User Reviews

James Hilton's contribution to the movies was enormous. His novels have ended up as films that made great impact, as is the case with this film. Mervyn LeRoy must be given credit for bringing it to the screen in a movie that has all the ingredients to keep the viewer glued to his seat.

The film is a tribute to a form of entertainment that alas, has just but disappeared from the present Hollywood. Nothing like this film will be done in the near future because of today's tastes dictates the big, if mindless, spectacles full of special effects, favored by today's movie makers.

There are things in the film that wouldn't make any sense in our high tech world, but the charm of the many twists and turns make for a charming voyage, as we get lost into this tale of love given so honestly by Paula to the amnesiac Smithy. The biggest challenge to logic is the reemergence of Paula as Ms Hansen, Charles Rainier's secretary. But that's the magic of the film, we put up with every twist and turn because we figure these two will find one another in the end.

To have Greer Garson play the role of Paula/Margaret, was a stroke of genius. This actress, with her unusual beauty, made us believe she is that woman whose love for her man is everything. If that object of love was Ronald Colman, one of the most talented leading men of the era, it was well worth the price of admission. Ms Garson was one of the most accomplished actress of the time.

Ronald Colman on the other hand, plays his dual characters with a panache and conviction that only actors of that period had. Mr. Colman makes us believe he is Smithy, the amnesiac soldier, as well as the business magnate that he was prior to losing his mind in the war. He made these two men credible as he transformed himself from one to the other with an ease that was uncanny.

Susan Peters had a small part playing Kitty, who falls in love with Charles, even though she knows it's an impossible undertaking.

This is a film to be cherished by lovers of old American films.

This film touches you on every level possible. The roles are cast to perfection, and even though it has differences to the book, it manages to capture the magic completely. I only have to hear a squeaky gate and the moment and magic comes back to me. I saw the film many years ago, and for a long time it has been a favourite with me. The romance and deep feelings/loyalty shown by Greer Garson to Ronald Colman are what most women idealise in a romance they would aspire to having themselves. The film brings a feeling of love overcoming all obstacles, and a deep warmth to those who know and love the story so well. Cynics may accuse the film of being too sugary sweet and sentimental, but I challenge them to watch the film with an open mind, and not be touched a little by it's beauty. This love story touches me deeply every time I see it. A must see for every romantic out there.

Well we have all heard the saying..."they really don't make'em like that anymore"....well it's true! It's all been said by the previous users comments but with top notch MGM production values the excellent cast sparkle in this totally memorable film. Whether the writers got confused themselves with all the plot twists it doesn't really matter as you are ultimately carried away by the 2 stars at their peak. Ronald Colman is sadly overlooked by film historians nowadays as his tender romantic screen persona seems out dated in this sometimes cynical world. What a great actor, only because his relaxed screen presence make it all the more engaging. Greer Garson could do no wrong at this time in her career & a more perfect combination is harder to imagine.

The scene towards the end when Colman suddenly regains his memory is truly and literary a "roses round the door" ending which always leaves me reaching for the hankerchief! Got to be 10 out of 10 for sheer Hollywood moonshine.

The Kleenex inspired finale will doubtless appeal to romantics seeking a happy ending, but I always have trouble putting films like this under the microscope. There's so much suspension of disbelief necessary to pull this one off that it becomes a distraction. It begins with Paula's (Greer Garson) virtual pick-up of a World War I veteran (Ronald Colman) who can't even remember his name. This is not my idea of rational behavior, and for Paula to persevere in this romance and virtually smuggle her 'Smithy' out of Melbridge County doesn't seem the best way to embark on a new life together. But not leaving well enough alone, the story then goes on to have Colman's character restore his pre-War memories and reclaim his former past, but in the process forget about his marriage to Paula. When she turns up as the secretary to the new Industrial Prince of England, it was almost too much to bear for this reality based viewer. I won't even go into how the newly married couple managed to set up a household in the English countryside with no visible means of support. This was, you'll remember, before he set out for London for that job interview with The Mercury, and Paula had long since left her position with the dance hall troupe.

For the sake of a better review, I'd have to sweep virtually all of this impossible stuff under the rug, along with fifteen year old Kitty's (Susan Peters) starry eyed obsession with a man easily three times her own age, only to throw him over without a second thought when she 'suddenly' came to her senses. Certainly the characters deserved better than to be held hostage to a desire to find normalcy once again. Though the film held firm those traits of enduring love and loyalty, it just wasn't convincing enough for me. For their part, Colman and Garson hold up their end with portrayals that work magic if you're not particularly concerned with realism. I wish I could be more positive, but this one just didn't work for me.

THERE ARE GOING TO BE MAJOR SPOILERS, SO READERS BEWARE...

Not only does the plot feature two (2) medically remarkable accidents, the movie is also full of characters reacting in the most unnatural, cavalier or roundabout manner. A short summary : a badly wounded British officer suffers from a severe and general amnesia. This does not keep him from falling in love with, and proposing to, a kind-hearted music hall singer. The lovers marry, without asking themselves an obvious question : does the officer already have a wife or fiancee ?

As it turns out, the officer did not have a wife or fiancee, meaning that he is now safely and legally married to one spouse (and a very charming and loving spouse at that). Time passes. The officer, by now a proud new father, suffers another trauma to the head. The concussion causes him to forget his recent past (and, by extension, his little family) but pretty much restores him to his pre-war condition. Remembering his genuine name and identity, he goes to visit his brothers and sisters - and by Jove ! there's a nice manor and a nice inheritance waiting for him ! Weirdly enough, the same thing happens. Neither the man nor his friends and relatives ask a logical question, to wit, what if the man were married ? What if the man had found (and married) a nice woman now beside herself with worry and grief ? What if he fathered a child, or even a handful of children, who are now faced with economic hardship, possibly with starvation ?

Not only do the man's friends and relatives remain silent, the same goes for the wider society. No lawyer, no general, no taxman states the obvious : that it would be wise to have a good think about matters pertaining to celibacy, marriage, and so on.

So where were we ? Oh yes, the years go by and our officer, by now a successful business tycoon and all-round benefactor, has his photograph plastered all over the newspapers. His loving wife travels to meet him - only in order to discover, with much shock and sorrow, that he does not recognize her. Not wanting to hurry or disgust him, she does not tell him about their wedding. Instead, she begins to work for him as his loyal secretary.

And if you can believe THAT : there's a Paris tower called the "Eiffel" which is about to be sold for scrap metal...

So no, I can't recommend the movie, it's implausible, overly contrived and overly sentimental. It's a pity, since both protagonists are fine, talented artists giving good performances. If you do feel like wasting some time, try and catch the music hall act, early on in the movie, where the singer, dressed in a rather fetching kilt, performs a Scottish numberrrr. It's memorably weird.

If you've ever read some of my other reviews, you may know that I'm a Belgian and that my mother language is Dutch. Now Dutch contains the word "draak", which means "dragon". However, "draak" also means "a book, play or movie showing questionable taste, for instance because the creator(s) went for cheap sentimentality, implausible twists or worn platitudes". Now here, ladies and gentlemen, we've got a dragon.

As a classic film buff, I stumbled across this film (which I had heard of but never had the chance to see, unfortunately) on Monday, March 1, when TCM finally decided to air it months after I had missed its last airing. All of the praise that you can read about this film is simply not enough.

Many people comment that they find the story improbable. But folks, this is the movies, and movies need be neither probable nor practical. An endearing story with smooth direction by Mervyn LeRoy and flawless performances, it has quickly grown to be one of my all-time favorites.

(Spoilers!) To put it simply, John Smith (Ronald Colman) is a WWI vet who was found in the trenches without any knowledge of his own identity. By chance, he meets a music hall actress named Paula Ridgeway (Greer Garson) and strikes up a friendship which soon develops into a romance, leading to marriage, a baby, and a poor but blissful existence. Tragedy strikes when "Smithy" (as she calls him) is on his way to Liverpool to apply for a job with a newspaper -- he is hit by a car. He remembers his true identity -- Charles Rainier, wealthy aristocrat -- but forgets he was ever John Smith. He returns home, and months later Paula returns to him, too -- this time in the form of Margaret Hansen, playing the part of his devoted secretary, hoping that perhaps he will someday remember the life that they had together and the love that he had for her.

It's such a tragedy that Susan Peters was injured in a shotgun accident not too long after this film -- she does a fine job as Kitty, Charles' almost-wife. Also, Henry Travers (who is never bad in any film) does a grand job (though his role as a doctor is small).

The two stars of this film, without a doubt, are the folks with top billing: Ronald Colman and Greer Garson. Ronald Colman is wonderfully cast as the melancholy soldier who just can't seem to get a break any way he turns. Just listen to that rich voice and look into those big, sad eyes -- he really turns on the charm, here. Then you have Greer Garson -- vibrant, stunningly gorgeous, luscious voice, and, indeed, a talented little singer and dancer! (The "She's Ma Daisy" number is an absolute treat -- a side of Garson the public seems to forget existed.) She takes your breath away as Paula, and makes you believe in the power of her love for her beloved Smithy.

All in all, this movie comes highly recommended: 10/10, five stars, two-thumbs up... you know the bit... but be sure to have those tissues handy!

The novels of James Hilton were very popular in America as well as in the United Kingdom. Mr. Hilton created British heroes that resonated with the American public and cerebral actors like Robert Donat and Ronald Colman seem born to play. I do remember as a lad being given a book with Lost Horrizon, Goodbye Mr. Chips and Random Harvest by my mother to read and the stories fascinated me.

Random Harvest concerns Charles Rainer who sustained a head injury during World War I and woke up in a hospital in his native country with no memory of who he is. On Armistice Day in 1918 Rainer walks out of the hospital and takes up with another drifting soul, an entertainer named Paula.

When you're Ronald Colman, goodness oozes out of you from every pore, so small wonder that Greer Garson accepts him at face value with no idea who he could be. They live together for two years and then one day in Liverpool, Colman is hit by a taxi. He regains his memory when he regains consciousness. He remembers he's Charles Rainer, oldest son of a title and a wealthy fellow at that. But no memory of his life with Garson.

The chemistry between Colman and Garson is a thing of beauty. She wants so much to tell him who she is and he was for three years, but she's advised by psychiatrist Philip Dorn not to do so. And Colman becomes even richer and more successful, but with something missing. Memories just out of his reach and Colman exudes a sadness that the most hardened heart will find touching.

One highlight for me is Greer Garson performing one Harry Lauder's great music hall numbers, She's Ma Daisy with appropriate Scot's costume.

This was the career year for James Hilton. In addition to this film, Hilton did the screenplay for the Oscar winning Mrs. Miniver in 1942 and won a personal Oscar there. In fact Random Harvest ran second to Mrs. Miniver in a lot of categories. Mrs. Miniver was the Best Picture of 1942, Ronald Colman for Random Harvest and Walter Pigeon for Mrs. Miniver both lost to James Cagney for Yankee Doodle Dandy for Best Actor. And Susan Peters as Colman's step-niece lost to Teresa Wright for Mrs. Miniver as Best Supporting Actress.

The film brought Susan Peters her first recognition. But her's was another career cut short due to a hunting accident that left her a paraplegic.

Random Harvest as a book and as a film is how the British see themselves and how they like being portrayed on the screen. When you have players the caliber of Ronald Colman and Greer Garson doing it with the help Hollywood's English colony, the results are outstanding.

Amnesia is always an interesting plot element for a writer, for a number of compelling reasons. The primary one I suggest is that the motivation of the sufferer from memory loss is so strong, causing the viewers to empathize with and accompany him/her on a journey of discovery and often of some danger. "Random Harvest", one of James Hilton's trilogy of most important works, has as its subject the interesting story of a war veteran who suffers first battle shock then total loss of memory, who makes a new life but always with the sense of having lost another life he had known--a youthful idyll whose details he has forfeited to fate; one whose memory always stays with him as an unreachable ideal...The stars of this compelling and hard-to-forget drama are Ronald Colman and Greer Garson. She plays the fascinating role of the young music-hall luminary who shelters, helps and spirits away the wounded soldier she finds so interesting, hiding him from the authorities who want him to return to the asylum to which he had been confined after the war; when they marry and he loses his memory, he of course forgets her entirely. He then returns to a life of wealth, responsibility and eventually of fame, finally as the winner of an election. He is even considering marrying a young woman. His wife finds him again and becomes his secretary and right-hand helper, for years; Only later on does he begins to get flashbacks, when he visits the town where they had lived together, and he recalls details he could not possibly know. And at the end of the film--he remembers the woman he had once loved. And he knows it is the woman he has denied his love for so long--for the sake of a memory too-bright to look upon clearly, too distant to remember. The production of the film is "A" budget all the way; consider the credits: sets by Edwin B. Willis, art direction by Cedric Gibbons, hairstyles by Syndey Guilaroff, cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg, music composed by Herbert Stothart. All-around director Mervyn LeRoy also had a fine cast with whom he interacted winningly. It included, besides Garson and Colman. Susan Peters, Philip Dorn, Henry Travers, Aubrey Mather, Una O'Connor, Rhys Williams, Reginald Owen, Margaret Wycherly, Bramwell Fletcher, Margaret Wycherly, Arthur Margetson, Melville Cooper, Alan Napier, Jill Esmond, Marta Linden, Ann Richards, Elisabeth Risdon and Norma Varden. Credit for the difficulty adaptation of the novel goes to Claudine West, Arthur Wimperis and George Froeschel. This is a moody, intriguing and sometimes leisurely film, I find.Its makers accomplished the difficult feat, in my opinion, of making the characters' motivations entirely clear and yet a bit elusive. In the principal role, Colman conveys a wistful sadness and detachment that is well within his fine but non-classic capabilities. He was given awards for the film, but then it is Greer Garson who for once was allowed to do many of the things she could do--underplay, play sympathy, play drama, sing a music hall specialty beautifully and be as charming as a ray of light, the sort of glowing personality that can dispel the clouds of fear and gloom that have settled within the mind of the shell-shocked soldier known only as "Smithy" at the hospital;l where he had been confined. It is she in my judgment who deserved awards for shining so brightly a film that was not perfect but was made by those who loved its story about as well as it could be realized on film.