Random Harvest (film)
| Random Harvest | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Mervyn LeRoy |
| Produced by | Sidney Franklin |
| Screenplay by |
Arthur Wimperis George Froeschel Claudine West |
| Based on |
Random Harvest by James Hilton |
| Starring |
Ronald Colman Greer Garson Philip Dorn Susan Peters |
| Music by | Herbert Stothart |
| Cinematography | Joseph Ruttenberg |
| Edited by | Harold F. Kress |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
|
Release date
|
December 17, 1942 |
|
Running time
|
125 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,210,000 |
| Box office | $4,650,000 (Domestic earnings) $3,497,000 (Foreign earnings) |
Random Harvest is a 1942 film based on the 1941 James Hilton novel of the same name, directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Claudine West, George Froeschel and Arthur Wimperis adapted the novel for the screen and received an Academy Award nomination. The film departed from the novel in several significant ways, as it proved nearly impossible to translate to film otherwise. It starred Ronald Colman as a shellshocked, amnesiac World War I soldier and Greer Garson as his love interest.
It was an instant commercial success. Its seven Academy Award nominations included nods for Colman, supporting actress Susan Peters, director Mervyn LeRoy and Best Picture. Garson, whose performance was well-received, was ineligible for the Academy Award for Best Actress, as she had already been nominated that year for her role in Mrs. Miniver.
"John Smith" (Ronald Colman) is a British officer who was gassed and became shell shocked in the trenches during the First World War. He is confined to an asylum as an unidentified inmate because he has lost his memory and has trouble speaking. When the war ends, jubilation erupts in the nearby town of Melbridge and the gatekeepers abandon their posts to join the celebration. With no one to stop him, Smith simply wanders off.
In town, he is befriended by singer Paula (Greer Garson). She guesses he is from the asylum but as he seems harmless, she arranges for him to join her travelling theatrical group. After an incident that threatens to bring unwanted attention, Paula takes Smith away to a secluded country village, where they marry and are blissfully happy.
...
Wikipedia