At 172 minutes, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES ('46) was almost twice the length of the average picture of its era. Samuel Goldwyn considered cutting it, but when he screened it with William Wyler it was so tight that he couldn't find anything to cut. | Turner Classic Movies: TCM

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES ('46)was the first major Hollywood production to deal with the problems faced by veterans returning from World War II. At the time, most producers thought the war-weary public was more interested in escapist entertainment, but Goldwyn proved them wrong by turning this into the top-grossing picture of the decade. Independent producer Sam Goldwyn got the idea for a film about veterans re-adjusting to home life after World War II when his wife, Francis, pointed out a pho