The War Against Mrs. Hadley, 1942

"The family enemy" is doing something to help her community, but Mrs. Hadley, played by Fay Bainter, won’t be a part of it because of unforgiveness. Her daughter falls for a man who’s not the kind of man her family expected her to marry, which makes Mrs. Hadley feel hurt and disrespected. 

Her family lawyer, played by Edward Arnold, helps her borderline alcoholic son get involved in the military because he needs a little guidance. Mrs. Hadley finds out that her lawyer’s intentions are not to conceal her son’s weakness and coddle him like she does, so she is outraged. When Mrs. Hadley gets letters from her son that he’s now friends with the son of “the family enemy”, Mrs. Hadley’s world turns upside down. 

Aren’t we all Mrs. Hadley at some point in our lives? We think everyone should cater to our plan and listen to our moaning. Mrs. Hadley proved that by trying to get her way, she only drove away those she loved. Building a home from close-minded selfishness and unforgiveness will leave anyone feeling lonely. 

Don’t worry, the story has a happy ending. But in order to get to the happy ending, Mrs. Hadley has to humble herself and receive forgiveness from others.  

This movie is about giving from a place of humility. A gift from a humble heart is pure and beautiful. But any gift that is given out of an arrogant heart isn’t quite as lovely.

Night Song, 1947

How can a bitter blind man see a woman for who she really is?

Cathy Mallory, played by Merle Oberon, fakes being blind in order to develop a relationship with blind pianist Dan Evans, played by Dana Andrews. Dan, who has a chip on his shoulder, won’t allow her into his small circle of friends at first. She has to be patient and persistent to help him open up to her.

Ethel Barrymore makes a memorable appearance in this film, as do Hoagy Carmichael and Arthur Rubinstein. Eugene Ormandy and the New York Philharmonic also make an appearance.

Big City, 1948

If you’ve seen (and liked) the 1987 film 3 Men and a Baby, which starred Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson, then you’ll like the 1948 version of men taking care of a helpless baby. Big City shows the men have a lot of heart and want what’s best for the little girl.

Two of the three stars in Big City were familiar to me right away. Danny Thomas was a big star before he had a daughter named Marlo Thomas, who starred in the TV series That Girl. Thomas, who played Cantor David Irwin Feldman in Big City, was a television and movie producer in the 1960s and 1970s. He also founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The other star I recognized in Big City was Robert Preston, who played Rev. Philip Y. Andrews. I had already seen him in The Music Man, Mame, and Victor Victoria, all of which were memorable performances.

The little girl, Midge, grows up enough in Big City to be played by eleven-year-old Margaret O’Brien. She was already a veteran actress by then, having appeared in 16 films, including Meet Me in St. Louis.

The film is heartwarming and sweet. Just the kind of movie to watch at Christmastime.

Gentleman's Agreement, 1947

Gregory Peck plays Phil Green who writes articles with such style and creativity that he’s been hired to dig deeper than he ever has, and this time it's for an article on anti-Semitism. He can’t just provide facts and figures with an arm’s-length approach. He has to find out what Jewish Americans have been dealing with for a long time.

His long-time buddy, Dave Goldman, played by John Garfield, gives him encouragement and a few pointers along the way. His new girlfriend, Kathy Lacy, played by Dorothy McGuire, wants to encourage him, but has a lot to learn.

This film was addressing a hot topic. Some of the movie studio chiefs warned about stirring up problems with this film and urged producer Zanuck not to make it. However, the movie made more money for the studio than any other film that year.

Meet Me in St. Louis, 1944

Directed by Vincente Minnelli, Judy Garland stars in this film about a family who prepares for an out-of-state move after girl falls in love with a new boy in the neighborhood.

Although nominated for four Academy Awards in the areas of writing, cinematography, and music, the film left empty handed. However, Margaret O’Brien, who played Tootie, received a special Oscar, the Juvenile Award for outstanding child actress, for her work in this film.

The movie seems to be almost Sci-Fi in  its display of respect when compared to many of the shows on TV today. Sad that our culture has moved away from expectation of good manners. Watching this movie reminds me that there once was a time when doors didn’t have to be locked and a man’s word meant something. One scene in this movie that stood out to me was when Tootie was in trouble and her father sat by the table and calmly spoke to her about consequences and spankings. Today’s kids would have written that a bit differently, I think.

I’ve enjoyed listening to Judy Garland’s songs in this film. She has always been the sparkle in her films. It was hard for anyone else to outshine her. Minnelli and Garland met during the filming and married soon after.

The most famous song from this movie has to be “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. It’s a Christmas favorite for many people.

It Happened on 5th Avenue, 1947

Mac, a homeless man, breaks into and stays in a millionaire’s home while the owners are wintering in the south. And with a warm heart, he opens it to guests in a cold season. However, Mac is unaware that one of the guests is the homeowner.

Victor Moore plays Mac, the homeless man who plans to spend the next several weeks in the boarded-up home of millionaire O’Connor while he's wintering in Virginia. O’Connor, played by Charles Ruggles, has Jim, played by Don DeFore, evicted from one of his  apartment buildings. Mac invites Jim to stay with him, and Jim invites in some of his friends who are also homeless. They all hide from the patrolmen who keep watch on Fifth Avenue.

Alan Hale Jr, of Gilligan’s Island fame, plays Whitey Temple, one of Jim’s guests. Another person staying in the millionaire’s home is Trudy. Since there is a post-war housing shortage, they let her stay. Jim and Trudy fall for each other, but he doesn’t know she’s the millionaire’s daughter.

Jim and friends design a housing project for Camp Kilson, a deserted army camp. They want to bid on the property and build the project there. O’Connor also has designs for Camp Kilson, but he wants to build a massive air cargo network. This film shows how the characters learn that people are more valuable than things.