Homecoming (1948)

Self-absorbed Dr. Lee Johnson enlists with the Army medical corps during World War II, more out of a feeling that it's "the thing to do" rather than deep-seated patriotism. On his first day... See full summary »

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Sidney Kingsley (story), Jan Lustig (adaptation),

Stars:

Clark Gable, Lana Turner, Anne Baxter

Cast

Cast overview:
Clark Gable	...	Col. Ulysses Delby 'Lee' Johnson (Dr. Johnson)
Lana Turner	...	Lt. Jane 'Snapshot' McCall
Anne Baxter	...	Mrs. Penny Johnson
John Hodiak	...	Dr. Robert Sunday
Ray Collins	...	Lt. Col. Avery Silver
Gladys Cooper	...	Mrs. Kirby
Cameron Mitchell	...	'Monk' Monkevickz
Marshall Thompson	...	Staff Sgt. 'Mac' McKeen
Lurene Tuttle	...	Miss Stoker
Jessica Grayson	...	Sarah, Johnson's Maid (as Jessie Grayson)
J. Louis Johnson	...	Sol, Johnson's Butler
Eloise Hardt	...	Nurse Aldine Bradford

Storyline

Self-absorbed Dr. Lee Johnson enlists with the Army medical corps during World War II, more out of a feeling that it's "the thing to do" rather than deep-seated patriotism. On his first day, he's put into place by 'Snapshot', a sassy and attractive nurse. Their initial antagonism blossoms into romance. Lee then finds himself torn with guilt over being unfaithful to his wife, Penny, who's waiting for him back home.

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Plot Keywords:

army | doctor | world war two

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Homecoming of Ulysses

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on October 6, 1949 with Lana Turner and Clark Gable reprising their film roles.

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Goofs

During surgery, only one of the nurses (or doctor) has her mask up over her nose (to minimize the chance of any of the patients catching an airborne infection from the medical personnel).

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Connections

Featured in Clark Gable: Tall, Dark and Handsome (1996)

User Reviews

Home to a new sense of purpose

As a rule I'm not much into romantic films, but there are exceptions and Homecoming is one of them.

Clark Gable and Lana Turner did four films together and this is the third one. It's Turner's show here. It's a great tribute to her charisma and star quality that she looks incredibly sexy in those army fatigues she has to wear as per the plot. Lana Turner in her

younger days had a quality of winsomeness that was never showcased than when she plays Jane "Snapshot" McCall, idealistic army nurse.

In this cynical age we would look with incredulity that a widow with a young son would follow her late husband off to war because his ideals became her ideals. Yet Turner makes you believe that in this film.

The plot is simply Clark Gable, very successful doctor in a small mid-west city, goes to World War II basically because its expected of him. He's a self centered guy, nice home, loving wife played very well by Anne Baxter, all the material things you could want and not a clue about why we are in World War II. He has a fellow physician friend, John Hodiak who does a lot of pro bono public service work who tries to act as a conscience, but fails. I guess Turner had something to offer Hodiak didn't.

At first Dr. Ulysses Johnson (Gable) and Nurse McCall don't hit it off after she's assigned to him as a nurse. But her beauty and idealism get to him he falls for her big time.

Because its 1948 Hollywood and Anne Baxter is by no means a bad person there was no way Turner was going to wind up with Gable in the end. She has to die, but Turner is given a death scene that is one of the most moving in the history of film. You have to be made of stone not to be touched by her and Gable at her bedside.

John Hodiak, a very talented and almost forgotten figure today is also terrific as Gable's friend Dr. Robert Sunday. Gable will be working with Hodiak at the clinic Hodiak has in a poor neighborhood and he will be doing it because of the social conscience Turner has instilled in him.

There are no bad people in this film except the Nazis shooting at Gable Turner and the rest of Eisenhower's army.

I believe this is Lana Turner's best film and fans of her's should not miss this one.