Ann, this was a huge favorite in my parents home. The 'love conquers all' idea was a strong factor of their life long love affair, which still endures today, even though they have been gone for some time.Ann Harding wrote:Yesterday I watched The Enchanted Cottage (1945, J. Cromwell) with Dorothy McGuire and Robert Young. This story that transcends the ordinary through love proved really enjoyable. Dorothy McGuire gave a really good performance as the plain girl who falls in love with a disfigured soldier (R. Young). It could have been trite and ridiculous, but the film held its own. It's not quite in the same league as The Portrait of Jennie to mention another love story verging on the surreal, but, the film has its own little music. I was impressed by the quality of the acting all around. Spring Byington was a perfect annoying mother. Mildred Natwick was the disenchanted lobnely widow. Robert Young was a very believable man scared for life. As for McGuire, I was impressed by her shy and authentic performance as the plain girl. The make-up avoided excessive ugliness, but it was enough to make us understand her feelings. One of the most heart-rending scene is when a soldier runs to her to ask her for a dance. Then, he sees her face, stops and ties up his shoelace. The story is the perfect embodiment of the proverb: 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. A really charming and simple film.
The scene with the soldier, at the very beginning of the movie, tears at your heart. It makes you wonder how many times people kill someone's soul with their unkind thoughtlessness...and if you yourself have ever been guilty of this.
Ms. Sothern is a gifted comedienne and she has some fine moments, but the script is not very good and the character turns out somewhat annoying (even Marie Wilson's Irma is smarter than Dulcy!) Dan Dailey Jr. plays Dulcy's younger brother, Lynne Carver his fiancée, Reginald Gardiner is another zany character pretending to be a millionaire and Billie Burke and Roland Young play another affluent couple -the Forbes-(Dailey's prospective in-law's, that is if Dulcy doesn't get too hard to bear for Mr. Forbes!). I laughed at some parts, but it is a somewhat uneven "B" film. Haven't seen the 1930 version of the story directed by King Vidor and starring Marion Davies. BTW, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams plays Dulcy's recently "acquired" butler, a delinquent on parole!