During the war, audiences undoubtedly had different expectations for their escapist entertainment. A variety of movies were realeased in 1944, but my favorites are all the uplifting films.
Beholds Spirit Film of 1944
None But the Lonely Heart
An directionless man eschews the woman who loves him to pursue a criminal woman. When his mother is dying of cancer and he gets rejected by the woman he has been pursuing, he resolves to make himself better. A surprising depth of character creates a realistic atmosphere. Cary Grant shows a depth and serious side rarely seen.
Uplifting Films 1944: Brian’s Favorites
Arsenic and Old Lace
Arsenic and Old Lace oozes with absurd charm. Goodness somehow shines through a comedy film about two old lady serial killers.
Meet Me in St. Louis
Escapist nostalgia abounds in Meet Me in St. Louis. A film that celebrates family life by going back forty years to recreate an idealized domestic scene.
Mr. Skeffington
A beautiful New York society woman enjoys her celebrated life until illness robs her of her physical beauty in middle age. Though melodramatic in style, the film does examine questions of what matters in life. This film can speak to a contemporary culture very much obsessed with youth and physical appearances.
Since You Went Away
This film is the height of wartime nostalgic family life. It celebrates the things our culture has always felt were important and which so many people have wanted to live up to. Innocence, family life, young love, female relationships. It is an outdated view of black people, middle class values but still a touching story about loneliness and sacrifice.