Random Harvest (1942)

(This is a clip, not a trailer; the only available trailer is not helpful because it assumes that you've read the book.)

Plot: Amnesia-stricken soldier "John Smith" (Ronald Colman) is launched into a brand-new life after World War I when a beautiful young woman (Greer Garson) helps him escape from a mental hospital and run away to the countryside. Paula's faithfulness and love as his nurse, then as his wife, help him fill his emptiness with family and community and bring him to the brink of a successful new career ... but then tragedy strikes again, jerking him back to his life before the war and completely erasing his memory of life as "Smithy." How will the rich young nobleman ever understand the gaping hole left in his heart by a happiness he can't even remember?

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High Points:
- Original, fascinating plot is unpredictable and keeps you guessing
- Beautiful and sensitive acting by the gentlemanly Ronald Colman and the lovely Greer Garson
- Slow pace gives you time to connect with the characters, while maintaining nail-biting suspense
- Gentle, sweet romance between two people who need each other very much

Could Be Better:
- Absolutely nothing. This movie is fabulous!


Possible Concerns:
 - Paula begins her life as a showgirl; and early in the movie she dances a faux-Scottish routine in a very short kilt. Now, she being Greer Garson, she somehow manages not to be too inappropriate; but the scene is quite short and can easily be skipped with no damage to the plot. (Just make sure to stop fast-forwarding as soon as the dance is over, because something important and heartbreaking happens immediately after it ...)
 - The character of Kitty is a little bold and forward because she is trying to "catch" Charles and persuade him to marry her. She is not inappropriate, but she does smoke and is rather flirtatious.

Vicki's Vote: Such a classic, I don't even know how many stars to give it!

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Random Harvest is one of the best-known and best-loved movies of all time. This poignant romance is both nerve-wrackingly suspenseful and achingly sweet, the story of two people desperately in love but separated by the wall of amnesia.

The movie opens in the hopeful but sad halls of the mental asylum near Melbridge, in England. We see a long hall of patients ranging from the nearly well to the completely crippled and fearful; and at the end, standing alone by a window, is the quiet, sad-eyed soldier known as "John Smith." Smith was in a terrible battle in France that completely wiped his memory of his own life, even his name; and his injuries have left him with a stutter so strong that it takes tremendous strength to say even the few words he remembers. He is gentle, sad, and desperately hoping that his family will find him and help him belong in the world once again. Yet his hope is fading; and each time he loses hope, a little more of his recovery slips away.

Then the news comes that World War I is finally over - and in the excitement, the asylum's guards abandon their posts and rush out to join the celebration. Smith is drawn to the unguarded gate almost involuntarily; and before he knows it, he is through the gate and out in the real world once again. But it's not easy - disoriented and coming down with the flu, he wanders into a little tobacco shop, where his stuttering alerts the shopkeeper that he's from the asylum. She runs to call the police and it looks like his brief foray into freedom is over.

Then a quiet voice comes out of the shadows, and Smith comes face-to-face with Paula, the sweet and vivacious woman who personally decides to take responsibility for his recovery.

As Paula nurses him back to health in the peaceful countryside, "Smithy" begins to build a new identity, drawing strength from Paula's gentle companionship and establishing himself as a budding newspaper writer. He and Paula are married, and before too long, a beautiful baby boy is born. A telegram comes with an important job offer at a big newspaper; Paula packs his bags and tucks the house key in his pocket, and Smithy is off to get a start on his new career.

But then tragedy strikes again - a car strikes Smithy in a blinding rainstorm; and with the blow to his head, his memory of his previous life comes flooding back. Suddenly he is Charles Rainier, the wealthy - and single - young heir trying to figure out where three years have gone. He has no idea of his life as Smithy, no memory of Paula or their little son. All he has left is dysfunctional siblings who wish he had never come back - along with a strange key in his pocket and a gnawing feeling in his heart that he left something important in those lost years. Will he ever learn who or what lurks in the shadows of his mind? And what will happen to Paula if Smithy never returns?

The very first time I saw this movie on the Turner Classic Movie channel, I was nearly moved to tears. Ronald Colman is the perfect gentleman, and he is so sweet and gentle in this movie; Greer Garson is the perfect lady, and she is so amazing and strong. This is a simply beautiful story of a love that transcends even a memory loss that builds a wall between two completely different worlds.

My favorite part of this movie is that it is realistic - maybe the plot is a little contrived, as the critics say, but it does a beautiful job of staying away from melodrama or gooey sentiment. Paula and Smithy's marriage is a true friendship and partnership based on affection, dedication, and sacrifice. The emotional scenes are touching and heartwarming, not gushy and uncomfortable. This is a movie that shows mature, committed, yet joyful and happy married love; and it is my favorite movie because such movies are quire rare, even within the genre of old black-and-whites.

Because Smithy and Paula's love is so strong and beautiful, it is incredibly painful to endure the middle of the movie where Smithy regains his memory and becomes Charles Rainier again. His family is horrified because he reappears on the very evening that his siblings are dividing up their dead father's inheritance; he is left with a large inheritance but no direction or career; he is relentlessly pursued by a young woman whom he does not love; and through everything his eyes are positively haunted, constantly searching for the answer to the agonizing questions in the back of his mind. The first half of the movie will make you cry with its sweetness; the second half will make you cry with sympathy and anguish.

But don't worry - the ending is worth it.  :-)

This movie is very sweet and wholesome, and I would not hesitate to recommend it for families - as I mentioned in my "concerns" section, the woman who pursues Charles is rather bold and flirtatious and she does smoke; but while she is annoying (correction: while you hate her guts), she's still pretty harmless. I would especially recommend it for teen girls and young women, as it does have a touch of the melodramatic and it has our favorite theme: strong, undying love that transcends all obstacles.  :-)  I definitely recommend that you grab a box of tissues and your family and take some time to watch this beautiful movie!

***

Plot Synopsis With Spoilers

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Tribute to the Greats: Buster Keaton

Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was one of the greatest stars of American silent movies. He was brought up in vaudeville with his parents and siblings, who perfected an act known as "The Three Keatons: The Roughest Act That Was Ever in the History of the Stage" - young Buster was regularly tossed, thrown, dropped, chucked into the audience, and told to come crashing down stairs as though he were going to be killed. The only requirement was that he not get killed. Buster soon learned to execute fantastic stunts while (mostly) avoiding serious injury; and when his father's alcoholism forced him to leave the act in his early twenties, he found an instant niche performing his hilariously funny but demanding and dangerous stunts in film.

 

Buster began working in short, 30- to 40-minute comedy films, partnered with Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, an established comedy star at the time. Their partnership was brilliant. Sometimes Arbuckle was the helpless victim of Buster's dizzy schemes; sometimes Arbuckle would rescue Buster from one calamity or another; often, Arbuckle was the slow-witted friend of the happy-go-lucky Buster. And sometimes, they were just equal partners in silliness.

Eventually, Buster began to star in his own films, and eventually to direct them. He wrote, acted in, and directed 20 films between 1917 and 1923 alone, including classic films such as Neighbors, Hard Luck, and The High Sign.

Buster's acting trademark, besides his porkpie hat, was his characters' ability to endure everything the movies threw at him - adventure, danger, romance, and comedy - without smiling. He had learned during his vaudeville days that the audiences found it funnier when outrageous things happened to him, but he didn't laugh. He became known as "The Great Stone Face" for his deadpan expression and apparent lack of emotion; but with the advent of film, audiences could enjoy his gift for expressing subtle emotions through his enormous eyes.

In 1926, Buster co-directed and starred in The General. This silent adventure-romance movie about a steam locomotive engineer in the Civil War was a flop at the time, and in fact contributed to Buster's then-failing career; but is now regarded by many film critics as one of the greatest movies ever made.

During the late 1920's and into the 1930's and 40's, however, Buster's career began to decline. Although he was excited about the advent of "talkies" and eager to try out his talents in sound films, he also had to sell out to another company - he could no longer direct his own films. His personal life was suffering as well, from alcoholism and his failed marriage. As a result, he was cast in goofy, slow-witted roles that sharply contrasted with his persona of the lovable schemer of the 1920's. An example is this 1930's film about Prohibition, What! No Beer?, in which he was cast alongside another popular comedian, Jimmy Durante.

Buster went through a black period in his life in the late 1930's. Things began to turn around when he married Eleanor Norris in 1940. Eleanor was 23 years younger than Buster, but she helped him break free of alcoholism and begin rebuilding his career, little by little; and by the late 40's, he had begun appearing once again in movies, including cameo roles in well-loved movies such as In the Good Old Summertime (1949).

As a matter of fact, Buster's talent for directing comedy was so revered that director Robert Leonard requested that Buster direct one of the funniest scenes in In the Good Old Summertime. The scene that Buster produced unmistakeably reflects his style from his 1920's comic shorts.

Buster turned his attention to television in the 1950's and 60's, with his own weekly TV show, regular cameos on other shows, and occasional film appearances. He became something of a living legend to American viewers and was once again well-known and loved.

Buster Keaton died of lung cancer in 1966. His legacy, however, continues to live on. His use of props and sets pioneered the way for later innovations in stunt acting, and his skillful combination of comedy, love, loneliness, attitude, and optimism drew audiences to the theater in a critical time of cinema's early development. Even today, his movies draw thousands of views on YouTube, and he was recently featured in a Turner Classic Movies tribute week showcasing some of his best-loved films. He was truly one of the most important actor/directors in motion picture history.

 

Dates and information cited from Wikipedia.

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Saboteur (1942)

Plot: Barry Cain (Robert Cummings), an easygoing young worker at an aircraft factory, is catapulted into the heart of a horrible crime when he accidentally bumps into a man at work - and minutes later, the factory erupts in flames. The authorities believe he's the saboteur. But Barry knows the man he bumped into was the real saboteur; and he begins a frantic chase across the country to find him, dodging the police on one hand and the real saboteurs on the other. Along the way he meets beautiful Pat Martin (Priscilla Lane), who at first tries to turn him in, but becomes his trusted partner in the search. Then they're caught by the ruthless saboteurs. Will they live to warn the police that the country's security is in terrible danger?

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High Points:
- Nail-biting suspense with deliciously unbelievable twists of fate
- Frantic, exhilarating pace - much like a Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew novel
- Endearingly naive characters who combine youthful enthusiasm and patriotic determination
- Sweet, fresh romance
- Smoothly creepy bad guys

Could Be Better:
- Nothing! This movie is a gem!

Possible Concerns:
- Barry and Pat travel together across the country; nothing indecent is done or even implied, but they are alone together for many days and nights.
- At one place in the movie, a woman thinks Barry and Pat are a couple who has been out doing immoral things at night; she is quickly chastised by another character and it is made clear that there is no inappropriate activity, but this did make me uncomfortable the first time I saw it.

Vicki's Vote: 6/5

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Review: Of all of my favorite early Hitchcock movies, Saboteur is one of the best. One improbable twist of fate follows another at a frantic pace that leaves you hanging onto the edge of your seat for dear life, carried along by the intelligent and golden-hearted Barry Cain and Pat Martin as they try to outrun the oily, terrifying American villains. You will hold your breath right up to the silent and shocking final scene. To use a colloquial phrase, this is a Hardy Boys mystery on steroids.

The movie begins with a typical day in an ordinary (although already somewhat dark and creepy) aircraft factory in pre-WWII California. Barry Cain and his buddy are heading for lunch, and in the shuffle they accidentally bump into another worker, who drops his mail on the ground. Barry picks up the letters and glances at them before the man snatches his mail and stalks off with a snarl. The incident seems pointless - except that minutes later, the entire factory erupts into uncontrolled flames. The man with the mail shoves two "fire extinguishers" into Barry and his friend's hands, and they run off to fight the fire - but Barry watches in horror as his friend is engulfed by uncontrollable flames.

When the horror is over and Barry has done everything he could, he makes one more stop on his way home to comfort his friend's grieving mother. While he's there, the police come to the door. Barry Cain is wanted for sabotage: those fire extinguishers were filled with gasoline.

Barry flees, and the chase begins: a chase that covers thousands of miles and relies on the goodness of ordinary Americans, their patriotism and pure values. Along the way he wins the heart of Pat Martin, the beautiful fashion model who also happens to have a brilliant mind and a love for her country. It is a chase in pursuit of a very different kind of American - the American saboteur. What kind of man would try to destroy his own country? The naive American boy and girl soon find out; and it is a race against time as they try to track down the killers before they strike again - and evade the death that is following them across every mile.

I love this movie. The framework of the movie, a group of American saboteurs working undercover in the days just before WWII, is completely believable and historically likely; but it's so much more than believable. It's like a vivid dream. The possible becomes impossible - out in the open at a wealthy ball, Barry and Pat are surrounded by armed saboteurs hidden behind curtains and above stairwells; murder is committed in a theater of people watching a comedy; a handwritten cry for help is discovered just at the right time by just the right people. And the impossible becomes possible - two young people stand face to face with the deadly group of wealthy, oily saboteurs and cry out that love will win over hatred, every time.

This is also a movie that you can watch with middle schoolers and young teens (barring just the one line of dialogue that I mentioned in the first section). It is fast-paced and clean, a story of two typical young people faced with extraordinary situations. It's a thrilling celebration of patriotism and a cautionary tale of vigilance. Robert Cummings and Priscilla Lane do a wonderful job of reflecting youthful, wide-eyed optimism and sweet romance. In fact, I might even say that I recommended this movie for middle schoolers and young teens. I guarantee - you will be in suspense from the chilling beginning all the way to the shocking end!

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Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

Plot: This delightful duo of films chronicles the adventures of Father Charles "Chuck" O'Malley (Bing Crosby), a young, happy-go-lucky priest whose unconventional methods pit him against his more traditional superiors - often with surprising results!

In Going My Way, Father O'Malley is given one of his first assignments, to replace the aging priest at financially strapped St. Dominic's parish in New York City. Father Fitzgibbons (Barry Fitzgerald) is a fussy little old Irishman who has run his parish the same way for 45 years, and he is shocked when his energetic young curate breaks a window playing baseball, gives money to a teenager running away from home, and rounds up a gang of young lawbreakers to become St. Dominic's new choir. Father Fitzgibbons even goes to the bishop to ask for Father O'Malley's transfer. But when these unconventional methods start bringing astonishing results, he comes to realize that Father O'Malley is something special. Even Father O'Malley's creativity is tested, though, when things start to go wrong at St. Dominic's ...

In The Bells of St. Mary's, Father O'Malley has been reassigned to take over a crumbling parochial school at risk of being condemned. When he arrives, the housekeeper informs him that the previous principal had been driven nearly insane by the headstrong nuns at the school; and it quickly becomes clear that easygoing Father O'Malley has met his match in strict, stubborn, headstrong Sister Benedict (Ingrid Bergman). Even as their opposing views on education erupt in arguments, they form a strong friendship dedicated to saving the school, and to helping troubled student Patsy Gallagher (Joan Carroll) deal with her turbulent home life.

Then Sister Benedict begins having fainting spells, and her doctor secretly informs Father O'Malley that she is in the early stages of tuberculosis. Father O'Malley arranges for her to be transferred to a warmer climate; however, the doctor warns him not to tell her she is sick, and so a brokenhearted Sister Benedict assumes that he can no longer tolerate her viewpoints on education. Father O'Malley is torn. Should he disobey the doctor to help his friend?

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High Points:
- Award-winning music and acting
- Heartwarming plots and inspiring themes
- Realistic, endearing characters
- Some surprising plot twists keep the stories interesting

Could Be Better:
- Going My Way starts out at a pretty slow pace and takes almost an hour to speed up into the main part of the movie. If you can stick with it, it gets more interesting as you go along. :-)
- If you like adventure and action, these movies may seem boring to you, as they mostly center around everyday problems and occurrences.
- Despite their Christian setting, neither of these videos presents any kind of clear Gospel message or mentions God much at all, except for short prayers.
- Definitely look for the black-and-white version of The Bells of St. Mary's; some colorized versions are not done well and can be distracting.

Possible Concerns:
Going My Way
- Father O'Malley tries to help troubled teen Carol James, who has run away from home to escape her "repressive" parents and become a singer; it is hinted several times that she is living an immoral lifestyle. However, as this movie was made in 1944, the references are fairly veiled. Carol does change her ways later in the movie, as well.
- Father Fitzgibbons has a bottle of alcohol that he sneaks out on "special occasions."

The Bells of St. Mary's
- Patsy Gallagher's parents are separated; Father O'Malley gently works on them to bring them back together, and they reconcile in the end. The effects of their separation are clearly shown in Patsy's life.

Vicki's Vote: Both movies - 5/5

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Review: How many movies these days could win multiple Academy Awards by declaring that Christianity is full of joy, laughter, and music? Both of these movies are lighthearted musicals that move at a gentle pace, sensitively depict real-life problems, and yes, Father O'Malley dares to declare to his skeptical friends that he has fun being a priest.

I was introduced to The Bells of St. Mary's many years ago, as it is the livelier and more kid-friendly of the two movies (naturally, since it takes place in a school). So I was excited last night to finally see Going My Way, the first movie in the series. Both of these movies are peaceful, fun to watch, and leave you with a fuzzy feeling for several hours after they're over.

In Going My Way, Father O'Malley is young and exuberant, lively and musical, sometimes clumsy, but with a creative vision that we in the audience can see right away ... even though poor Father Fitzgibbons is sure for nearly an hour's worth of film that he's been saddled with a scatterbrained assistant. Somehow, though, we watch as the tangled mess of huge debts, wayward young people, and generational clashes turns into a beautiful song that starts to turn lives around:

This road leads to Rainbowville,
Going my way
Up ahead is Bluebird Hill,
Going my way

Just pack a basket full of wishes
And off you start,
With Sunday morning in your heart

Round the bend you'll see a sign,
"Dreamers Highway"
Happiness is down the line,
Going my way

The smiles you'll gather
Will look well on you -
Oh, I hope you're going my way too!

(And by the way, I dare you to watch the ending and not cry ...)

When The Bells of St. Mary's begins, however, we see that Father O'Malley has grown up a little bit. His youthful spontaneity has solidified into a firmer set of convictions ... and it's fascinating to watch his firm convictions crash head-on into the even firmer convictions of his polar opposite, Sister Benedict. Just like his relationship with Father Fitzgibbons, it seems that this unlikely partnership will not last; but as they learn to accept each other and start working together, their combined strengths help to rescue troubled Patsy and save the school in a very unusual way.

Both of these movies are wholesome, happy movies that celebrate creativity, understanding, loyalty, friendship, and joy. The music is beautiful late-40's swing, sung by the incomparable Bing Crosby himself, and both of the stories are interesting and believable. I definitely encourage you to see these movies!

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For More Information:

Going My Way
Plot Synopsis With Spoilers
Plot Synopsis Without Spoilers
Trailer

The Bells of St. Mary's
Plot Synopsis With Spoilers
Plot Synopsis Without Spoilers
Trailer

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The Clock (1945)

Plot: The Clock (1945) is the story of a young soldier in a big city - and the girl who trips over him in the train station. Lonely, sensitive Joe (Robert Walker) and bright, confident Alice (Judy Garland) are seemingly thrown together in the middle of New York City; and New York keeps things moving so fast that Joe and Alice just can't seem to get away from each other, until they're separated in the city's largest subway station, without knowing each other's last name or destination. When they find each other again, they decide to get married - but it's a race against the clock to get through the red tape before Joe's two-day leave is up.

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High Points:
- Engaging, believable plot
- Sweet characters who grow and change
- Wholesome romance
- Excellent actors, both main characters and supporting cast
- Unusual plot depth involving the characters' destiny being manipulated by the setting (in this case, New York)

Could Be Better:
- Mostly not shot on location; lots of (well-done, but still) backdrops and projection screens
- May be disappointing for some people: Judy Garland doesn't sing at all in this movie

Possible Concerns:
- One scene where a woman changes her blouse on-screen. It is brief (about one minute), and when my family watches it, my dad and brother just close their eyes until it is over.
- A false suggestion by a secretary that Alice and Joe may be having an inappropriate relationship. It is subtly implied; nothing is directly stated.
- A drunk man in one scene; he is harmless and provides some comic relief, but this may be a concern for some families. Also, Joe and Alice are given some wine as a gift early in the movie; they each take one sip before getting back to their conversation. Again, it is unobtrusive, but might be a problem for some families.

Vicki's Vote: 10/5!!

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Review: The Clock is my favorite movie of all time because it is sweet and wholesome, but still poignant and dramatic. In many movies, even when the main characters are supposed to be young and innocent, the actors themselves still bring their own "baggage" into the part; but both Robert Walker and Judy Garland were very young when this movie was filmed, so their characters are fresh and youthful. Their romance really seems like the first one for both of them.

On paper, this movie's plot seems to fall into the usual "boy meets girl, they overcome obstacles, fall in love and live happily ever after" mold. However, many critics have noted that this movie actually contains a special kind of antagonist - in this case, the city of New York itself. Now, "the city" takes the forms of different supporting characters - the bus fare collector, the milkman, the Irish mounted police officer ... all of these people are sent at just the right time to either bring Joe and Alice together, or later on, to try to drive them apart. You can feel the unseen force of the city throughout the movie - the man who walks by just as Joe tries to express his feelings for Alice; the busboy eavesdropping on them in the restaurant - it seems maddeningly random, but when Joe and Alice triumph and everything works out at the end, you see that there was a meaning in it, after all.

Of course, this sounds a little mystic. :-P What it actually is, is really superb writing by the screenplay director. And that's what makes this movie a cut above other straightforward romances.

There are a lot of visual symbols and nonverbal communication in this movie that also help to make it special. In fact, this has been a much harder review for me to write than I anticipated, because so much of the movie is felt, rather than heard or seen. The best scene is the beautiful church scene at the end - I can't tell you more about it, though. You have to see it for yourself! :-)

In summary, this movie is one of the best to come out of World War II. It provides a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people during the war, the parts of their lives that didn't involve shooting, marching, sailing, or rationing. It is also timeless, though, in the way that it portrays two sweet young people who fall in love for the first time. I wholeheartedly recommend this movie!

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For More Information:

Plot Synopsis With Spoilers
Plot Synopsis Without Spoilers
Trailer (With Spoilers)

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