Friday, September 12, 2014

The Enchanted Cottage ( 1945 )

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

The enchanted cottage...a harborage to a legend of eternal romance. A beautiful cottage left to live in contented independence of the centuries old structure it once belonged to; standing solid amidst the passages of time to cast its romantic spell on the strangers who pass through its portals. Ah! but not anyone can sense its enchantment...only chosen ones.

Our story begins on a cold wintry morning in a small New England town by the sea. Walking among the rustling leaves outside of this cottage is John Hillgrove ( Herbert Marshall )...a blind man. And yet, a man who can truly see, for he possesses the gift of inner sight; the ability to sense the true nature of a being, and to sense the magical aura an "enchanted" cottage, like the one before him, can cast. Being a composer, he seeks inspiration for his musical skill, and on this beautiful December morning Fate brings him to meet Miss Pennington ( Dorothy McGuire ), a young woman who will one day kindle his imagination with the musical strains of an emotion waiting to be set to music.

Miss Laura Pennington is our rather plain-looking heroine. A lost soul seeking a Home; a place of rest; a place where she can feel she belongs. She hopes to find it in her hometown. Returning after an absence of a few years she comes to the cottage to obtain the position of a maid.


Known locally as "The Witch", Mrs. Abigail Minnett ( Mildred Natwick ) runs the place, and having recently rented it to a soon-to-be-married couple, she's looking for a level-headed woman to help with the housework. Miss Pennington says she does not believe the rumor of the cottage being haunted and is readily given the job. It is not so much her superstitious disbelief that makes Mrs. Minnett hire her, but rather her confession to being lonely....a feeling Mrs. Minnett can sadly relate to.

That afternoon Mr.Oliver Bradford ( Robert Young ) and his fiancee ( Hillary Brooke ) arrive to look over the cottage. They are a young society couple and Oliver is obviously taken by the charm of the place and convinces his fiancee that it is the ideal location in which to spend their honeymoon. Within a week they plan on getting married, but that blissful day will never come, for War is declared soon after and being an Army pilot, Mr.Bradford is swiftly given his overseas departure orders.


Over a year later he returns to the cottage a changed man - a disfigured man. This time it is not a honeymoon oasis he is seeking but rather a place of retreat from his family, his fiancee and the society that brands him an outcast and tries to comfort him with pity. A broken man, he is searching for a new foothold on life. It is not only peace that he shall find at the enchanted cottage, but something even more wonderful.....lasting love.

Originally a stage play written by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero in 1923, The Enchanted Cottage was first brought to the screen in 1924 in a silent film production by First National starring Richard Barthelmess and May McAvoy. RKO released this film adaption in 1945, and Lux used the same cast in a radio play that year as well. Robert Young and Dorothy McGuire were a perfect team ( they had starred together two years earlier in another stage adaption, Claudia ) for this "enchanting" tale and each brings a unique quality to their roles - Dorothy, with her look of inner sadness and breathless timidness, and Robert with his kind and honest appearance that not even a facial scar can alter. Mildred Natwick is marvelous as usual, as the lonely widow with whom time has stood still. And best of all is the magnificent Herbert Marshall. This man is always a pleasure to behold. 

"Through the eyes of Love, one can see everlasting Beauty " is the theme of The Enchanted Cottage, and yet, lying just beneath the surface the film tells other tales. It's a story of kindness: a lonely woman welcoming a stranger into her home, befriending her, and sharing in her happiness and sorrow; a young woman reaching out to a man in need of compassion and sympathetic understanding. It's a story of acceptance: accepting your situation in life and wanting to see it in a brighter perspective; accepting others for who they are and loving them for it. Its a story of Time: the Past frozen on a calender for a widow to remember, the Present being days of war and personal hardship, the Future being the only bright star of hope and happiness. And most importantly, it's a story of truth: eyes that see the true, the real, in a blind world. John Hillgrove tells Oliver that his blindness has opened up new worlds for him allowing him to use senses that show things as they really are, making nature and human beings all the more beautiful to him.....


" Sometimes I feel that before I was blind, and only now I can see "

The Enchanted Cottage is an atmospheric romantic fantasy with lovely music by Roy Webb ( nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score ) and beautiful cinematography. It leaves a memorable impression on the viewer, and you will want to see it many times over.

13 comments:

  1. A lovely look at one of my favorites. Thanks.

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    1. The Enchanted Cottage is a favorite for many ( us included ) and it's easy to see why....such a timeless story and told so well too.

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    2. I am watching an indie movie called THE ONE I LOVE. I believe this movie was influenced by THE ENCHANTED COTTAGE. It is more psychologically themed. When each of this couple enters the cottage without the other, that person finds a better version of the spouse that they are going to therapy to reconnect with. Clever twist on old movie theme.

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    3. I am watching an indie movie called THE ONE I LOVE. I believe this movie was influenced by THE ENCHANTED COTTAGE. It is more psychologically themed. When each of this couple enters the cottage without the other, that person finds a better version of the spouse that they are going to therapy to reconnect with. Clever twist on old movie theme.

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  2. This is one of my very favorite films. Isn't it just magical!!!?? xox

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    1. Yes indeedee, it certainly is...and like all great films, it leaves you with a unique feeling after having watched it. In this case, a nice cozy feeling. :-)

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  3. Absolutely one of my very favorite films of all time. It's message is pure and still true today. Thank you for spotlighting a wonderful film for all time.

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    1. We're glad you enjoyed our review! It is a shame The Enchanted Cottage isn't advertised as much as other pre-1970 classics, but nevertheless there are a great number of avid fans of the film. Give us a good cup of tea, some biscuits, and this film on a winters day and we're in seventh heaven!

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  4. Delightful review and I agree 100%. It's a charming film with wonderful performances and Webb's music enhances it mightily. I know many people who admire it, so I'm always flummoxed as to why it's not better known.

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    1. Sometimes I wonder if the people running the studios today ( Sony, Time Warner etc ) even watched a quarter of the films that the companies they own put out during the 1930s-1960s. They seem to enjoy pushing the same films over and over again unto the public, while the real gems are getting buried in the sands of time. Did you know that Dan O'Herlihy and Teresa Wright performed a Lux Video Theatre broadcast of The Enchanted Cottage in the mid-1950s? Boy, that would be great to see.

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  5. I've watched this every so often and it is a beautiful story with wonderful music to boot. Robert Young and Dorothy McGuire did a fantastic job back then. I'll bet they did not know what a lasting effect the film would have on audiences even today.

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  6. How could I be 63 years old and have just come across this movie ...!?!??
    I cant stop rewatching it ... There's so much more in it then it seems. I for one as a retired high school or orchestra director am head over heels over the score ... it's absolutely breathtaking and once heard I have it in my head all day .... I have to sit down and play it repeatedly....
    But for me personally I found Dorothy McGuire years ago in a A Tree Grows in Brooklyn... and it had the same effect....
    So Ms. McGuire might be a big part of my overall enchantment...Lol..
    Her performance just blows me away ... she transforms her expressions, body language, and voice so convincingly that you do feel her transformation...
    Now THIS is a love story, and I certainly envy Robert Young in his part. Apparently he loved making this movie so much he didnt want shooting to end.....Hmm....Wonder Why ..Lol...
    Personally I actually prefer the sweet, insecure Laura ... She's so Real....
    Summing up.... on so many levels ... it's a Golden Age buyer and Keeper although I really wish they would remaster and restore it.

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  7. I saw this film when I was a teenager and never forgot it. It is so magical and touching. I saw it again tonight and had been wanting to see it for all these years ( found it online). I loved it as much as I did then. The scene where Laura plays the Chopin etude on the piano is just so emotionally affecting.

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