Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nostalgic treat, January 27, 2003
A charming, intelligent and pleasantly sentimental wartime comedy-romance, featuring a winsome Judy Garland and a babyfaced Robert Walker as a star-crossed young couple who meet in the waning days of WWII. He's a soldier from a small town who has a couple of days layover in New York City before shipping off to Europe. They meet by accident and slowly, but inexorably fall in love. The delicate, deliberate pace of their budding romance swiftly gives way to a panicked rush to marry, as they realize he's about to leave within hours, possibly never to return... This is one of director Vincente Minnelli's most heartfelt films, a really sweet, nostalgic ode to the meeting of old and new America, as the still-young nation strode into superpower status. One of my favorite old films... Fun supporting cast as well, with several broadly-drawn cariacatures of the nice folks you can meet in the Big City, if you can only still find its heart.
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Classic For the Non Musicals Fan!, March 15, 2003
For anyone who loves 40's films but not thrilled with Musicals. I think this is a film you'd enjoy. The Stars Robert Walker (strangers on a train) as soldier on a 48 hour leave and Judy Garland (the Wizard of oz) as a NY secretary that Walker falls in love with.
This is a sensual, Romantic and Dramatic film. Not something that Judy Garland was known for. Upon her request to do a Non singing film her husband Vincente Minnelli directed the song bird in her fist non singing film. As the story unfolds The two strangers Alice and Joe meet, fall in love and Marry in 48 hours, Yes 48 Hours, but they go through quite a bit in the during war romance. They meet under The Clock at 7 for a date and in that same night walk through Central park and share a passionate Kiss, then they decide to get married, But while they are in Grand Central station they accidently lose eachother and spend what time (Joe) has left before his leave is up. When they finally see eachother again. It is beautiful. You can really feel the steaminess of the story ...
This is a heartfelt war time romance for anyone who's ever been in love. See Judy Garland in a wonderful dramatic film which proves she could hold her own as a powerful actress.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Totally Charming Love Story With A Captivating Judy Garland, August 29, 2004
I approached "The Clock", with high expectations having heard a great deal about it and I'm happy to report I was totally charmed and won over by everything in this quite simple love story made just before the end of World War Two. The initial novelty of seeing Judy Garland's only non musical while at MGM was quickly replaced by sheer admiration for her assured dramatic playing and totally convincing chemistry with co star Robert Walker. They really become the "young lovers", we always hear about in romantic stories with Garland playing a New York office worker who encounters young soldier Walker who is on 48 hours leave in the city before being shipped out to Europe. Garland in particular shows depths in her dramatic acting I always knew were there but which seem to really come of age in this performance. The second famous collaboration between Judy Garland and soon to be husband Vincente Minnelli,after the classic "Meet Me in St. Louis", this little drama strangely comes from MGM's famed Arthur Freed unit which was responsible for some of MGM's greatest musicals at this time. "The Clock", certainly has no big splashy musical numbers however it leaves its mark with an innocent and endearing little love story about two ordinary people who find love in some of the most unlikely places.
Based on a short story by Paul and Pauline Gallico, the screen writers have in a most interesting way made this into a three character study where apart from screen lovers Alice Mayberry (Judy Garland), and Cpl. Joe Allen (Robert Walker), the actual city of New York becomes a character, so instrumental as it is in directing, developing and at times hindering the course of true romance between the young lovers. Cpl. Allen encounters Alice first off in the crowded station where he accidently breaks the heel of her shoe. After getting it repaired the two find themselves spending time together going on long walks discovering parts of the city and much about each other as well. Slowly affection turns to love as their time during Joe's 48 hour leave seems to be governed by the clocks when first they arrange to meet at the station again and when after love blossoms they have to race against time to obtain a marriage licence that will allow them to marry. There are many charming little vignettes along the way for Alice and Joe as the begin to fall in love as they first stroll through a museum, enjoy some quiet time together in Central Park, savour some of New York's colourful personalities, and then unexpectedly find themselves at dawn helping milkman Al Henry (James Gleason) with his delivery run. Ending up enjoying a hearty breakfast back at his home, the example of the deep love between Al and his wife (Lucile Gleason), inspires Joe to ask Alice to marry him which puts everything into frantic overdrive as they race to get the licence before the office closes and then find a celebrant to perform the ceremony. Along the way all is not smooth sailing for the pair however as at one point Alice and Joe lose each other in the busy subway and when after the rushed wedding ceremony Alice realising that that was her one and only wedding bursts into tears at the thought of how rushed and ugly their ceremony was. "The Clock", has a bittersweet ending to it in that the ever present clocks still determine the course of events in Alice and Joe's lives and after a wedding breakfast the two find themselves again under the clocks at Grand Central Station but this time it is to part company as Joe must leave for active duty overseas.
What might have been a minor romantic tale has been transformed into one of the most memorable of 1940's romantic dramas by all the talented people involved. Originally "the Clock", was to be directed by Fred Zinnemann, however after differences with Judy Garland at her request Vincente Minnelli was brought in as director. Having just had a triumph with Garland in "Meet Me in St. Louis", it was a match made in heaven and the couple not only produced another classic film but also married not long after its release. The perfect screen team of Judy Garland and Robert Walker was strangely never repeated again after "The Clock",despite their obvious chemistry, but the two are totally believable as the star crossed lovers who race against time to fall in love and marry. Judy Garland I dont believe has ever been lovelier than in "The Clock", and the critics were right to say that the real legend of Judy Garland was created in this film along with her previous Minnelli effort "Meet Me in St Louis". None of the tragedy of Garland's real life is present here and she delivers a wistful performance full of innocence, and charm that shows why she was such a special performer. Robert Walker fresh from his triumph in that other wartime classic "Since You Went Away", possesses all the right qualities for the bashful and awkward young soldier and he handles the couples changing fortunes expertly. Despite its black and white photography "The Clock", was a major MGM and Judy Garland vehicle for early 1945 and the use of location photography helps greatly in creating the New York atmosphere so essential for this story. But what the film is especially memorable for is MGM designer Cedric Gibbon's great work on recreating many New York sites like the famous station set on MGM's sound stages in Hollywood. Never once do these look false and they are some of the greatest work achieved by Gibbons and his design team during MGM's heyday. Supporting performances only enhance the special qualities evident in "The Clock". From James Gleason's delightful performance as the milkman to Keenan Wynn's funny scene as the drunk in the diner, they all add to that special colour that makes up a large city like New York. Even the famed Arthur Fred makes a funny cameo appearance handing Joe a box of matches at the station as he waits for Alice.
It's rare nowadays to find a love story told so innocently and with such finesse as you see in "The Clock". Perhaps it is because we are seeing two incomparable performers in Garland and Walker who were ideally cast here but I think it's also because unlike in most modern films that have a romantic slant never once does it resort to gross sex scenes to get over its romantic tale. Here the romance between a simple office worker and an army corporal has all the passion and power of love without having to resort to explicit measures to get across its message. That is the chief charm of "The Clock", and for any lovers of true romance and for the unique opportunity to see Judy Garland in a full fledged romantic drama without music then "The Clock", makes unsurpassed entertainment of the first order. Do yourself a favour soon and catch the legendary Judy Garland in the ultimate wartime romance in Vincente Minnelli's classic love story "The Clock".
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