An unabashed three-hanky movie and the final film of director W.S. Van Dyke II's distinguished career. John and Nora Davis (Robert Young and Laraine Day) are an American couple in London during the Blitz. Nora is awaiting their first child while John, a journalist, covers the war for US
readers. During an air raid, John meets young Peter Humphreys (William Severn), and takes him to a home for orphans; his wife, meanwhile, is injured, loses the child, and has to return to the States. John remains in London, promising to join her as soon as he can. After visiting Peter and meeting
the boy's sister, Margaret (Margaret O'Brien), a child fearful of everything, John becomes a surrogate father to the siblings. He and Nora plan to adopt them, but, on the brink of leaving England, John is told he cannot take both kids with him on the plane.
At age five, in her second film, O'Brien--considered by many to be one of the best, if not the greatest, child actresses ever--is an accomplished scene snatcher in the Judy Garland traditon. The movie was a big success, and movingly depicts the personal tragedy of war through the eyes of children,
its most innocent victims. leave a comment