On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (film)
| On a Clear Day You Can See Forever | |
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| Directed by | Vincente Minnelli |
| Produced by | Howard W. Koch |
| Written by | Alan Jay Lerner |
| Based on |
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever by Alan Jay Lerner |
| Starring |
Barbra Streisand Yves Montand |
| Music by | Alan Jay Lerner (Lyrics) Burton Lane (Score) |
| Cinematography | Harry Stradling Sr. |
| Edited by | David Bretherton |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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129 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10 million |
| Box office | $14 million |
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is a 1970 American musical comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner is adapted from his book for the 1965 stage production of the same name. The songs feature lyrics by Lerner and music by Burton Lane. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is considered one of the 100 greatest musical films ever.
At the behest of her ultra-conservative fiancé Warren, scatterbrained five-pack-a-day chain smoker and clairvoyant Daisy Gamble attends a class taught by psychiatrist Marc Chabot for help in kicking her habit. While undergoing hypnosis, it is discovered she is the reincarnation of Lady Melinda Winifred Waine Tentrees, a seductive 18th century coquette who was born the illegitimate daughter of a kitchen maid. She acquired the paternity records of the children housed in the orphanage where her mother worked and used the information to blackmail their wealthy fathers. She eventually married nobleman Robert Tentrees during the period of the English Regency, then was tried for espionage and treason after he abandoned her.
As their sessions progress, complications arise when Chabot begins to fall in love with Daisy's exotic former self and Daisy begins to fall for him, and his university colleagues demand he either give up his reincarnation research or resign his position with the school. While waiting for Chabot in his office, Daisy accidentally hears a tape recording of one of her sessions and when she discovers Chabot's interest is limited to Melinda, she storms out of the office. When she returns for a final meeting with him, she mentions fourteen additional lives, including her forthcoming birth as Laura and subsequent marriage to the therapist in the year 2038.
Alan Jay Lerner made a number of changes in adapting his stage play for the screen. The character of Frenchman Marc Chabot originally was Austrian Mark Bruckner. The period of Melinda's life was shifted ahead by a decade or two, her family background is different, and the cause of her death was changed from drowning at sea to unjust execution. In the stage play, the question of whether Daisy really was a reincarnation of Melinda went unresolved, but the film script made it clear she was. The character of Daisy's stepbrother Tad Pringle was added, although most of his scenes and his song "Who Is There Among Us Who Knows?" ended up on the cutting room floor. Additionally, the future of Daisy and Marc's relationship was altered, and several ensemble musical numbers were excluded from the film.
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