Sentimental Journey

William and Julie Weatherly (John Payne and Maureen O'Hara) are people of the theater. He is a director and she is an actress. They have been married for quite some time, but their love for each other is stronger than ever. Unfortunately, Julie discovers that her health cannot handle the stress of her life. She takes a break from the theater and stumbles upon an orphan girl named Hitty (Connie Marshall). Hitty is imaginative and lonely, just as Julie was as a young girl. Julie is convinced that she would make a great mother for this little lost girl, so she convinces Bill to adopt her. From here, they form a family, though Bill is a bit jealous of the attention that Hitty receives.

Soon, Julie's health gets the better of her, but Hitty knows what to do. She pampers Bill just the way Julie did, hoping to bring the family back together again.

This movie has all the potential to be wonderful, but it walks a fine line that easily takes into kitsch. Sometimes, it is emotional and sweet, but the occasional lapse into over-sentimentality makes it a less than perfect film. Each actor tries hard though, which makes the characters interesting and enjoyable to watch.

Wonderful film with John Payne and Maureen O'Hara, one year before they made the successful "Miracle on 34th Street." Amazing that Connie Marshall, who played the part of their adopted daughter in "Journey" didn't get the Natalie Wood part in "Miracle."

This film is literally a 4 star tear jerker where an ailing Broadway actress and her director husband adopt a child only to see the mother die shortly afterwards. Both the father and daughter are devastated but use the memory of his wife and mother as a link to be drawn together.

Payne has never been better as the embittered husband who lost his wife so unexpectedly. Maureen O'Hara, with that Irish brogue, conveys the part of the doomed mother and wife so beautifully that tears shall come to your eyes.

In a complete departure from his usual roles, William Bendix is just marvelous in a supporting role as the couple's friend who attempts to bring comic relief to the film. Some memorable scenes show him trying to buy toys for the child, as well as discussing child psychology with Payne.

Nevertheless, the film belongs to the touching performance of child actress Connie Marshall. Coming into a home as an adopted young child only to lose a mother so fast afterwards is preciously captured by Marshall's performance.

There are definitely sentiment in tears but the film is engrossing and well worth the effort in watching. Sadness is so beautifully depicted here.

I love this movie. I saw if first during the 60's when I was a child and I always remembered the little girls name which was very strange more then anything else. Then I saw it later on and it was heartbreaking. I always cringed when I saw the way Bill treated Hittie after his wife died. She tried her best but he always seemed to blame her for the wife death. William Bendix is very engaging as the friend/uncle who sees that Hittie needs some fun her life and tries his best to help her. He even gets a book about the psychology of children. He has a very funny scene with the maid about him looking in all the pet stores for a unicorn to no avail. So he gets the book so he can find out how to tell Hittie he can't find one. A very nice sweet scene. The maid is also very helpful.

John Payne who plays the father is very good, but I wanted to tell him to snap out of it. Yes he was in mourning but he acted ridiculous treating his little girl like that and everyone else. If any character was in need of medication or therapy in a movie his character is it. But this movie was made in the 40's long before any thought of treatment for depression was used. Only when he thinks something bad happened to the little girl does he snap out of it. A very simplistic but sweet ending. Maureen O'Hara one of my favorite actors is also very good. But mostly she plays a ghost.

"Sentimental Journey" is a 1946 film starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Connie Marshall, Cedric Hardwicke and William Bendix. Set in New York City, it's the story of an actress, Julie Beck (O'Hara) and her director/producer husband Bill Wetherly (Payne). They have an idyllic marriage, but Julie has a precarious heart condition. Realizing she may die and leave her husband alone, she wants to adopt a child. She meets Hitty (Marshall), who was very much like her as a child, filled with fantasies and dreams, and the two hit it off immediately. However, her spoiled and somewhat jealous husband finds he isn't totally happy with the arrangement.

"Sentimental Journey" is a slow-moving film with a very attractive cast. It's not for people who, as Margo Channing said, "detest cheap sentiment." Whether you like the movie or not, you'll find yourself drawn into the story, so have a box of tissues nearby. I blubbered like a baby.

Maureen O'Hara is stunningly beautiful and gives a very gentle performance as Julie; handsome John Payne is just right as her husband, a man whose world centers around his wife. William Bendix has a film-stealing role and is terrific as Donnelly, an associate of Bill's and friend of the family. His sense of comedy is great. Cedric Hardwicke is too much of a big gun to play a small part like the doctor; he plays it beautifully, but he's wasted. Connie Marshall is Hitty. She's not only adorable, but she has to run a gamut of emotions and pulls it off very well.

Nice movie.

I think that the beautiful comments left here already describe this wonderful movie perfectly, so all there is left to do is to tell you about the last time I watched this movie.

It was less then 24 hours ago, and I was reminded of two couples by Julie and Bill.

One couple was Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, because Ozzy is the more fragile of the two, and Sharon hopes to have beaten her cancer completely so that she can stick around and take care of him.

Another couple was a young couple of college age who were very much in love, but the woman was killed in a tragic automobile accident.

Her boyfriend was with her, but he survived.

Two decades, give or take, have passed, and he's never found anyone else who can take the place of this special woman, and he has a lot of emotional conflict going on because of this where he doesn't always respond to people who care about him in the best of ways.

I even thought that Bill resembled him in physical appearance.

Hittie could represent any of us who care about this special guy and want the best for him, because she commits herself to trying to ease Bill's deep-seated pain.

Watching the movie this last time got me to thinking about this precious friend, and I ended up writing him an e-mail just to let him know I was thinking of him.