Random Harvest (1942)

This is simply one of the most beautiful love stories ever made. The somewhat convoluted plot concerns a shell-shocked WWII veteran who remembers nothing of his life before the war, not even his own name. He escapes from the mental institution he's been confined to, and falls for a beautiful chorus girl he meets on the street. They're obviously meant for each other, but then tragedy strikes, and their ideal life together is no more.

The great Ronald Colman and the lovely Greer Garson are fantastic together. No one was more perfectly suited to this hard-hitting romantic drama than these two. In the novel by James Hilton, Smithy, the character played by Colman in the film, is supposed to be somewhere in his mid-twenties, while Colman was about fifty when he did this. But since it's Ronald Colman, hey, let's face it: no one in their right mind is going to be complaining. Plus, it helps that the span of time covered in the story is at least ten or twenty years.


The plot is so tricky and involved, you must pay close attention and remain awake and alert throughout the course of the film. But every moment is worth it. As you watch, you want nothing more than to see these two wonderful people find happiness together. It's a long movie, but when the ending finally rolls around, you're bound to have a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart, because let me tell you, that ending is pure bliss.