Sentimental Journey

This is a typical Maureen O'Hara film where she shines as beautifully as ever in a tragical role for a change, but she couldn't be more convincing - she always is. William Bendix shines better than her husband (John Payne), Bendix is always an advantage to every film he is in, and here he at least makes an effort at child psychology, which the playwright doesn't. Cedric Hardwicke is the family doctor and as good as such as ever, while the child (Connie Marshall) makes the film. The story is interesting enough with its touch on parapsychology, but entering the imaginative mind of a child, everything is made credible. This is actually how it could work. Maureen feels she has to leave Bill which worries her, so she finds a child to adopt to take care of him when she is gone, which he at first fails to realize and appreciate. There is sugared music all through, and nothing wrong with that, it establishes the soft mood of sadness of the film and sticks to it, and it is finally the music that opens Bill's mind when everything else has failed. This is also quite obvious and natural. This is a film to love for its sincere warm-heartedness, and the stormy ocean is brought into the picture to accentuate the drama.

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.

Well written, directed older movie. John Payne (1), Maureen O'Hara, William Bendix, Connie Marshall did a fine performance. Saw this movie when I was a child. Have waited awhile for it to appear on pay TV. Definite tear jerker. Generally a womens movie.

SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY (20th Century-Fox, 1946), directed by Walter Lang, based on the story by Nella Gardner White, became the studio's answer to Columbia's earlier hit, PENNY SERENADE (1941), starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, which borrows a similar theme about a young couple adopting a child, only to lose it in death. In this presentation with a mild twist, the mother is the one who dies, leaving the child to not only cope with the loss, but to help her adoptive father overcome his bereavement. As with the Irene Dunne character in PENNY SERENADE, the mother in this production, wonderfully played by Maureen O'Hara, enjoys listening to records, particularly her personal favorite hit tune of the day, "Sentimental Journey." Besides the occurring underscoring to "Sentimental Journey," the movie also includes a haunting instrumental score, used during the emotional scenes, lifted from THE BLUE BIRD (20th Century-Fox, 1940) starring Shirley Temple.

As for the story, Maureen O'Hara plays Julie Beck, a stage actress, married to her producer, Bill Weatherly (John Payne) for five years. After going through rehearsals for the upcoming play, HAPPINESS, Julie starts feeling strange and weak. Doctor Miller (Sir Cedric Hardwicke), her physician, informs her that she must take things a little easier now mainly because she is suffering from a heart ailment. Not only does she intend on continuing on with her career, she keeps her condition a secret from Bill. During an out-of-town tryout, Julie decides to take time away from the theater and stroll on the beach where she encounters numerous children at play, little girls from the Fresh Air Fund Campers gathered together playing in the sand. She then comes across one particular child named Hittie (Connie Marshall), who's part of the group of children but happens to be sitting a lonely child sitting all by herself on the rocks overlooking the ocean. Almost immediately Julie bonds with this precocious child who looks up to Julie as the lovely "Lady of the Shiloh." Later that night, Julie, discusses with Bill about the possibility of adopting a child. Overriding Bill's objections, the couple come to an agreement and stop by at the Martha Stone Orphanage where arrangements are made to adopt young Hitty. All goes well with this union until Julie is stricken with a heart attack and dies. In the final half of the story, it is Hitty who tries to keep her final promise to Julie in watching over Bill, who by then, is so depressed by his wife's sudden death that he plans on sending the child away, especially after she admits to him that she sees and communicates with Julie's spirit.

Sentiment, tragedy and a touch of comedy (thanks to William Bendix as Donnelly, the family friend) combine beautifully in this tearjerker. What really holds the movie together is the natural presence of little Connie Marshall, who is given special introduction presentation in the opening cast credits. Sad eyed and sincere in appearance, Marshall almost resembles that of future child actor Haley Joel Osmond, famous for his role in THE SIXTH SENSE (1999). What's even more ironic that both characters in which they play communicate with the dead, in this case, Marshall with her adoptive mother. While Marshall's film career was limited, it is with this movie she would be best remembered.

Adding a touch of humor in between these touching scenes is William Bendix, who shows a rough exterior but under that rough and tough face is a kind-hearted man who loves children. At times Bendix physical appearance comes to mind of an actor of the past named Louis Wolheim (1881-1931), who had played similar likable character-types in the silent screen and early talkies. Also seen in the supporting cast in smaller roles are Glenn Langan as Judson; Mischa Auer as Lawrence Ayers; Kurt Kruegar as Wilson; Ruth Nelson as Mrs. McMasters; with Dorothy Adams, Trudy Marshall and Mary Gordon. Look for George E. Stone in a small role as a toy hawker who sells a miniature horse to the Weatherly couple as a gift for Hitty in Central Park.

In 1947, Maureen O'Hara and John Payne would reunite together again in MIRACLE ON 34th STREET, their the best known of their four screen collaborations. While MIRACLE has its share of frequent television showings and the presence of another little girl and future star, played by Natalie Wood (1938-1981), SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY, while popular during its initial release, has today become an almost obscure film. I seem to recall reading an article in Reader's Digest some time back about Maureen O'Hara and her career. In the article, she lists SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY as one of her personal favorites, and the one most sadly neglected. Fox Movie Channel occasionally plays SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY, and some years later, Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: July 1, 2014).

SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY, released at the time when tough film noir mysteries, dramatic realism and war time propaganda were common place in neighborhood movie theaters, this screen treatment, which consists some contrived plot twists (especially with its opening scene), and clichés, it remains a winning and charming story that would leave even the most unmoved individual in holding back some tears. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY was remade twice, first as THE GIFT OF LOVE (20th-Fox, 1958) with Robert Stack and Lauren Bacall; and as a 1984 television movie under its original title featuring Jaclyn Smith and David Dukes. Of the three carnations, the first one, which runs at 94 minutes, seems to hold up quite well. (***1/2)

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.