The Human Comedy (1943)
In The Human Comedy, American audiences in 1943 were treated to an extremely grim movie about the war at home, immediately following newsreels in the theater which updated them about the war abroad. Nowadays, it can’t possibly have the same feeling, but try to keep in mind the circumstances that brought about such a movie when you watch it. To prove my point, that modern audiences can’t see it the same way, Meg Ryan directed a remake in 2015, and while it was a good movie, it had hardly any emotional feeling behind it.
Mickey Rooney personifies the awkward age of all those in the audience who were too young to enlist and too old to feel grateful. His older brother is off fighting for his country, and Mickey stays at home and in school. He gets a part-time job as a bicycle messenger for the telegraph office, and at first he’s extremely excited to transition into adulthood and to also do his part for the war. His bosses, James Craig and Frank Morgan are very different but both give him a different sense of accomplishment. James is a handsome mentor, intelligent and always busy, giving Mickey a much-needed father figure to look up to, since all the other older men are away at war. Frank is a burnt-out drunken reporter, so consumed with the bottle that he frequently passes out and needs to be splashed with cold water and plied with cups of strong black coffee. Mickey learns Frank’s routine and feels important, like he’s keeping a secret with the grown-ups, and through Mickey, Frank sees the youth and enthusiasm he used to have.
This is a very sad movie, full of memorable, powerful performances. Mickey shows he knows how to act without mugging to the camera, and he was rewarded with an Oscar nomination. In one tearful scene, he has to deliver a telegram from the War Department to a woman who can’t read English. He’s forced to read aloud that her son has been killed, and it’s the pivotal scene in the film. He realizes his new job isn’t just for fun, and he realizes that all his eagerness to join in the war effort means he’ll witness and be involved in death and sadness. If you do decide you can handle this well-acted drama, you’ll get to see a young pre-famous Robert Mitchum as a soldier on leave, as well as Fay Bainter, Van Johnson, Donna Reed, Don DeFore, Mary Nash, and Henry O’Neill.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Cinema Central" for posting!
More Van Johnson movies here!
More Frank Morgan movies here!
More Robert Mitchum movies here!
More Donna Reed movies here!
More Mickey Rooney movies here!
Mickey Rooney personifies the awkward age of all those in the audience who were too young to enlist and too old to feel grateful. His older brother is off fighting for his country, and Mickey stays at home and in school. He gets a part-time job as a bicycle messenger for the telegraph office, and at first he’s extremely excited to transition into adulthood and to also do his part for the war. His bosses, James Craig and Frank Morgan are very different but both give him a different sense of accomplishment. James is a handsome mentor, intelligent and always busy, giving Mickey a much-needed father figure to look up to, since all the other older men are away at war. Frank is a burnt-out drunken reporter, so consumed with the bottle that he frequently passes out and needs to be splashed with cold water and plied with cups of strong black coffee. Mickey learns Frank’s routine and feels important, like he’s keeping a secret with the grown-ups, and through Mickey, Frank sees the youth and enthusiasm he used to have.
This is a very sad movie, full of memorable, powerful performances. Mickey shows he knows how to act without mugging to the camera, and he was rewarded with an Oscar nomination. In one tearful scene, he has to deliver a telegram from the War Department to a woman who can’t read English. He’s forced to read aloud that her son has been killed, and it’s the pivotal scene in the film. He realizes his new job isn’t just for fun, and he realizes that all his eagerness to join in the war effort means he’ll witness and be involved in death and sadness. If you do decide you can handle this well-acted drama, you’ll get to see a young pre-famous Robert Mitchum as a soldier on leave, as well as Fay Bainter, Van Johnson, Donna Reed, Don DeFore, Mary Nash, and Henry O’Neill.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Cinema Central" for posting!
More Van Johnson movies here!
More Frank Morgan movies here!
More Robert Mitchum movies here!
More Donna Reed movies here!
More Mickey Rooney movies here!