A love story for the ages
We watch movies to be moved in some way, and “The Way We Were” does just that. Spectacular performances, a stirringly honest script, gorgeous music, and intimate direction create a highly emotional saga of an unlikely pair who fall in love. The film presents such a fervent depiction of a romance that I can think of few other movies in which one so strongly roots for a couple’s happiness or so deeply feels their struggles. Perhaps that’s why the American Film Institute named it the 6th Greatest Love Story of All-Time. A giant box-office hit that earned six Academy Award nominations and won two, it continues to endure as one of the best, most heartfelt movie love stories ever made. It also makes me cry every time I watch it. You won’t want to miss this one.
They say opposites attract, and in “The Way We Were”, a loudmouthed, Jewish ugly duckling political activist named “Katie Morosky” falls in love with an easygoing, well-bred, apolitical Gentile prince charming named "Hubbell Gardiner”. Drawn to each other in college (he to her passion and she to his looks and talent), though they never acted on their feelings. The film begins nearly a decade later, just before the end of World War II, when they meet by chance in a New York nightclub and begin a romance which leads to marriage. Over time, the opposite qualities they found so appealing begin to overwhelm them, and the film follows their journey through courtship, passion, marriage, relocation to Hollywood, and stormy politics, as they strive to keep their relationship intact despite their differences.
What makes “The Way We Were” so powerful is the magical electricity between its stars Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, the film’s rapid pace, its stunning cinematography, and its mellifluous musical soundtrack. All these elements come together to create a richly intense portrait of a couple deeply in love, seducing the viewer into experiencing the couple's emotions, passion, and troubles with remarkable intensity. Only movies can make us feel such complete compassion, and "The Way We Were" is stellar at doing so.
“The Way We Were” was part of the American New Wave in cinema (which I talk about in my "Bonnie and Clyde" post) of the late 1960s and 1970s, when more mature, seemingly independent type movies came out of Hollywood. Rather than a love story with a grand, lyrical, overly melodramatic, or contrived style, the refreshingly mature “The Way We Were” unconventionally looks inward at its characters' gritty, realistic emotional lives and yearnings. These are two very flawed people caught in a very real world, with very real circumstances – perfectly in line with the movies made at that time.
The film came about because producer Ray Stark had a four-picture deal with movie star Barbra Streisand, and after two hits (the 1968 musical "Funny Girl" and 1970 comedy "The Owl and the Pussycat”), he was on the hunt for the next Streisand hit, looking this time for a drama. Fond of the work of writer Arthur Laurents (who wrote the books for the Broadway musicals "Gypsy" and "West Side Story", and screenplays for "Summertime" and "Anastasia" among others), Stark approached him to write something for Streisand.
As Streisand recounts in her newly released autobiography, "My Name is Barbra", "Arthur told me Ray was impressed with the huge success of 'The Sound of Music' and 'The Miracle Worker', and thought, why not combine the two and have me teaching handicapped children in Brooklyn to sing? Arthur wasn't enthusiastic about that idea to say the least, but he came over to discuss it with me. I liked it even less, but as we were talking, the subject turned to politics. Arthur knew I was politically active, and as I was ranting about the state of the world, suddenly he was reminded of a very smart girl he knew in college... and said 'She was intense, passionate, and Jewish, like you'".
Laurents had been bouncing around a story for years about a couple titled "The Way We Were" (based on himself and his boyfriend), and tailored it to Streisand (who he knew from directing her 1962 Broadway debut, "I Can Get It for You Wholesale"). Laurents sent a treatment of the revised story to Stark. He loved it and sent it to Streisand, who immediately wanted to do it. Laurents and Stark approached Sydney Pollack to direct. Moved by what he read, Pollack agreed to direct the film.
Like the stormy relationship between “Katie” and “Hubbell”, production on “The Way We Were” was nonstop turbulence, beginning with the casting of Robert Redford as “Hubbell”. Redford fit the Waspy “Hubbell” to a T, and Pollack felt he was the only actor with a strong enough presence to not be devoured by Streisand onscreen, and refused to do the film without him. Streisand also thought Redford was right and desperately wanted him in the role. But getting Redford to accept was one of the toughest aspects of making the film. Redford felt it was "Katie's" movie and that “Hubbell” was a one-dimensional pretty boy, and had no interest in playing a Ken doll. But Pollack, who was close with Redford (and had previously directed him in two films), assured him the part would be beefed up and reworked. Redford was still not interested.
Pollack hounded Redford for months, and growing impatient, producer Stark was ready to hire Ryan O’Neal, feeling any good-looking blonde actor would do. Adamant for Redford, Pollack asked for more time and Stark gave him one more hour. Pollack went to Redford, finally wore him down, and Redford said “yes”. As Pollack recalled in the documentary "The Way We Were: Looking Back”, “I spent more time trying to convince Redford to do this picture than I’ve ever spent in my life on anything”. In Robert Hofler's book “The Way They Were”, Redford said there was not one specific thing that made him give in during that final conversation, but that “My decision was based on our relationship and my trust in him [Pollack]”. Thank goodness, for Redford is superb.
With Redford finally on board, the character of “Hubbell” needed to be revised. But feeling Laurents was not up for the challenge (and the two strongly disliked one another), Pollack hired writers Alvin Sargent and David Rayfiel to adjust Laurents’ script, bringing the couple’s relationship to life, giving “Hubbell" a backbone and making him more human. That didn’t sit well with Laurents, who meant it to be "Katie's" story. After the revisions, Stark was still nervous about the script and hired additional writers to add touches, including Francis Ford Coppola, Charles Grodin, formerly blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo, and even “rehired" Laurents at an exorbitant fee to add additional scenes. Laurents was fiercely against the changes. In the end, only Laurents received screen credit. Laurents, Pollack, and Stark were all strong men with strong convictions, and not one was entirely on the same page with another. There were disagreements, fights, and hurt egos all throughout production.
Laurents wrote and intended "The Way We Were" to be about the Hollywood blacklist (which you can read about in my “High Noon” post), which greatly affects the couple. Laurents was Jewish, gay, and liberal (all targets for being blacklisted during the Red Scare), and was unfairly blacklisted because the 1949 film "Home of the Brave" (based on his play) was reviewed by a communist newspaper. Five years later, he managed to clear his name and return to Hollywood. Pollack was originally attracted to the blacklist aspect in “The Way We Were” (it was the first Hollywood film to overtly deal with it), but at the last minute, he realized the love story needed to be the centerpiece of the film.
At the first preview screening, Pollack noticed people would leave to get popcorn when scenes of the blacklist came onscreen, and the film was a flop. With the help of editors John F. Burnett and the legendary Margaret Booth (who you can read about in my "Camille" post), he cut or trimmed five scenes, particularly those revolving around the Hollywood blacklist. The new version was shown to an audience the next night, who loved it. It became the final cut, which infuriated Laurents and disappointed Streisand (who felt the film was better with the missing scenes).
As a result of the edits, many (including critics) were confused by the politics in the film (which I’ll address in the TO READ AFTER VIEWING section), but because the bond between “Katie” and “Hubbell” is so overwhelmingly strong, the confusion doesn’t really matter, certainly not regarding the film's emotional impact. And audiences didn't seem to care, for “The Way We Were” was such an enormous hit, it saved Columbia Pictures from bankruptcy.
A large thanks for the film’s success is the work of director Sydney Pollack, who managed to keep the sweeping story intimate. He brilliantly knows how to use closeups to engage us emotionally, and present "Katie" and "Hubbell" in the world while letting us learn their places in it. For instance, “Katie’s” first closeup comes the moment she first sees “Hubbell” asleep at a bar in a crowded nightclub, followed by our first closeup of him. Even in a crowd, it's "Katie's" emotions and "Hubbell's" looks and charm that draw us in. The opening credits follow, during which Pollack shows the two in college – that she's a serious political activist and outcast, and he's a playful, well liked, all-star jock. We learn exactly who they are, how the world sees them, and that they are very different people. By the time the credits finish, we are eagerly waiting to see them interact. It's masterfully enticing direction.
Pollack populates the film with important scenes that have little or no dialogue, such as “Katie” discretely falling for “Hubbell” in the library, “Hubbell’s” insecurity as his short story is being read in class, or their first dance. It’s an exceptional use of cinema, which again, completely ropes us in to the inner lives of these two people. Pollack creates a wistful atmosphere with the use of extra long dissolves, flashbacks, and even the humming of the title song. The film feels like a romantic looking back (after all, it is called “The Way We Were”), and his ability to generate this feeling without getting sentimental is remarkable. Pollack was one of filmdom’s top directors at combining the intimate with the commercial, and “The Way We Were” is a stunning example.
Indiana-born Sydney Pollack moved to New York City after high school and began studying acting with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. After spending two years in the army, he returned to the Playhouse, soon becoming an instructor. Pollack began appearing on television with a 1956 episode of "The Kaiser Aluminum Hour", and acted in about twenty TV shows, including "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "The Twilight Zone", and "Have Gun - Will Travel” before making his film debut in 1962's "War Hunt" opposite Redford. He and Redford instantly bonded and eventually became kindred spirits. While working as a dialogue coach on the 1961 film "The Young Savages", Pollack met actor and producer Burt Lancaster, who steered him towards directing, and Pollack made his directorial debut with a 1961 TV episode of "Cain's Hundred”.
From 1961 to 1965, Pollack directed nearly twenty TV shows, earning three Best Director Emmy Award nominations, including a win for a 1965 episode of "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater”. He switched to directing feature films in 1965 starting with "The Slender Thread", and in the 1970s and 1980s, became one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful directors in the business, earning Best Director Academy Award nominations for "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?”, "Tootsie”, and an Oscar win for 1985's "Out of Africa”. Other titles from his 21 directed films include "Bobby Deerfield", "Absence of Malice", "The Firm", "Sabrina", and his final, the documentary "Amazing Grace" (which he began in 1972, and was finished posthumously by director Alan Elliott). Pollack directed Redford in seven films, others of which include "This Property is Condemned”, "Jeremiah Johnson”, and "Three Days of the Condor”.
Pollack also became a producer beginning with his 1972 directed film "The Yakuza", and produced or executive produced over forty films, including eight he also directed. Some of the films he produced for other directors include "The Fabulous Baker Boys", "Sense and Sensibility", "The Talented Mr. Ripley", and "Cold Mountain", and he earned four Best Picture Oscar nominations producing "Tootsie", "Out of Africa”, "Michael Clayton", and "The Reader”. Pollack acted in just over forty films and TV shows, including "Tootsie", "Eyes Wide Shut", "Husbands and Wives", "Death Becomes Her", and "The Player", and TV shows such as "Entourage", "The Sopranos", and five episodes of "Will & Grace”. He was married once, to actress Claire Griswold, until his death. Sydney Pollack died in 2008 at the age of 73.
The other undeniable element that makes “The Way We Were” a showpiece is the mesmerizing performance by Barbra Streisand as “Katie Morosky”, the tenacious political activist who can't tolerate injustice. We watch “Katie” get laughed at, humiliated, and hurt, yet Streisand keeps her strong and never the victim, calling the political rally crowd “Fascists!” when they turn on her, or storming off when being joked at while waitressing. Streisand also lets “Katie’s” guard down over a beer with “Hubbell”, or when calling him to come over and talk because she needs a friend. Completely natural in the role, Streisand brings a constant range of nuanced emotions as she effortlessly rattles off her dialogue. Her scene in bed with “Hubbell” is a tour de force of its own. Lasting over three minutes without dialogue, it's through Streisand’s eyes we see “Katie” shift through countless subtle feelings such as nervousness, lust, passion, curiosity, fulfillment, insecurity, and vulnerability. It’s quite an acting feat. For her work, Streisand earned a Best Actress Academy Award nomination (her second). It is undoubtedly one of her greatest performances.
According to Pollack, he had the least amount of trouble with Streisand while working on “The Way We Were”, which came as a surprise, given her strong personality and reputation for being difficult. Even though she instinctively understood the character, she'd frequently call Pollack at night about the next day’s filming questioning details in the script, or talking about an idea, suggestion, or worry. As Pollack recalled in the book “Barbra: A Biography of Barbra Streisand”, "She called me around eleven o'clock almost every night. And I loved her for it. I mean, she called out of compulsive worry, the way I'm a compulsive worrier too... As a matter of fact, when she gave me a gift at the end of the picture, she wrote on it: 'For all those eleven o'clock phone calls'". Pollack added, "This isn't a problem really. It is just time-consuming”. You can read more about the legendary Barbra Streisand in two earlier posts, her Oscar-winning “Funny Girl” and the hilarious “What’s Up Doc?”. Be sure to check them out.
Like Pollack, Streisand instinctively knew Redford was right for “Hubbell”, and their chemistry is undoubtedly the most electrifying aspect of the film. And like “Katie” and “Hubbell”, Streisand and Redford couldn’t be more different, with different approaches to acting. Streisand liked to thoroughly talk about a scene, while Redford hated to talk about anything, preferring to be spontaneous. In fact, Redford didn’t originally want to meet Streisand before filming began, wanting to get to know each as the cameras rolled. They met minimally ahead of production, so the beginning of the film truly captures their discovering one another. It’s felt in their first kiss by the fireplace as well, which exudes tenderness and exploration on both their parts. It is extraordinary. As Streisand said in her autobiography, "Bob [Redford] and I were genuinely curious about each other, and I believe that's what comes across on the screen". Reflecting upon his experience of working with Streisand, Redford said in the book “Streisand in the Camera Eye”, “Working with Barb I hold as one of the high points of my film experience… She was a delight, and our connection was a delight. She was simply very alive – a critic, tough on herself, questioning, doubting, putting forth a huge effort to be the best she could be. So, quite contrary to any foregone notions, she was a joy”.
Redford needn’t have worried about playing a presumed prince charming, for he infuses “Hubbell Gardiner” with a plethora of depth and emotion. A subtle performance with a quiet authority, it contains all the delicate shades of a human being struggling to find their way in the world. Redford fills “Hubbell” with personality and kindness (such as when ordering hamburgers), vulnerability (particularly when his short story is read in class), and angry frustration (as in his tirade at the train station). Even in the scene when “Hubbell’s” half awake in bed with “Katie” and we really only see the back of him, Redford manages to show incredible tenderness just from how he moves his body and nuzzles her. It’s a magnificent performance from start to finish, and if you watch Redford’s eyes all throughout, you’ll be astounded by the emotion behind them. Already a major star, “The Way We Were” turned Redford into a sex symbol and the biggest male superstar in the world.
After being kicked out of the University of Colorado for excessive drinking, Santa Monica, California-born Robert Redford studied painting, traveled through Europe, and found his way to acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. He made his Broadway debut in "Tall Story", followed by a very short run in "The Highest Tree", both in 1959. His television work began in 1960 with an episode of “Maverick”, and his film debut came that same year in a small role as a basketball player in the screen adaptation of "Tall Story". Steady work on television and Broadway earned him an Emmy Award nomination for a 1962 episode of "Alcoa Premiere" and a Theatre World Award for the 1961 Broadway show "Sunday in New York”. His starring role in the original 1963 Broadway production of Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park" was his first breakthrough, which led to a steady film career starting in 1965 with "Situation Hopeless -- But Not Serious" and "Inside Daisy Clover" (which won him a Most Promising Newcomer Golden Globe Award), and then “The Chase” and Pollack's "This Property is Condemned” in 1966.
In 1967, Redford reprised his acclaimed Broadway role in the film version of "Barefoot in the Park" opposite Jane Fonda, which was his first major hit movie. His next film was the 1969 blockbuster Western, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" opposite Paul Newman which instantly made Redford a major star, even landing him on the cover of Life magazine. After a few less successful films, Redford had a string of Top Ten box-office hits starting with Pollack’s 1972 Western, "Jeremiah Johnson”, then "The Way We Were" (his first straight romantic role since his new found stardom), and the Best Picture Oscar-winning "The Sting", again opposite Newman. A staggering success, “The Sting” earned Redford a Best Actor Academy Award nomination (his only to date as an actor), and cemented him as one of the major box-office stars of the 1970s. More top ten hits permeated the decade, including "The Great Gatsby", "All the President's Men", and "The Electric Horseman”. To date, Redford has appeared in over 80 films and TV shows, and his other films include "The Natural", "The Candidate", "Downhill Racer", "Brubaker", "Out of Africa", "All is Lost", and "The Old Man & the Gun".
Redford took an interest behind the camera, executive producing films such as "Downhill Racer" and "All the President's Men", and in 1980 he directed his first film, Best Picture Oscar winner "Ordinary People" (one of my favorites), which earned him a Best Director Academy Award. He's directed ten films to date, including "A River Runs Through It”, "The Horse Whisperer", and "Quiz Show" (for which he earned Best Director and Best Picture Oscar nominations). In 1970, Redford bought a ski area in Utah which he named Sundance (after his character in "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid"), and in 1978 started what became the Sundance Film Festival, highlighting the works of independent filmmakers (launching many careers, such as those of Steven Soderbergh, Darren Aronofsky, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Quentin Tarantino). In 1981, Redford founded the non-profit Sundance Institute, an independent feature film lab focused on experimentation, pushing boundaries, and helping potential filmmakers, writers, thespians, composers, and other artists develop their crafts. In 2001, he was awarded an Honorary Academy Award for being the creator of Sundance and an inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere. His many other accolades include the National Medal of Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Honor, and the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. He's currently married to his second wife. As of this writing, Robert Redford is 87 years old.
Bradford Dillman plays “J.J.”, “Hubbell’s” best friend. A bit of a jokester in his college days, “J.J.” sneaks drinks at the prom and takes fun in needling “Katie”. As time passes, “J.J.” becomes a bit more serious but never quite develops a backbone. Dillman has a wonderful scene informing “Hubbell” that “Katie” is going to Washington DC and turns down a drink, saying “There’s a little trouble at home. I have to keep my wits about me”. He give a truly fine performance creating a real person in very limited screen time.
San Francisco-born Bradford Dillman studied at the Actors Studio in New York and began his career on stage, making his Broadway debut as "Edmund Tyrone" in the original 1956 production of Tennessee Williams' "Long Day's Journey Into Night", which earned him a Theatre World Award and a film contract with 20th Century-Fox. After appearing on television, he was cast in a major role in 1958's "A Certain Smile" immediately followed by "In Love and War", which earned him a Most Promising Newcomer Golden Globe Award. Dillman appeared in over 140 films and TV shows, mostly in large supporting and lead roles, including "Compulsion", "The Enforcer", "Sergeant Ryker", "Escape from the Planet of the Apes", "The Iceman Cometh", and "Francis of Assisi”. His extensive TV work includes "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Mission: Impossible", "Night Gallery", recurring characters on "King's Crossing" and "Falcon Crest", and eight episodes of "Murder, She Wrote". He won a Primetime Emmy Award for a 1962 episode of "Alcoa Premiere" and a Daytime Emmy Award for a 1974 episode of "The ABC Afternoon Playbreak". He was married twice, including his marriage to actress Suzy Parker. Bradford Dillman died in 2018 at the age pf 87.
Lois Chiles plays “Carol Ann”, “Hubbell’s” college girlfriend who later ends up with “J.J.” She is the epitome of “Hubbell’s” well-bred, haughty friends from New York’s exclusive Beekman Place who “Katie” finds repulsive and intimidating. Chiles has several key scenes, one in particular in her apartment when "Hubbell" stops by to ask if he should sell his book to Hollywood, asking “What do you think about living in sunshine all year long and going to work in a sports car?”, to which she flirtatiously responds “Sounds wonderful”. There’s an undercurrent of desire pouring from her the entire time, which makes the scene riveting.
Texas-born Lois Chiles began as a very successful model. Though she's credited in "The Way We Were" as "Introducing Lois Chiles", her screen debut came just before, in the 1972 blaxploitation film "Together for Days". Notable roles followed in 1974's "The Great Gatsby" (again with Redford), “Coma", and "Death on the Nile", before landing her most famous role as Bond girl "Holly Goodhead" in the 1979 James Bond film "Moonraker". That same year, at the height of her career, her youngest brother died and she stopped acting for a few years. She returned as "Holly Harwood" on the 1982-1983 season of TV’s "Dallas". To date, Chiles has appeared in over 40 films and TV shows, and her other films include "Broadcast News", "Say Anything...", "Until the End of the World", "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery", and her final to date, 2006's "Kettle of Fish". Her TV work includes appearances on "Murder, She Wrote", "CSI; Crime Scene Investigation", and "The Nanny". She was married and widowed once. As of the writing of this post, Lois Chiles is 76 years old.
A mention of Murray Hamilton who plays Hollywood screenwriter “Brooks Carpenter”. As with most of the supporting cast in “The Way We Were”, Hamilton’s part was largely cut when the political scenes were removed from the film (particularly his). As a result, he’s seen very briefly, most prominently playing croquet at “George’s” house, and returning from Washington DC with “Katie”. Murray Hamilton is an actor who’s appeared in many classics, including two already on this blog, “Anatomy of a Murder” and most famously as “Mr. Robinson” in “The Graduate”, and you can read a bit more about his life and career in my post on the latter.
There are many talented supporting actors in “The Way We Were” – way too many to mention. Since many are most likely familiar faces, I’ll point out a few: Florida-born Patrick O'Neal as movie director “George Bissinger” (O’Neal appeared in well over 100 films and TV shows including "In Harm's Way" and "The Stepford Wives”); Emmy Award-winning Swedish-born Viveca Lindfors as “Paula Reisner” (Lindfors appeared in 150 films and TV shows including “The Sure Thing" and "King of Kings”); Sally Kirkland as “Pony Dunbar” (to date, Kirkland has appeared in well over 250 films and TV shows including "Anna" and “JFK"); Emmy Award-winning Utah-born James Woods as “Frankie McVeigh” (to date, Woods has appeared in just shy of 150 films and TV shows including "Once Upon a Time in America" and "The Virgin Suicides” and starred in the TV series "Shark"); and Susan Blakely (credited as Susie Blakely) in her second film, as "Judianne" (to date, Blakely has appeared in 110 films and TV shows including "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "The Lords of Flatbush”).
In addition to Streisand’s Best Actress nomination, "The Way We Were" earned Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography (Harry Stradling Jr.), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Stephen B. Grimes and William Kiernan), and Best Costume Design (Dorothy Jeakins and Moss Mabry).
Along with the above nominations, the film won two Academy Awards: Best Song, "The Way We Were” (sung by Streisand); and Best Original Score. Both were composed by Marvin Hamlisch, with lyrics to the song by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman. The song is perfection, with the most glorious pairing of melody, voice, and lyric, and was chosen by AFI as the 8th Greatest Song in American Movies. A partial version of the song is heard during the opening credits and a full version at the end of the film. The song also won a Song of the Year Grammy Award, a Best Original Song Golden Globe, was a platinum selling single and worldwide hit, spent 23 consecutive weeks in Billboard's Hot 100 chart (including three weeks at # 1), and has become one of Streisand’s signature songs. In addition to its Oscar win, the soundtrack also won a Best Sound Track Album of the year Grammy Award.
One of the most popular movies of the 1970s, starring two icons who are among cinema's biggest stars, this week’s classic is an unforgettable film assured to move you. Get ready to watch an unlikely pair fall in love in one of the great romances in screen history. Enjoy “The Way We Were”!
This blog is a weekly series (currently biweekly) on all types of classic films from the silent era through the 1970s. It is designed to entertain and inform through watching a recommended classic film a week. The intent is that a love and deepened knowledge of cinema will evolve, along with a familiarity of important stars, directors, writers, the studio system, and more. I highly recommend visiting (or revisiting) the HOME page, which explains it all and provides a place where you can subscribe and get email notifications of every new post. Visit THE MOVIES page to see a list of all films currently on this site. Please leave comments, share this blog with family, friends, and on social media, and subscribe so you don’t miss a post. Thanks so much for reading!
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TO READ AFTER VIEWING (contains spoilers):
The final scene in “The Way We Were” is so moving, it has become one of the most famous in romance movies. The performances by both Streisand and Redford are genuinely heartbreaking.
For those interested, when Pollack shortened the film, part of what was cut was that “Katie’s” former Young Communist League colleague “Frankie McVeigh” names her as a former communist during Hollywood's Red Scare, and she is forced to testify before HUAC or “Hubbell” will be blacklisted and never work again in Hollywood. To save "Hubbell", she opts for divorce. According to Hofler's book, “The Way They Were”, in one of the edited scenes, “Katie” tells “Hubbell”: "All I know is if I don’t name names you can’t get a job in this town. If we got a divorce, then you wouldn’t have a subversive wife. That would solve everything, wouldn’t it?”. Her line, “Stay with me until the baby is born?” followed, which is the only part of that speech remaining in the film. On October 17, 2023, a 50th Anniversary edition BluRay was released of the film, and Streisand managed to get two versions of the film included on it – the original version and an extended one that includes two of the missing scenes. You can find it HERE.