Today We Live (1933) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A wartime romantic drama in which love, duty, rivalry, and sacrifice converge during a final military mission.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

The Estate and the War

Richard Bogard acquires the Kent estate just as the household receives news of a wartime death. The young woman responds with composure and moves to the guest cottage.

Key Events

• Estate Changes Ownership — Richard Bogard buys the Kent estate and prepares to move in. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: An estate in Kent
• News of a Battlefield Death — The household learns that the estate's former owner has been killed in action. Location: The Kent estate
• Move to the Cottage — The displaced young woman moves to the guest cottage without complaint. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: The guest cottage
• Richard Becomes Captivated — Richard is attracted to the young woman's calm and brave manner. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: The Kent estate

Pledges Under Pressure

A marriage pledge forms while the war separates the naval officers from home. Richard changes from a neutral outsider into a fighter pilot.

Key Events

• Naval Departure — Ronnie Boyce-Smith leaves for wartime service as a naval officer. Characters: Ronnie Boyce-Smith Location: A British naval departure point
• A Marriage Pledge — The young woman consents to marry the man she believes she loves. Location: England
• Richard Enters the War — Richard abandons his earlier neutrality and joins the war as a fighter pilot. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: A military training field
• A Confession in London — The young woman admits her true feelings to Ronnie in London. Characters: Ronnie Boyce-Smith Location: London

The False Death Report

The young woman confides in Ronnie, who urges honesty, but a newspaper reports Richard's supposed death. Richard soon returns unharmed, deepening the emotional conflict.

Key Events

• Advice to Tell the Truth — Ronnie advises her to reveal the truth despite her marriage pledge. Characters: Ronnie Boyce-Smith Location: London
• False Death Report — Ronnie shows her a newspaper report claiming that Richard died in training. Characters: Ronnie Boyce-Smith Location: London
• Richard Returns Alive — The reported death proves to be a mistake, and Richard returns unharmed. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: England
• An Unexpected Disappearance — After Richard returns, the young woman disappears soon afterward. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: England

Rivalry and Sacrifice

Richard encounters a drunken rival and becomes jealous. Air combat and a torpedo accident leave the rival blind and push the characters toward a final sacrifice.

Key Events

• A Drunken Rival Found — Richard finds the other man drunk in a bar and takes him home. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: A bar
• Rivalry Intensifies — Richard becomes jealous, and competition over the young woman develops. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: A shared home
• Air Combat Partnership — The rival accompanies Richard on an air fight and displays expert shooting. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: Aerial combat zone
• The Torpedo Accident — Richard takes a shift on a boat, and the other man is blinded while launching a torpedo. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: A naval vessel
• A Final Goodbye — After learning of the blindness, the young woman says a final goodbye to Richard. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: England

The Last Mission

Richard and Ronnie participate in a suicide mission whose torpedo run succeeds. Ronnie dies, but his sacrifice helps Richard survive and reunite with the young woman.

Key Events

• A Final Goodbye — After learning of the blindness, the young woman says a final goodbye to Richard. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: England
• Suicide Mission Begins — Richard and Ronnie take part in a dangerous aerial suicide mission. Characters: Richard Bogard, Ronnie Boyce-Smith Location: Aerial and naval combat zone
• The Sacrificial Torpedo Run — The boat successfully makes its torpedo run while Ronnie dies in action. Characters: Richard Bogard, Ronnie Boyce-Smith Location: Near a German battleship
• Love Reunited After Loss — After losing Ronnie and the other man, the young woman reunites with Richard. Characters: Richard Bogard Location: England

Story Breakdown

• Kent Estate Upheaval — A property transfer and wartime death abruptly change the young woman's secure life.
  • New Ownership — Richard Bogard purchases the estate and arrives as its new owner.
  • Death Notification — The household learns that the former owner has been killed in action.
• A Difficult Relocation — The young woman responds to the loss with composure and accepts a reduced living arrangement.
  • Cottage Move — She moves from the estate to the guest cottage without complaint.
  • Growing Attraction — Richard is drawn to her strength and brave graciousness.
• Conflicted Romance — A marriage pledge becomes uncertain when the young woman recognizes a deeper love.
  • Marriage Promise — She consents to marry the man she believes she loves.
  • Hidden Feelings — She privately acknowledges that her true feelings belong elsewhere.
• War Changes Richard — Richard moves from neutrality to active participation in the war.
  • Neutrality Abandoned — Richard's indifference to the war gives way to personal involvement.
  • Fighter Pilot — He joins the conflict as a fighter pilot.
• The False Death — A newspaper report creates grief and then reverses the emotional situation.
  • London Confession — The young woman tells Ronnie about her feelings.
  • Unexpected Return — Richard returns alive after being incorrectly reported dead.
• Rivalry Under Fire — Jealousy and military danger turn romantic uncertainty into physical peril.
  • Barroom Encounter — Richard finds his rival drunk and takes him home.
  • Blindness Accident — A torpedo-launching accident blinds the rival during naval action.
• The Final Sacrifice — The last mission resolves the conflict through military success and personal loss.
  • Suicide Mission — Richard and Ronnie participate in a dangerous final operation.
  • Reunited Survivors — After Ronnie's death, Richard and the young woman are reunited.

Directed by

Howard Hawks

Key Cast

• Joan Crawford — Diana 'Ann' Boyce-Smith
• Gary Cooper — Richard Bogard
• Robert Young — Claude William Hope
• Franchot Tone — Ronnie Boyce-Smith
• Roscoe Karns — McGinnis