry), which was directed by Julien Duvivier and produced by Duvivier and actor Charles Boyer. According to HR, this particular episode of the omnibus film was to begin production in late Oct 1942, with stars John Garfield, on loan from Warner Bros., and Teresa Wright. Wright, however, was forced to turn down the role when she was ordered to rest by her physician, while Garfield was suspended by his home studio for refusing the loan-out role. According to HR news items, the filmmakers had intended to shoot the entire episode outdoors in the Malibu Lake area, but a fire destroyed the planned location. In mid-Nov 1942, HR announced that Alan Curtis, a former M-G-M player newly signed to a Universal contract, would replace Garfield, and that musical star Gloria Jean would take Wright's place, appearing in her first drama since her debut in the 1939 Universal film The Underpup (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40; F3.4859). HR news items also noted that Bonita Granville had been considered for Jean's role.
Shooting on the Duvivier-Boyer produced episode ran from early Dec 1942 to early Feb 1943, with Paul Ivano acting as director of photography. Modern sources report that once Universal decided it could not use the episode in Flesh and Fantasy, it paid producers Duvivier and Boyer $25,000 each to relinquish their rights to the deleted segment, then hired writer Roy Chanslor to compose a new screenplay around the shot footage. The revised production did not resume shooting until Aug 1944. According to the Var review, Destiny consists of the original episode from Flesh and Fantasy in its entirety--approximately thirty minutes featuring Curtis and Jean--and a new beginning and ending.
An Aug 1944 HR news item included Martha O'Driscoll in the cast of Destiny, but she did not appear in the film. HR production charts also include June Vincent and Samuel S. Hinds in the cast, but they did not appear in the released film. Modern sources add the following names to the crew credits: Cam op Fleet Southcott and Walter Strenge; Sd mixer Joe Lapis; and Stunts Carey Loftin, Frosty Royce and Johnny Daheim. Modern sources add to the cast: Dale Van Sickel (Motorcycle policeman), Dorothy Vaughan (Maggie), Bill O'Brien (Waiter), Bob Reeves, Ken Terrell and Bud Wolfe (Policemen), Kate MacKenna, Bob Pepper, Lois Schoonver, Reba King, Tom Steele and Helen Thurston.
After a high-speed police chase, gambler and ex-convict Cliff Banks jumps from a bridge into a river to elude capture. Later that night, he gets a ride from Betty, an unsuspecting librarian, to whom he recounts his problems: When he first arrives in Los Angeles, Cliff meets and falls for Phyllis, a nightclub singer, who introduces him to Sam Baker, a thief. During their first robbery together, Sam shoots and wounds a night watchman. Later, Cliff parlays his share of the robbery money into $10,000. Seeing the injured watchman at the racetrack, however, Cliff asks Phyllis to hold his money in case he is captured, but when he safely returns to the nightclub that night, the singer has disappeared. Cliff is later captured by the police and given a three-year sentence in San Quentin. Learning that there is a $1,000 reward for his capture, Cliff leaves Betty and makes his way to a roadhouse, whose proprietor, Marie, offers him food and shelter. He tells Marie that after his release from prison, he got an honest job, only to meet up with Sam once again: After Cliff agrees to give the thief a ride into town, Sam robs a bank and jumps into Cliff's car, leading to the high-speed chase. Back at the roadhouse, Cliff concludes his story and lies down. Thinking that Cliff has fallen asleep, Marie calls the police, but the fugitive overhears her and escapes. He then makes his way to the country home of Clem Broderick and his blind daughter Jane, who offer him refuge from a lightning storm. The next morning, Cliff steals some money and a necklace ...
After a high-speed police chase, gambler and ex-convict Cliff Banks jumps from a bridge into a river to elude capture. Later that night, he gets a ride from Betty, an unsuspecting librarian, to whom he recounts his problems: When he first arrives in Los Angeles, Cliff meets and falls for Phyllis, a nightclub singer, who introduces him to Sam Baker, a thief. During their first robbery together, Sam shoots and wounds a night watchman. Later, Cliff parlays his share of the robbery money into $10,000. Seeing the injured watchman at the racetrack, however, Cliff asks Phyllis to hold his money in case he is captured, but when he safely returns to the nightclub that night, the singer has disappeared. Cliff is later captured by the police and given a three-year sentence in San Quentin. Learning that there is a $1,000 reward for his capture, Cliff leaves Betty and makes his way to a roadhouse, whose proprietor, Marie, offers him food and shelter. He tells Marie that after his release from prison, he got an honest job, only to meet up with Sam once again: After Cliff agrees to give the thief a ride into town, Sam robs a bank and jumps into Cliff's car, leading to the high-speed chase. Back at the roadhouse, Cliff concludes his story and lies down. Thinking that Cliff has fallen asleep, Marie calls the police, but the fugitive overhears her and escapes. He then makes his way to the country home of Clem Broderick and his blind daughter Jane, who offer him refuge from a lightning storm. The next morning, Cliff steals some money and a necklace from a dresser drawer, which Jane discovers missing before the fugitive can leave. Cliff, however, becomes fascinated by Jane's spirituality and connection to nature and gives back the money and necklace. Afterward, he is allowed to stay on at the farm. That night, Cliff dreams that he accidentally shoots Clem and tries to force himself on Jane. He awakes the next morning and tells Jane that he is no good and must leave, but the blind girl asks him to stay until her father returns from a bear hunt. Clem then accidentally shoots himself, but Cliff tells Jane that he cannot take her father into town without risking arrest. He changes his mind, though, and once in town, is immediately arrested. Fortunately, Sam has been captured and has confessed to the crime, so Cliff is released. He then returns to the farm with Jane to start a new life.
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