Oh Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars.

Now, Voyager 1942

Now, Voyager is probably my favorite weepy romance film ever. There are a lot of really great tearjerker romances out there, but I think that Now, Voyager takes the cake. The story, the cast, their acting, and especially the teaming of Bette Davis and Paul Henried give it that little bonus that gives it that win by a nose.

 Bette Davis plays Charlotte Vale, the daughter of the most famous and wealthy families in Boston. At first glance, you'd think she's middle-aged, but surprisingly, she's quite a young woman. Years of miserable living under her tyrannical mother's reign have led her to become totally spinsterish. She finally cracks under all her unhappiness and goes through a nervous breakdown. Fortunately, kind and sympathetic Dr. Jasquith (Claude Rains) takes Charlotte to his sanitarium where she can recover, and then sends her on a South American cruise to learn how to socialize and give her a shot at making friends with people who have no idea who she is. While on the boat, she meets Jerry Durrance, a man who is unhappily married and staying with his wife for the sake of their daughters. He helps coax her out of her shell and the two end up falling in love. But how long can it last?


Aside from being supremely romantic and wonderfully gushy, Now, Voyager is the perfect example of Bette
Davis's incredible glamor. Never conventionally pretty, Bette Davis was living, breathing, glamor incarnate. And in this film, her transformation from ugly duckling to swan is just as amazing as The Wizard of Oz going from sepia to Technicolor, and just as astounding each time it's seen.

Now, Voyager is one of those sentimental romance films that you really cannot watch without a box of tissues on hand. I think everything about it is great, and side-by-side with Casablanca it leads the way of great romance films of the World War II years.

Welcome back to the fight. This time I know our side will win.

Casablanca, 1942

My list of 15 films continues with Casablanca. I was first shown this film in my tenth grade film class and I was instantly in love with it. I got so lost in the story and completely swept away and involved in the love triangle. I honestly had no idea who Ilsa was going to end up with, and I totally felt for her, because I had fallen for both men as well.I was drawn to Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and his smart-ass remarks, and I thought that Victor (Paul Henried) was such a good, brave man. By the end of the picture, I had to quickly wipe my eyes and pretend that I hadn't been crying.


Also, I remember thinking that the girl in the movie was very pretty. Only later did I learn her name was Ingrid Bergman and that she was an Academy Award winning Swedish actress. (She's now one of my favorite actresses). I think she's especially beautiful in this film. She's absolutely luminous- especially when Rick sees her again for the first time in years:

The part that stands out to me the most isn't the famous goodbye scene, but when Victor leads all the people in a chorus of La Marseillaise, much to the annoyance of the German soldiers. In this scene, Paul Henried is so brave, and so handsome, and Ilsa is so proud of him. It's such a beautiful scene. Observe:








Casablanca is true escapist cinema, and I can just imagine what it did for people during World War II. I've always wanted to talk to someone who was around during that time and ask them what it was like seeing that film back in 1942, and how they reacted to it.

With its great story, love triangle, endlessly quotable lines, and great performances by all involved, Casablanca is s treasure of a movie that everyone really should see.

PS- I'm sorry about the video, I didn't realize that it couldn't be embedded. It's going to take you straight to the youtube page.