This will be an ongoing series featuring lesser known films, that have merit. It also will discuss stars who are known for more famous films, but have a good performance in the spotlighted film.
Clark Gable was an established star when he played Col Ulysses Delby (Lee) Johnson, a doctor who goes off to war. He has it all, a successful practice as a surgeon at the hospital, a place in society, and a loving wife, played by Anne Baxter, a good actress, who doesn’t do much in the film. She does a good job of playing Gable’s suffering, supportive and lonely wife. Col. Johnson’s fault is that he goes off to war, because everyone’s doing it. He’s reminded of this, when he asks his friend and colleague, Dr. Robert Sunday, why he’s not going off to war. Sunday, played by John Hodiak, lays into Gable. He tells him there is a war at home, against disease and illness, that needs to be fought. He tells Dr. Johnson that he’s missing the big picture of practicing medicine. He tells him he just wants the spotlight, and that’s why he’s going. Sunday walks out in disgust, his words hitting home with Johnson.
Dr. Johnson travels to Europe on a ship, where he meets a feisty nurse, named Lt. Jane (Snapshot) MCcall. He has an argument with her, and asks who has her as a nurse. His question is answered by Lt. Col Avery Silver, when he says she’s Johnson’s nurse. The two have a very testy relationship at first, but later develop a grudging respect for each other. They work side by side under harsh conditions, with Gable and Turner operating with little sleep. Unfortunately, because its a war zone, the area is subject to attack. During a bombing raid, they comfort each other. When the raid is over, Johnson’s friend and fellow officer, Col Silver, played by Ray Collins, is wounded, and dies, with Gable at his side. After this, Johnson and Snapshot become very close. They’ve developed such a close relationship, that she’s corrupted his middle name, Ulysses, and calls him useless.
The day finally comes when Snapshot, leaves, and is ordered to the Pacific Theater. Before she leaves, the couple kiss goodbye. Johnson is given leave, and ends up in Paris. This movie, being a Hollywood romance, finds Snapshot, also on leave in The City of Lights. The two find each other, and share their feelings. The next scene is Gable coming home, wounded, and walking with a cane. He tells his wife about Snapshot, who he’s written about in his letters. She asks about her whereabouts. Dr. Johnson said she was gravely wounded in Belgium. He said he went to see her in the hospital. While there he is broken hearted, seeing this free spirited woman, that he loved, now dying. He says a tearful goodbye. He tells his wife, Snapshot died a few days later. He said that before he came home, he went to see Lt. MCcall’s parents and her son. He goes up to rest, emotionally and physically exhausted. The movie ends with the servant calling the Johnson’s to a set dinner table.
Clark Gable had more than a few famous roles; his academy award winning role, as Peter in It Happened One Night, Fletcher Christian in Mutiny on the Bounty, and Rhett Butler, in Gone With the Wind. His performance in Homecoming is understated. His role as Colonel Johnson, is not his typical macho role. He plays a man who thinks that his role in the war, will be just another tale over dinner with friends. He finds war to be a horrible thing, with fine people losing their lives. Gable shows a man who steps out of his comfort zone, going from loving his wife, to loving a woman so very different, with tragedy behind her, and tragedy ahead. He made many films, with some of the finest actresses who ever graced the silver screen, Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford and Marilyn Monroe, among them. He has some of his best on screen chemistry with Lana Turner. His Colonel Johnson just can’t stay away from Snapshot, who turns him into a better person.This is another side of Gable’s acting abilities, and any movie fan can appreciate his performance.
Lana Turner holds her own with Clark Gable. She nearly upstages him as Lt. MCcall. Her initial meeting with Gable is contentious. She tells him she has a little boy at home. He wonders why she would leave her son behind. She says her husband died in China a few years before, fighting the Japanese. She says she wants to do her part for the war effort. She also tells Col. Johnson, that her son is in very good hands. The two go back and forth like this throughout the movie. Another is when Snapshot requests that a soldier in the unit, be given leave a day earlier, so he’ll be able to get a flight. Gable refuses and she leaves, furious at his cold demeanor. It took a great talent to go toe to toe with Gable, and in this movie, LanaTurner did.
Mervyn Leroy directed this film, and got the best out of his two stars, with this film. He manages to show Gable’s introduction to operating in wartime with intercut scenes of him performing surgery and having a stressed look on his face. In a somewhat humorous scene, Mrs. Johnson and her mother look at a group photo, that Col Johnson, has sent home. The two of them, by deductive reasoning, figure out that Lana Turner is Snapshot. This gives Mrs Johnson cause for some sleepless nights. After Col Silver dies, Gable’s friend and confidant, the scene goes to winter and Col Johnson walking in the snow, alone. His focus on Lana Turner’s face smiling, when she sees Gable in Paris, highlights the scene. His ending scene of the set table, without the Johnsons shows that the couple is not quite together This film is another directorial success by Mervyn Leroy.
This movie should not only be seen because of the good story and acting, but the message it sends. It is one about self sacrifice, by people like Colonel Johnson, giving up their comfortable lives at home, so they could give their all for the war effort. It’s about nurses like Lt. MCcall, who made the ultimate sacrifice. It shouldn’t be overlooked and belongs with Clark Gable and Lana Turner’s best efforts.