Remember the Day (1941)

Claudette Colbert arrives at a swanky hotel asking to meet a "Mr Roberts". She is asked to take a seat and whilst waiting, she begins to reminisce of the days when she was his teacher. "Miss Trinnell" had the unenviable task of trying to educate her young class when they, especially "Dewey" (Douglas Croft) are much more interested in the ball game. When her attempt to take them to see some Shakespeare clashes with the baseball, she is introduced to the coach "Hopkins" (John Payne) and after a bit of a sticky start, the couple start to fall in love. The plot here is not the most innovative, but there are lovely performances for us to enjoy from Colbert, Payne and from the conduit to their relationship - the engaging young Croft. The ending is tinged with tragedy, but also with joy as we learn a little more of whom she is awaiting, and the narrative really does exemplify the huge value to anyone of having a good teacher! There is some on-screen chemistry, a little bit of humour, and I learned something about sailing boats too. I quite enjoyed this.