Random Harvest (1942)

Thanks for the memories!

Best movie of this year hands down!

Beautiful, moving film.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Since this is one of my 3 favorite movies (right behind "GWTW" and "Ben-Hur", I'm pleased to see that the vast majority of reviews here are extremely positive.I want to begin my review my dismissing several of the oft-heard criticisms of the film. First, that Colman was too old for the role. When you a have a film than spans nearly 20 years, any actor is going to be either too young for the older scenes, or too old for the younger scenes. Either way, there's going to be lots of makeup. Colman was 51 when he made this film, meaning that if you want to go with actual ages, his character would have been 47 when he entered the military at the beginning of WWI. In actuality, that made Colman 6 years to old for enlistment status (41 was the upper limit). But just right to be the "industrial prince" of Great Britain later in the film. So you either err in the age of the soldier, or you err in the age of the industrialist.Another criticism is the need to suspend belief. Yup. That's what the vast majority of movies require. If not, you're usually either watching a very boring fictional movie or a documentary. Normal life portrayed on the big screen isn't usually very interesting.Another criticism is that the film brings in the twist midway through the film, rather than at the very end, as the novel did. Well, doing the film way simply wouldn't have worked. Garson would have had to have been absent for half the film. And, the choice is between total surprise, or the interest in seeing how each of the main characters deals with the "ruse". And, Garson's character (Paula) explains why she wants the relationship only when Colman's character (Smithy/Charles) comes to a realization based on love and remembrance, not based on when he feels a legal responsibility. And frankly, I recently read the book, and I thought it was awful. And I doubt that most readers knew about the plot twist before reading the book; you just can't keep secrets like that.One criticism of this film that I hear that is accurate, though of little consequence, is that the hair and clothing styles of the women are not accurate to the time period. Fair criticism, but fairly common in the cinema.The one major criticism I have is the character of Kitty, played by Susan Peters. Supposedly being only 15 when she first meets Charles, while he is clearly in his 40s (by movie standards), not only didn't work for me, but I found a bit repulsive. It would be easier to tolerate the liaison if Kitty had been fresh out of college when they met -- a May/December romance -- but this is a bit too much. Not only that, but despite others praising her acting here, I was not impressed at all. She was far more suited to the next film she made -- an Andy Hardy piece where she was a co-ed. This one flaw is the reason that, for me, I can't give the film a "10".I hold Greer Garson and Ronald Colman in almost equal esteem. There are some who see this as Garson's film, but I disagree. Considering the degree of suspension of belief required of viewers here, Colman had the task of holding the center while being a shell-shock victim and amnesiac on the one hand, and becoming the industrial prince of England and a member of Parliament on the other. I noticed one of our reviewers for criticizing Colman for "walking through" the film. I had an uncle that was shell-shocked in WWII, and that's exactly what he did -- walked through life with something missing. And Colman portrays that perfectly, without going over the edge. He talks to Paula about wishing he had belonged to the couple at the asylum. Perfect. He becomes easily distracted by certain semi-flashbacks, but not able to focus on them. Perfect. This should have won the Academy Award (although I'm not taking anything away from James Cagney). And then there's the scene which is as good an acting job as I've seen -- at the cottage door when all you see is the back of Colman's head as the memory returns. Though lasting only seconds, you see several stages of returning memory in just the way his body tenses in very slightly different movements. Absolutely perfect.Greer Garson also plays this perfectly. Just the type who would take in a stray dog. Just the type who would want the relationship to be based on love, rather than responsibility. And her dance routine -- so very entertaining...and different for her! I fell in love with Greer Garson watching this film.There are other actors in the film who make it feel so comfortable -- Henry Travers, Reginald Owen, Una O'Connor, Margaret Wycherly, and more. But Philip Dorn, a Dutch actor, stands out as the psychiatrist.I love this film and have for years. Since its DVD release, I find myself watching it a couple of times a year. I never grow tired of it. Almost the perfect film.

I couldn't care less about the amnesiac man and his fate. Watching him trying to talk and the woman caring so much about a total stranger while soft music was playing over cardboard landscapes was too much for me.I couldn't watch the whole film out of boredom but I read it's* synopsis. I don't believe in selective memory loss and so I consider the plot nonsensical. First he looses* his memory then he gets what was lost before, but than* again he looses* other memories because of a convenient accident so the plot can go on to make a sappy love story.And lead actor is wrong for the part, he is way to* old to be a soldier. It would have been easy to find who he was after the shock. Just look for missing 3 star generals. It usually takes 30 years to be promoted to that rank and this guy looks about 50.And someone tell me why was a beautiful and kind woman like the lead actress conveniently single without any love interest in her past?*Intentional errors in accordance with Internet protocol.

Possibly the ultimate weepie,Random Harvest is directed by Mervyn LeRoy,produced by Sidney Farnklin,with a screenplay by Arthur Wimperis,Claudine West and George Froeschel, is based on the novel by James Hilton and stars Ronald Coleman,Greer Garson,Susan Peters,Henry Travers and Philip Dorn.Charles Rainier(Ronald Coleman)is a World War One veteran who cannot remember anything from his past,not even who he is.He has great difficulty in speaking due to shell shock.He is a patient at an asylum when news of the wars end comes through.He goes for a walk in the grounds and escapes into the town.There he meets beautiful music hall singer Paula(Greer Garson)she nicknames him Smithy and tries to help him remember his past.He cannot but she does enable him to regain his speech and the two fall in love and marry.Paula gives birth to a daughter and all seems well until Smithy receives a job offer and goes to Liverpool for an interview.He is struck down in the street by a taxi,the fall causes his blocked memories to come back to him,but there's a catch,he now remembers nothing of Paula or their life together.Paula searches for him and eventually discovers he is now Charles Rainier and takes a job as secretary at his firm to be near him,can she make him remember her?Well grab the biggest Kleenex box you can find and some chocolates and get caught up in this to find out.Coleman(in an Oscar nominated performance)is mesmerising as both the shy and awkward Smithy and the powerful but lonely Rainier,with Garson simply enchanting as the luminous love of his life.Susan Peters also received an Oscar nomination for her role as Kitty Rainier's young fiancé. Susan could have become a star after this but she sadly became paralysed when she was injured in a hunting accident and died a few years later.One of the best romances of the studio era,Random Harvest is one that you won't forget in a hurry.

This is one of those sentimental films like "An Affair to Remember" which you either love or don't. This one gets me every time. I nearly have to see it alone, since most men have trouble crying around other grown men. I love to listen to Ronald Coleman's voice. It is no wonder my mother fell in love with Mr. Coleman on the radio. Greer Garson is no slouch either. While they carry the English emphasis on correct behavior nearly to the breaking point, I still love the mystery and unsettled nature to this psychological mellodrama. In the scene where Kitty realizes Sir Charles does not love her, Coleman does incredible things with his face that defy description. Just his expression convinces her and us he does not love her. Mervyn LeRoy knows how to film dramas like this. "Mr. Roberts" is another favorite of mine he directed. Watch "Random Harvest" to witness the ultimate lifetime devotion of unrequited love that eventually comes to fruition.