In 1945 with the war finally nearing its end, Americans were exhausted but starting to feel buoyant again. While the war news remained grim, and with the further confirmation of Nazi atrocities and Japanese atrocities, even more grim, but we were now on the downhill slope.
It helped that movies, while many still reflected the current situation in some way, were also lighter or at least had more diverse subject matter than in previous years and showed an America that had changed and was looking foward while also valuing its past.
When it came to deciding what to recommend, it was still a tough choice, but at least this list is shorter than 1944’s ponderous roll. Some of them will have post-war release dates, but they still count because they were being produced while the war was still going on. As usual, click the highlights for full reviews or to read more. Here we go…
I’ll Be Seeing You (January 5)
I’ve talked about this one before, and here it is again. It’s an unusual story, sure, but it also tackles issues the public at large seemed either unaware of or unwilling to address, namely, PTSD. It also reminded the public that soldiers didn’t all have the same opinion of or experiences in the war, and it shows how the war became a way of life. In one scene, Shirley Temple’s character, Barbara, tells her mother, “A gal gets to know medals like she does boogie woogie.”
Tonight And Every Night (January 9)
Based on the real-life Windmill Theatre in London, Tonight and Every Night is about an acting troupe who didn’t miss a single performance during the Blitz, and our audience character is Rosalind, the one American in the group. The movie is full of fun novelties, including an audition by Rosalind’s friend, Tommy. Turn on the radio, and Tommy will dance to it, no matter what it is. Even a Hitler speech. Yipe. Naturally, Tommy passes the audition.
The Enchanted Cottage (February 15)
This is an undeniably beautiful movie about two people who found beauty in each other and the world around them as they fall in love. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to ruin it, but it’s based on a play from 1922. It’s been remade, revived, and well-loved over the years.
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (February 28)
1945 was a busy year for Dorothy MacGuire, who also starred as Nolan matriarch Katie in this adaptation of Betty Smith’s novel about a poor family in Brooklyn who deal with such issues as alcoholism and poverty. It’s got a lot of wonderful, poignant moments in it, although it cuts off when the main character, Francie, graduates from grammar school instead of when she’s about to leave for college as in the novel. While a bit sanitized, it hits the novel’s high points.
The Clock (May 25)
No 1945 rec list would be complete without The Clock, the wonderful matchup of Joe, a lonely soldier, and Alice, and office worker, while Joe has a two-day leave in New York City. This is one of Judy Garland’s rare non-singing roles, and one of those fun time capsule movies. It might seem really implausible today, but we all know gangplank marriages really did happen.
Molly and Me (May 25)
When an out-of-work playhouse troupe need funds, they set themselves up as the household staff of a wealthy businessman, who needs help running his household and caring for his young son. The only problem is, the gentleman despises playhouse actors. His son, though, is much more won over, and enjoys having some built-in entertainment at home. An underrated movie featuring Gracie Fields, Monty Woolley, and Roddy McDowall.
Back To Bataan (May 31)
A very interesting portrayal of Bataan and the Philippines during the war, Back To Bataan gets rather slapdash about halfway through, as the producers decided they needed to work in the current-day events somehow. MacArthur waded through the surf upon his return to the Philippines? Cool. Let’s have John Wayne do it, but pull the boat prettily up on the beach so he doesn’t get too wet. Things get a wee bit laughable now and then, only to be saved by competent performances.
Story of G.I. Joe (July 13)
Burgess Meredith plays Ernie Pyle, who was a fixture among Army personnel and known for getting right down in the front lines with the troops, sending back very personal and timely dispatches to America. Pyle, unfortunately, died on the battlefield when he was hit by a stray bullet as he peeked out from behind some cover, but he remains the gold standard for war correspondents today.
The Corn Is Green (July 14)
Bette Davis plays Miss Lilly Moffat, a single lady and schoolteacher who goes to a rural area of Wales. It’s tough going, because many of the people are illiterate, but there are pluses, too, and a few breakthroughs, as Miss Lilly manages to get through to the local bully, who becomes one of her star students. I first saw this movie in high school and it left quite an impression.
Anchors Aweigh (July 19)
Can’t forget this classic Gene Kelly-Frank Sinatra-Kathryn Grayson romp, which features so many great moments, including the still very impressive “If You Worry” number featuring Kelly and Jerry the Mouse. All. Stops. Pulled.
Christmas In Connecticut (July 27)
Craziness in the Constitution State with Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan! Loosely based on columnist and food writer Gladys Taber, Stanwyck’s Elizabeth finds herself hosting a Naval officer named Jeff for Christmas at her fiancee John’s farmhouse. One of the differences between Elizabeth and Gladys Taber, though: Gladys could actually cook.
Pride of the Marines (August 24)
Al Schmid was a Marine from Philadelphia who went blind as a result of injuries at the Battle of Guadalcanal, and Pride of the Marines tells some of his story. John Garfield championed Schmid’s story being made into a movie, and gives an arresting performance. The film also deals with the insecurities servicepeople were feeling about what it would be like to resume their civilian lives.
State Fair (August 30)
State Fair is unusual among the Rodgers and Hammerstein catalogue in that it came to the screen before the stage, and while it’s considered very lightweight among their other titles, it’s still enjoyable. It also flies in the face of the idea that no one says “I-O-Way,” as it has people saying it about twenty years before the denizens of River City in The Music Man. Or maybe The Music Man says it because of State Fair? Who knows.
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (September 6)
A gentle story of a Norwegian American town in Wisconsin, Our Vines Have Tender Grapes is the kind of movie Americans were looking for at the end of the war, as it focused on the themes of family, home, the country, community, and Americana. Margaret O’Brien and Butch Jenkins play great parts, as do Edward G. Robinson and Agnes Moorehead. This movie was shown to servicepeople who were obviously newly freed from fighting the war but waiting to go home.
Week-end At the Waldorf (October 17)
This movie is the only one on the list that I haven’t seen all the way through, but it’s on the list because I like the music, plus the mid- to late-forties are when Kay Thompson began bringing her own brand of pizzazz to Hollywood music, and this is one of the biggies. Plus, it puts an American slant on its very German predecessor, Grand Hotel.
Mildred Pierce (October 20)
The first, and I think the best, version of the James Cain story, Mildred Pierce is, of course, a triumphant role for Joan Crawford, who had been labeled “box office poison” only a few years previously, and she really got to flex her acting chops here. Now, it’s considerably sanitized and deviates from Cain’s original story, but it more than gets the point across and is a classic of film noir.
And Then There Were None (October 31)
Agatha Christie’s original book is great. The movie is great. It’s got an awesome cast. I won’t say too much, but suffice it to say, it’s fun to see which one of our group of strangers will get knocked off next. The ending is considerably happier than that in the novel, but I’m not going to give that away, either.
Allotment Wives (November 8)
I wanted to include Allotment Wives because it deals with an aspect of wartime that’s little-discussed today, and that’s allotment fraud. There were actually women who would marry soldiers just to collect their allotment checks and then their insurance payouts if they were killed. For that matter, there were guys who impersonated servicemen to take advantage of women as well. The message in Allotment Wives was clear, though: Mess around and find out.
The Bells of St. Mary’s (December 27)
The follow-up to 1944’s Going My Way, St. Mary’s is about a hard-up Catholic school and the rather combative relationship between Father O’Malley and Sister Benedict. This movie is just as good as its predecessor in my opinion, and like Going My Way, The Bells of St. Mary’s yielded its own durable hit, “Aren’t You Glad You’re You?”. I remember hearing this song first on a Sesame Street record and then getting a major nostalgia hit years later when I heard Bing sing it to Joan Carroll in St. Mary’s.
They Were Expendable (December 31)
They Were Expendable was a response to Americans being so quick to forget the Second World War, and it had the added authenticity of Bob Montgomery, a real Navy veteran, in the cast. It must have been uncomfortable to be reminded of the dark days of 1942, but excellent performances by the cast must have made it a meaty experience. Eighty years later, it still holds up.
Another post is coming out tomorrow. Thanks for reading, all, and I hope to see you then…
I’ll Be Seeing You (DVD and Blu-ray), Tonight and Every Night (DVD), The Enchanted Cottage (DVD and Blu-ray), The Clock (DVD and Blu-ray), Molly and Me (DVD and streaming), Back To Bataan (DVD), The Story of G.I. Joe (streaming), The Corn Is Green (DVD), Anchors Aweigh (DVD and Blu-ray), Christmas In Connecticut (DVD and Blu-ray), Pride of the Marines (DVD), State Fair (DVD), Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (DVD), Week-end At the Waldorf (DVD), Mildred Pierce (DVD and Blu-ray), And Then There Were None (DVD and streaming), The Bells of St. Mary’s (DVD and Blu-ray), and They Were Expendable (DVD and Blu-ray) are available to own from Amazon. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn can be viewed on YouTube.
~Purchases made via Amazon Affiliate links found on this site help support Taking Up Room at no extra cost to you.~
If you’re enjoying what you see on Taking Up Room, please subscribe to my Substack page, where you’ll find both free and paid subscriber-only reviews of mostly new and newish movies, documentaries, and shows. I publish every Wednesday and Saturday. You can also subscribe to my Club 15 Tier, which gives you at least one extra Taking Up Room post every month for a small fee.
Taking Up Room 