The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946

Director: William Wyler (How To Steal A Million, Ben-Hur, Roman Holiday)

Stars: Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Fredric March

This one, about 3 soldiers and how they adjust to civilian life after World War II, is a little depressing, but still good! One soldier loses both his arms below the elbow and struggles with getting his life back to normal and dealing with his family and fiancee. Another soldier finds his kids much more grown up then he expected, and his job situation different. the third soldier discovers that his young wife lives more like she's single than married, and gets along without him just fine.

I didn't expect it to be happy- anything about war isn't going to be happy. But it's good.

White Christmas, 1954

Director: Michael Curtiz (We're No Angels, Casablanca)
Stars: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen




Bob (Crosby) and Phil (Kaye), a duo of famous entertainers who met and started their act during the war, follow their new friends Betty (Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen) to Vermont for the holidays. "Vermont must be beautiful this time of year, all that snow..."

Except there's no snow, and no guests at the lovely Inn where the girls are booked to sing. Business is bad for the owner, whom the guys discover is their company's former general, General Waverly. To help out the General, Bob and Phil decide to bring their whole show up to Vermont and rehearse everything up there.

This is a wonderful movie! It's brilliant and heart-warming! I always cry at the end. Anything referring to war always makes me cry- especially World War 2.

You'll love it.

Since You Went Away, 1944

Director: John Cromwell

Stars: Claudette Colbert, Joseph Cotten, Jennifer Jones, Shirley Temple

(This is a re-post from June 9, 2011. It's definitely a Christmas movie, so it has to go here as well!)

Anne Hilton (Colbert) tries to hold down the fort at home when her husband Tim goes off to war. She and her daughters try to continue with life as normal. Jane (Jones) finishes high school, becomes a nurse's aide for the army hospital in town, and falls in love with a soldier. Bridget (a teenage Shirley Temple) helps her mother at home and befriends the retired Colonel the family takes in as a boarder for the extra money. Anne and Tim's dear friend Tony (Cotten) comes to visit a couple times, cheering the family in this uncertain time; especially when a telegram comes informing the family that Tim is missing in action.

I really like old movies about World War II, the ones that focus on the home front and the wife and kids. When those telegrams come, I find myself about to cry, unsure what they will say! I get really emotional during war movies.

I loved this one!

Note: I really did love it, but Hitch almost ruined it for me! Two of the main guys, who are GREAT guys in this film, were the evil, crazy bad guys in 2 of Hitch's movies! Good thing they can act, so I soon forgot that I thought they were evil and about to strangle someone. Joseph Cotten was the murderer in Shadow of a Doubt, and Robert Walker was the insane Bruno in Strangers on a Train. And they were very convincing in those roles! But it was nice to see them in something else. Well done, boys!

I Was a Male War Bride, 1949

Director: Howard Hawks

Stars: Cary Grant, Ann Sheridan

French Captain Henri Rochard (Grant) and American Lieutenant Catherine Gates (Sheridan) go on military missions together in Germany, and eventually fall in love. But they soon find out that getting married and travelling together as a married couple is rather difficult. Captain Rochard has retired so Gates is the military member. And usually only "brides" travel with the army.

It's like a cute romantic comedy til they get married and then it's just silly because when they are travelling (not together) Rochard can't find anywhere to sleep. He isn't a woman so he can't sleep in the spouse's quarters and he can't sleep with the officers because he isn't one anymore. It's a little ridiculous. But it was definitely ok, and Cary Grant was very entertaining, as always!

I'll Be Seeing You, 1944

Director: William Dieterle

Stars: Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotten, Shirley Temple

Mary Marshall (Rogers) is given special leave from a women's prison to visit her relatives for the holidays, and on the train she meets Zach Morgan (Cotten), a troubled soldier on leave from a vet hospital. They hit it off, and Zach ends up spending Christmas with the Marshalls. As he and Mary spend more time together, they both struggle with their own secrets. She can't tell him she's on leave from prison, and he doesn't think she could handle his troubles of PTSD.

This is one of those holiday war movies. I liked it. Next Christmas, I will have to add it to my Christmas movie list. Along with Since You Went Away, which also stars Cotten and Temple. I'm seeing a pattern here!

I always like to see stars in movies where they are doing something different than what they usually do in movies. And that is a very long way of saying this isn't a musical, and Ginger Rogers doesn't dance! Well, actually there is a dance scene, but it's only because they're at a party, and there's no focus on Ginger. I like that- way to go, Ginger, expanding your horizons!

Not that I don't love to see Ginger dancing! I love Fred and Ginger! I need to get Shall We Dance soon!

Since You Went Away, 1944

Director: John Cromwell

Stars: Claudette Colbert, Joseph Cotten, Jennifer Jones, Shirley Temple

Anne Hilton (Colbert) tries to hold down the fort at home when her husband Tim goes off to war. She and her daughters try to continue with life as normal. Jane (Jones) finishes high school, becomes a nurse's aide for the army hospital in town, and falls in love with a soldier. Bridget (a teenage Shirley Temple) helps her mother at home and befriends the retired Colonel the family takes in as a boarder for the extra money. Anne and Tim's dear friend Tony (Cotten) comes to visit a couple times, cheering the family in this uncertain time; especially when a telegram comes informing the family that Tim is missing in action.

I really like old movies about World War II, the ones that focus on the home front and the wife and kids. When those telegrams come, I find myself about to cry, unsure what they will say! I get really emotional during war movies.

I loved this one!

Note: I really did love it, but Hitch almost ruined it for me! Two of the main guys, who are GREAT guys in this film, were the evil, crazy bad guys in 2 of Hitch's movies! Good thing they can act, so I soon forgot that I thought they were evil and about to strangle someone. Joseph Cotten was the murderer in Shadow of a Doubt, and Robert Walker was the insane Bruno in Strangers on a Train. And they were very convincing in those roles! But it was nice to see them in something else. Well done, boys!