Happy Land

Ameche is the proprietor of an Iowa drugstore made bitter by the death of his son (Crane) in a naval battle. Carey turns up as the ghost of his father to show Ameche that Crane had enjoyed his life, brief as it was, and that he, Ameche, has also had a pretty good life, with a loving wife (Dee), and a respectable position in the community. Extensive flashbacks make up the bulk of the film, which sometimes sinks in its own sentimentality and warmth. It usually works, though, and it's well worth checking out if for no other reason than to look for 5-year-old Natalie Wood making her film debut somewhere way back in the support.