When a 1920s millionaire tests the fiber of his Vermont family, a young lady and her boyfriend feel the repercussions.

In present-day U.S., Dr. Michael Parker, a prominent surgeon, unexpectedly runs into his German-born wife whom he thought was dead. Victor, an artist and his "dead" wife's now boyfriend, berates Dr. Parker for "killing" her. The bulk of the story flashes back to Austria during World War II as we learn how Dr. Parker met and married his wife, and the one mistake that may have cost him his family.

Dean Hess, who entered the ministry to atone for bombing a German orphanage, decides he’s a failure at preaching. Rejoined to train pilots early in the Korean War, he finds Korean orphans raiding the airbase garbage. With a pretty Korean teacher, he sets up an orphanage for them and others.

In 1900, Naomi Murdoch deserted her small-town family to go on the stage. Some ten years later, daughter Lily invites Naomi back to see her in the Riverdale high school play. Her arrival sets the whole town abuzz, wakes up old conflicts, and sets off new emotional storms.

Reckless playboy Bob Merrick crashes his speedboat, requiring emergency attention from the town’s only resuscitator while a local hero, Dr. Phillips, dies waiting for the life-saving device. Merrick then tries to right his wrongs with the doctor’s widow, Helen, falling in love with her in the process.

In 1940s New York, a white widow who dreams of being on Broadway has a chance encounter with a black single mother, who becomes her maid.

In the 1930s, once-great World War I pilot Roger Shumann performs as a daredevil barnstorming pilot at aerial stunt shows while his wife, LaVerne, works as a parachutist. When newspaper reporter Burke Devlin arrives to do a story on the Shumanns’ act, he quickly falls in love with the beautiful--and neglected--LaVerne.

A German soldier home on leave falls in love with a girl, then returns to World War II.

1955 film by Douglas Sirk

1956 film directed by Douglas Sirk

Douglas Sirk takes the gloves off in this searing view of family life of 50's America. Unlike his famous melodramas, "There's Always Tomorrow" is completely devoid of any beguiling glitz and glamour to sweeten the pill. For its time it’s a bold and unusual work focusing on the husband as the deeply unhappy victim of what outwardly appears to be an ideal family.
Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray share a wonderful chemistry; very different from their famous partnership in "Double Indemnity". Stanwyck, as always, is riveting and MacMurray in his understated way turns in a particularly moving and powerful performance.
Like the best of Sirk's work the film is superbly crafted with the lighting and camera work as meticulous as ever. Perhaps owing to its lack of glamour, "There's Always Tomorrow" has been grossly neglected, being overshadowed by the great melodramas that would follow.
For Sirk admirers this is of course compulsory viewing, but it’s a film well worth taking a close look at for all.
In the bonus segment, director Alison Anders speaks of her love for Sirk calling "There's Always Tomorrow "a perfect movie".