Plot Till the End of Time (film)

right after vj day, 2 marine corps buddies, cpl. bill tabeshaw (mitchum) , pfc. cliff harper (madison), among group selected return civilian life. bill, former cowboy, has silver plate implanted in head, souvenir of iwo jima, has won $2,100 gambling , plans buy small cattle ranch in new mexico. former college student cliff physically uninjured harbors deep resentments losing 4 years of life because enlisted right after pearl harbor.

arriving home in los angeles, cliff finds parents not home meets new neighbor, helen ingersoll (jean porter), vivacious 18-year-old instantly infatuated decorated hero. anxious see old friends, heads scuffy s, bar favorite soda shop before war. greeted friend , naval aviator pinky, introduces him pat ruscomb (mcguire).

immediately attracted each other, abandon pinky, go pat s apartment , kiss impetuously. pat withdraws him, however, , reveals war widow has never gotten on husband s death 14 months before. discouraged pat s moodiness, cliff returns home reunite ecstatic father c.w. (tom tully) , mother amy (ruth nelson). cliff wants talk experiences amy changes subject. family wants things before war, making cliff feel increasingly out of place. tries call pat, not answer, , goes bed. after mother tucks him in if still boy, cliff cries himself sleep.

the next day, pinky invites cliff go skating him , pat. unsure if pinky , pat have relationship, cliff brings along helen date, treats pat middle-aged matron. in coffee shop, cliff spots lonely soldier shakes , goes him. cliff comforts veteran, psychiatric patient on leave afraid go home, while pat talks fearful moment in own past give him courage.

a few days later, c.w. questions apparently direction-less son future , disappointed when cliff tells him decision has made make no decisions now. @ breakfast cliff tries relate mother misery of living in foxhole amy forcefully refuses listen. bill tabeshaw, on way new mexico, stops invite cliff make social call him. amy polite bill disapproves of many differences son.

the social call visit marine sgt. perry kincheloe (bill williams), legless double amputee in hospital bill, living @ home mother (selena royle). perry, once boxer, grooming younger brother become fighter can no longer be. though happy see bill, perry discouraged , politely rejects encouragement use artificial legs.

at scuffy s, bill expresses disappointment perry, after progressing nicely in hospital, no longer part of military team , has given in self-pity. cliff runs pat @ bar, waiting go out army air forces captain. unhappy , jealous, cliff comes home late , argues parents, upset out , accuse him of gallivanting around boys bill tabeshaw. c.w. tells cliff s not old times, cliff unable make them understand old times 3 years ago , has make own plans.

cliff waits pat s return outside apartment. sees intoxicated pat impulsively kiss captain goodnight. embarrassed cliff has seen her, pat treats him flippantly , calls tramp. later cliff apologizes pat behavior, explaining had begun think of girl.

pat breaks down , confesses still miserable because although married give husband dream come home to, death left own dream. pat reveals captain husband s co-pilot traveling home after discharge, , in moment cliff saw her, captain had become husband in mind.

ashamed, cliff admits lonely , confused. @ pat s suggestion, cliff takes job @ factory works on first day tries pick fight supervisor. talking on pat, cliff proposes rejects him when wants live on beach until money gone.

bill returns los angeles after losing stake money gambling in las vegas. plate in head causing him severe headaches. cliff tries convince him go veteran s hospital bill refuses. go out drinking , cliff telephones perry him convince bill see doctor.

perry finds courage don artificial legs encouragement mother , goes bar. before can talk bill getting help, approached group of men invite them join veterans organization. bill told organization restricted exclude catholics, jews , negroes , spits in face of 1 of them. during ensuing mêlée, perry discovers can still throw punch , bill hit on head beer bottle, injuring him.

at hospital, bill prepped surgery, , tells cliff if pulls through plans go home new mexico , work toward 1 day buying ranch s dreamed about. cliff , father, c.w., keep vigil while bill undergoing surgery. cliff tells father despite s been through readjusting civilian life, in many ways feels luckier bill , perry - has job likes, though s not sure wants make career, , has pat, whom desires lasting relationship. c.w. accepts son s modest ambitions future, telling him didn t make soldier overnight, can t become civilian overnight. next morning, cliff , c.w. leave hospital, having learned bill alright, , met mother, has brought pat her. cliff , pat run toward each other , happily embrace.