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Title: WILL TO LIVE, the

Reference number: 3839

Date: 1952 / 1954

Director: filmed by Frank M. Marshall

Production company: Fidelity Film Unit

Sound: sound

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: fiction

Running time: 28.11 mins

Description: This film tells the story of a young man (Donald) torn between his "mind", "body" and "soul". Donald, a student doctor, receives news of his mother's death and leaves his studies to rescue his fiancee, Mary, who has become injured while hillwalking. He knocks himself unconscious, meanwhile the film acts out his moral dilemmas, but there is a happy ending.

Winner of Scottish Amateur Film Festival best fiction film, 1954. Victor Saville Trophy.

Credits: p. Merricks Arnott
cast Nairn Marshall, Margaret Anne Galt, Donald Galt, Maureen Banneman, Leslie Smith.
sd. rec. Douglas Gray
composer Kenneth R. Dawkins
m.p.s. Kenneth R. Dawkins Quintet

Shotlist: credits (1.28) shot of train station with young engaged couple (Donald and Mary) saying goodbye (2.55) steam train pulling out of station, Donald waving goodbye on platform (3.13) Donald walking in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow with shots of statue of Lord Kelvin and river (5.24) Donald walking in to University of Glasgow, c/u of spire (5.50) Donald in medical laboratory studying, shots of chemicals and table covered with notes and books, shot of man with telegram entering (6.49) Donald opens letter bringing news of his mother's death (7.03) very brief shot of spire again (7.05) shot of car pulling up outside a church graveyard (7.14) another car drives past with young couple inside, young woman throws red rose to Donald (7.56) another young man on bicycle arrives with news that Mary is hurt and the two men run to car (8.25) car racing to police station to talk to policeman (8.54) c/u pistol and shots in back of car (8.59) Donald drives off in car, leaving other young man with pistol to walk, shot of Donald running up external staircase of house (9.21) Donald changing in to outdoor clothes, driving car to hills and stopping at tent (10.00) gvs Donald rock climbing, then searching across bleak rocky ridge (11.28) shot of Donald abseiling down steep rock face a little and lowering his medical kit down, pan of rocks below (12.20) c/u rope slipping, Donald falling on rocks below (12.26) alternate shots of Donald and Mary unconscious at different places on rocks (12.47) shots of rescue party arriving and running up hill (13.34) Male rescuer discovers Mary (13.51) c/u Donald regaining consciousness (14.31) Rescue party take Mary away on stretcher, shot of Donald blowing whistle before passing out (14.25) Two "clones" of concussed Donald appear and (representations of his "soul" and "mind". "soul" dressed in suit with red rose, "mind" dressed as doctor) (15.55) shot of rocky ridge (16.00) Donald regains consciousness and climbs up rock face, magically met by his two "clones" at the top (16.57) c/u map (17.06) three Donald's ("soul", "mind" and "body" walk down hill (17.40) gvs deserted village streets (18.21) shot of wedding party leaving church in sunny weather with three "Donalds" looking on, apparently invisible (19.07) shot of couple with the young woman who had thrown the rose earlier looking over her shoulder, puzzled (19.07) three "Donalds" talking (19.54) ints of church, "soul" places withered rose on font (20.05) "body" sitting on boxes outside (20.15) c/u flowers on font (20.26) men give "mind" a gun, c/u of gun being loaded (21.09) shot of "soul" reading Bible inside church (21.22) shot of "body" outside with young woman, sharing wine and cake. young man (her partner) looks on unnoticed (22.18) shot of "mind" holding gun, with crowd of men (22.54) "body" and girl walk down street, watched by other young man (23.41) "soul" reading Bible and praying (23.57) couple walking in sunny field, followed by young man with gun (24.05) "mind" bellowing a fire, red colour to whole shot (24.17) "soul" praying (24.22) couple wlaking in field again (24.28) "soul" preaching sermon at pulpit (24.44) girl, "body" and young man with gun physically fighting, young man ending on ground at gunpoint (25.01) shot of stained glass window, Christ on cross (St. John of the Cross by Salvador Dali, rapid shots of young man at gunpoint, "soul" with arms outstretched in church and c/u of various "Donalds" (26.02) "body, "soul" and "mind" merge into one "Donald" again with gun pointed at them (26.13) extreme c/u looking down double-barreled gun (26.15) red screen (26.26) shot of young man firing pistol three times, Donald awakes and blows whistle and is rescued (27.05) Donald and Mary are reunited, c/u of them holding hands (28.02) The End (28.10)