A well meaning war drama is on the emotional scale of "Mrs. Miniver", "The Fighting Sullivans" and "Since You Went Away" tells the story of how a son's death in the service of his country takes an affect on his father. Heaven couldn't wait for the practically perfect son of pharmacist Don Ameche and Frances Dee, not giving much detail to the mother (basically she seems to just go on with her life) while having Ameche's long dead grandfather (Harry Carey) come back to aide Ameche in his hour of need. Through Carey, Ameche relives the upbringing of his son where great grandpa to be Carey literally died of pneumonia to get to the hospital to see him being born. Three actors play the son from adolescent to pre-teen to young man facing a war he believed strongly in fighting to end. Ameche goes from dour grieving dad to, through flashbacks, returning World War I vet, to young dad, reluctantly disciplining and later standing by every move his growing son makes.
Larry Olsen, James West and Richard Crane bring the son to life with his short span on earth, and Ann Rutherford gives more of a home spun feel as one of Crane's girlfriends. Some audiences might find this too goody goody as the Marsh's are quite untroubled and completely supporting of each other, but for me, this represents what grieving families needed to see in 1943. Carey is excellent, and a cameo by the young Harry Morgan as the late son Rusty's navy pal is spectacular. I saw this as a young man facing my own young demons, a relationship with a father that was practically nonexistent, and my own ideals of patriotism I learned by watching movies like this as a kid. It's certainly more a fantasy, but for me, it's a perfect representation of what American life would be like if Hunan beings could just learn to be kind to each other and if families could learn more to relate.
Larry Olsen, James West and Richard Crane bring the son to life with his short span on earth, and Ann Rutherford gives more of a home spun feel as one of Crane's girlfriends. Some audiences might find this too goody goody as the Marsh's are quite untroubled and completely supporting of each other, but for me, this represents what grieving families needed to see in 1943. Carey is excellent, and a cameo by the young Harry Morgan as the late son Rusty's navy pal is spectacular. I saw this as a young man facing my own young demons, a relationship with a father that was practically nonexistent, and my own ideals of patriotism I learned by watching movies like this as a kid. It's certainly more a fantasy, but for me, it's a perfect representation of what American life would be like if Hunan beings could just learn to be kind to each other and if families could learn more to relate.