The Silver Screen Oasis

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My viewing of Christmas movies is about complete for this year finally. Between Lifetime for Women, INSP, TCM, ABC Family, and all the others that televised them, my DVR was going full speed ahead but I believe this was it for the movies. I still have a few TV shows to watch like Little House on the Prairie, and The Waltons, but I saved this Ginger Rogers movie for the last thinking a movie with her would keep me in the holiday frame of mind for a while and even though it is not the usual Christmas fluff movie, it still left me with a really 'feel good' feeling.

This 1944 movie starring GR and Joseph Cotton was a very untypical romance. I'm not sure I would have cast Mr. Cotton, but he did do a great job as the shell shocked sargeant who meets Ginger on a train and basically follows her to her relatives home for the holidays. Today he'd be arrested for stalking I imagine. Anyway, she's serving time on a ridiculous charge of manslaughter, and he's suffering from today's PTSD. They have a lovely little holiday season from Christmas eve through New Year's Day when they have to part - he, back to the hospital, she, back to prison. Everything goes along just fine until the very last day, - no more for those who didn't see it. I recommend that you do.

Shirley Temple is also along for the ride as a younger cousin. Shirley did a great job in these transitional roles they gave her from child - to teen - to adult. She mastered those roles better than anyone, except perhaps Natalie Wood, but Natalie matured faster than Shirley.

In any case, it's just a sweet little movie - no cops or doctors knocking on the door for check ups or check ins, and no silly dodging from cops on the street or other nonsense. The use of Christmas gives Ginger reason to be out on furlough, but this could have been filmed during any other part of the year. I don't know if it has been on TCM before, but if and when it shows up again, I suggest you prepare yourself for a pleasant hour and 45 minutes of viewing.
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MrsL, I also saw this for the very first time. It is a lovely, quiet movie that does indeed make one feel good. I thought Joseph Cotten was very believable as the sergeant who was struggling so hard to come back to a life worth living, and Ginger was so NOT histrionic, but a woman trying to deal with what life had dealt her.

SPOILERS

I kept waiting for the uncle to turn on her, but that whole family was loving and kind. Shirley Temple's naïveté, and then her anguish were so moving..."why didn't you TELL me?".

I wasn't able to record this one, but I will certainly do so next time around.

It is a lovely, quiet movie that does indeed make one feel good

That it is. It's not "in your face" sentimental. It's not painfully sad. It's just sincere and gentle. This is not a Christmas classic I've known for decades. I discovered it only a few years ago. I have a feeling I'll get to know it better as the years go by. This is a movie that could be overlooked amid the Capra-corn and the flying reindeer. That would be a shame. It deserves to be seen, and I think most viewers will be pleased.

I just saw it for the first time a couple of months ago. A real quiet winner, I agree with what everyone else says... Cotten's performance is excellent, and Ginger is really good, with no dramatics or big closeups to mark the 'drama'. Mrsl, I totally agree about Shirley Temple's handling of these teen or about to be teen roles. I almost prefer them now to her little girl films.

I thought the directing, by William Dieterle, was really fine, especially the scene where Cotten starts losing his grip, falling into the pit of shell shock, as they used to call it. A very gentle movie, I'm so glad TCM showed it at Christmas, the scenes at the dinner table rival the ones in Remember the Night for unpretentious sweetness. I hope it will be a yearly Christmas favorite on TCM.

Just stumbled on it the other night. I also agree with everyone else's thoughts. I thought the scene where Shirley spills the beans to Joseph was particularly moving not only for how natural Shirley plays it but for how Joseph silently reacts. It all goes on so quietly with no big fights but the damage done in the wake of the scene, especially for Shirley, is well done. I felt bad for her; and yes, they should have told her.

Watched this again this past week, and was as moved by it as the firsttime. Each actor shone in his/her part. Spring Byington is a wonder. She was so loving, and yet so down to earth, and even Tom Tully, who could define mean hearted, was a gentle, if rather befuddled soul.

Merry Christmas to all my SSO buds!!