{"id":19811,"date":"2011-09-26T11:06:49","date_gmt":"2011-09-26T18:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=19811"},"modified":"2021-01-25T15:52:02","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T22:52:02","slug":"clock-the-1945","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=19811","title":{"rendered":"Clock, The (1945)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Why can&#8217;t we have this one last day together &#8212; couldn&#8217;t we?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Poster-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-19812\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Poster-197x300.jpg 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Poster-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nDuring World War II, a soldier (Robert Walker) on leave for two days in New York City meets a pretty young secretary (Judy Garland) and falls in love; soon they&#8217;re desperately trying to find a way to get married before he&#8217;s shipped back to active duty.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Judy Garland Films<\/li>\n<li>Keenan Wynn Films<\/li>\n<li>New York City<\/li>\n<li>Race-Against-Time<\/li>\n<li>Robert Walker Films<\/li>\n<li>Romance<\/li>\n<li>Soldiers<\/li>\n<li>Vincente Minnelli Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nI was surprised to find myself largely in agreement with Peary&#8217;s cynical review of this early Vincente Minnelli film, a rare non-musical for Judy Garland (who Minnelli married shortly afterwards). Peary argues that while &#8220;Garland is extremely fetching&#8221; (true), the &#8220;romance is too calculated to endear us through simplicity&#8221;, and the picture itself is ultimately &#8220;too proud of itself for its &#8216;realistic&#8217; characters, innocent romance, [and] &#8216;honest&#8217; common-folks dialogue&#8221;. He forewarns us that &#8220;despite the fine cast and a few touching moments, [the] picture may grate on your nerves&#8221;. <em>The Clock<\/em> is the type of film you desperately <em>want<\/em> to enjoy, given that its heart is clearly in the right place &#8212; who wouldn&#8217;t root for a pair of such likable protagonists under such imposed duress? Thanks to sensitive performances by both Garland and Walker, we like these individuals right away; and it&#8217;s refreshing to see Garland only gradually coming to the realization this random &#8220;Joe&#8221; is someone she may be seriously interested in getting to know better. <\/p>\n<p>As the granddaughter-in-law of a wartime bride, I&#8217;ve heard much about the reality of the romantic climate at the time, which was very much one of grabbing opportunities as they presented themselves &#8212; and the storyline is faithful to that general sentiment. I&#8217;m sure it hit a nerve with audiences at the time. What ultimately undoes the film, however &#8212; as Peary points out &#8212; is its attempt to engage the leading couple in a series of &#8220;authentic&#8221; NYC adventures, most of which simply never ring quite true. While James Gleason is believably wholesome as a milkman who picks up Walker and Garland late at night (and I had no problem buying the idea that he&#8217;d take them along for a ride; such night-time jobs can get pretty lonesome), the excitement they subsequently undergo quickly feels calculated to drive the plot forward. Meanwhile, Minnelli&#8217;s attempts to infuse humor into the script &#8212; such as through the <em>weird<\/em> performance of a prim older woman (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0037604\/trivia?tr=tr0697215\">Moyna MacGill, Angela Lansbury&#8217;s mother<\/a>) who glances repeatedly up to the heavens while attempting to eat her dinner through the ruckus caused by drunk Keenan Wynn (perfectly cast) &#8212; often fall flat, and seem better suited for a different type of indie film altogether. <\/p>\n<p>With all that said, <em>The Clock<\/em> does get several things right &#8212; most notably the palpable sense on the part of both Walker and Garland&#8217;s characters that they&#8217;ve been thrown into a unique pocket-hole of fate, one they&#8217;d be stupid to turn against or ignore. In the midst of war and leave and loneliness, finding a &#8220;soulmate&#8221; &#8212; even for a few days &#8212; would surely feel larger-than-life, and it absolutely comes across as authentic that they&#8217;d scramble to find a way to consummate (and legitimate) their brief union.  So, despite my overall grumpiness, I&#8217;ll concede that <em>The Clock<\/em> is worth a look on numerous levels, even if it fails to deliver an entirely satisfying package. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Judy Garland as Alice<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Garland2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Garland2-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-19815\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Garland2-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Garland2-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Garland2-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Garland2.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Robert Walker as Joe<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Walker.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Walker-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-19816\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Walker-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Walker-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Walker-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Walker.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine character performances<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Wynn.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Wynn-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-19819\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Wynn-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Wynn-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Wynn-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-Wynn.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>An effective view of both the charms and frustrations of New York City<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-New-York.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-New-York-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-19817\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-New-York-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-New-York-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-New-York-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Clock-New-York.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s certainly recommended for one-time viewing &#8212; and a must for Garland fans, naturally. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0037604\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1945\/05\/04\/archives\/the-screen-in-review-the-valley-of-decision-with-greer-carson-and.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2215cloc.html\">DVD Savant Review (spoiler alert)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/classic\/clock.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/90\/the-clock#articles-reviews?articleId=18746\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitallyobsessed.com\/displaylegacy.php?ID=9233\">Digitally Obsessed Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ckGjwanyLmw\">Tired Old Queen at the Movies Video Review<\/a><\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why can&#8217;t we have this one last day together &#8212; couldn&#8217;t we?&#8221; Synopsis: During World War II, a soldier (Robert Walker) on leave for two days in New York City meets a pretty young secretary (Judy Garland) and falls in love; soon they&#8217;re desperately trying to find a way to get married before he&#8217;s shipped back to active duty. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Judy Garland Films Keenan Wynn Films New York City Race-Against-Time Robert Walker Films Romance Soldiers Vincente&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=19811\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19811"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65919,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19811\/revisions\/65919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}