![]() ![]() His previous memories are restored however his new life and love with Paula is erased leaving him with emptiness that he just cannot fathom, the only clue to his past is the key which he carries in his pocket. Now you would assume this would be the happily ever after but the core of the film hasn’t even begun yet! Smith visits Liverpool for a job interview and is struck by a taxi. To avoid being taken back to the asylum Paula takes Smith to the country where they settle down and marry. This plan is quickly thwarted by an incident and Smithy’s (as she calls him) identity is discovered. She realizes at once he is from the asylum but feels he is harmless and gives him the opportunity to join her on her theatrical tour. In the town he is befriended by a Singer called Paula who offers him shelter and compassion. Not long later, the end of the war has been declared and celebrations are being had all round, due to the excitement the gatekeepers abandon their posts in triumph leaving Smith to simply wonder out of the grounds and into the town. Eager families with missing sons visit in desperate hope to be reunited, but all leave with disappointment. During his time in the asylum Smith has to come to terms that he does not know who he is, let alone where he is from. This amnesiac which we will know as Smith for the first portion of the film is transferred to an asylum as an unidentified veteran who also experiences difficulty speaking. Unfortunately, due to this he also loses his memory. The film is set towards the end of World War 1, a British Officer is gassed and suffers shell shock in the trenches and brought back to England. The film itself is actually based on a novel of the same name by James Hilton in 1941 however I will read and review this another time. However after watching Random Harvest from 1942 I felt compelled to share this wonderful film with you in hope that it may be discovered and enjoyed by more people. I prefer to get to grips with a good book. At some point during the marriage she should have tried to seduce him - and/or told him the entire truth.I have not previously written or even contemplated writing a film review before. Garson is beautiful, strong, capable, and does not suffer from low self-esteem. The fact that this one-sided romance goes on for many years made me impatient. Later, when we learn he is rich and politically prominent, he still comes across as needy and emotionally stunted, dependent on Garson but keeping her at arm's length and unable to love her the way she wants. Colman's character, while physically attractive, is very needy, almost pathetic. This is charming, nostalgic, romantic, and well worth seeing, but modern audiences may find the main characters hard to understand. She accepts, and several more years pass where she is his wife in public but they have separate beds. Finally, he is elected to Parliament and needs a wife to keep up appearances, so he proposes a marriage of convenience. Years pass as she keeps the secret and worships him from afar. ![]() He returns to his life as a wealthy aristocrat. They get married, but then he regains his memory. A beautiful actress (Greer Garson) hides him from the police. He has lost his memory and his speech is halting. A patient (Ronald Colman) wanders away from a mental hospital.
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