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Never Say Goodbye
Never Say Goodbye“An eminent American doctor who
  is bringing up his only child in the United
  States, after his German-born wife
  is declared missing presumed dead
  after disappearing behind the Iron
  Curtain after the Second World War,
  is astounded to discover she is alive
  on a return visit to the Continent
  in the 1956 romantic drama Never
  Say Goodbye...”

 EMINENT AMERICAN DOCTOR Mike Parker (Rock Hudson: Giant) has brought up his daughter Suzy (Shelley Fabares) in his home town of California with the help of housekeeper Miss Tucker (Helen Wallace) since his wife Lisa (Cornell Borchers) went missing presumed dead behind the Iron Curtain shortly after World War Two.

While waiting in Austria in 1945 to be flown home after the war, Mike and his friends had gone to a nightclub in Vienna where Lisa, an accomplished pianist and singer, was performing alongside her friend Victor (George Sanders), the resident artist.

“This enjoyable,
well-paced romantic
period drama has
a wonderful cast and
a fascinating storyline
that is relevant today.
Never Say Goodbye
is as entertaining now as
when it was filmed
in 1956...”
Mike had fallen in love with Lisa and soon after their marriage Suzy was born, making his happiness complete. He had been heartbroken when he was unable to find his wife after they had had a misunderstanding and she left to go to the Russian zone to see her father, becoming trapped there and in danger when the borders were closed.

Now back in America in the 1950s, Mike flies off to the National Orthopaedic Convention in Europe to hear Professor Zimmelman (John E Wengraf) speak of his pioneering methods around X-rays and new diagnostic techniques, after which he goes to a bar with two colleagues, Dr Bailey (Ray Collins) and Dr Barnes (Frank Wilcox).

He cannot believe it when he sees Lisa there with Victor and is even more upset when he finds out that they thought he had abandoned his wife, who is very fragile. She runs away, only to be hit by a car and she suffers some serious injuries. Both Lisa and Mike have to make difficult decisions about their future, but is there a way back for them or is it too late?

How would Suzy, who believes her mother to be dead, deal with hearing the news and would she ever be able to accept Lisa, whom she has not seen since she was two years old? Will Mike lose the love of his life forever?

This enjoyable, well-paced romantic period drama has a wonderful cast headed by Hollywood heartthrob Rock Hudson and a fascinating storyline that is relevant today. Never Say Goodbye is as entertaining today as it was when it was filmed in 1956, not so long after the war. It is good to see these "windows on the past" being released on Home Entertainment from the golden age of Hollywood.

Interesting to see an early role for Clint Eastwood as Will, Mike Parker's colleague at work; and also the tragic actress Gia Scala (Ride A Crooked Trail; The Guns of Navarone) who plays Minnie.

Never Say Goodbye also features: David Janssen as Dave Heller; Raymond Greenleaf as Dr Kelly Andrews; Casey Adams as Andy Leonard; and Terry Ann Rossworn as Suzy (aged two).

Music is by Frank Skinner; Director of Photography is Maury Gertsman, ASC; Screenplay is by Charles Hoffman, based on a screenplay by Bruce Manning, John Klorer and Leonard Lee from the play Come Prima Meglio di Prima by Luigi Pirandello; Produced by Albert J Cohen; Directed by Jerry Hopper with Douglas Sirk.

* Never Say Goodbye is released on DVD in the UK by Simply Media on 4 July 2016. Certificate: U | Running Time: 93 Minutes | Catalogue Number: 164471 | RRP: £12.99.

"This enjoyable, well-paced romantic period drama has a wonderful cast and a fascinating storyline that is relevant today. Never Say Goodbye is as entertaining now as when it was filmed in 1956" — Maggie Woods