Homecoming (1948)

[Aide Broeckel]

Self-absorbed Dr. Lee Johnson enlists with the Army medical corps during World War II, more out of a feeling that it's "the thing to do" rather than deep-seated patriotism. On his first day, he's put into place by 'Snapshot', a sassy and attractive nurse. Their initial antagonism blossoms into romance. Lee then finds himself torn with guilt over being unfaithful to his wife, Penny, who's waiting for him back home.

Clark Gable Lana Turner Anne Baxter John Hodiak Ray Collins Gladys Cooper Cameron Mitchell Marshall Thompson Lurene Tuttle Jessica Grayson J. Louis Johnson Eloise Hardt Alan Hale Jr. Frank Mayo Frank McLure Bert Moorhouse Anne Nagel Arthur O'Connell

I've never been either a Lana Turner or Clark Gable fan but I am becoming one, and like a lot newfound fans I am pretty hardcore. Interestingly, it also features Anne Baxter, another actor I've never been partial to but whom I am respect more the more I see her.

Watched for Lana and Clark....unfortunately some of my least favorite actors make up the supporting cast. John Hodiak is like a demon that haunts my dreams.....that smile.......oh I get the heebie-jeebies!

Not much really makes this film exciting to watch, I really liked Lana's character, "Snapshot," but she doesn't appear until about 20 minutes in (such a shame). Clark is classic Clark, amazing as always. I struggle though, watching him in WWII films. It's difficult to separate his real-life from his character. Must be hard reliving the toughest years of his life, and also playing a guy cheating on his wife with Lana Turner....

Clark Gable was all over this one, but it was a more subdued Clark Gable than we're used too. War fatigue, telling the story of a Army doctor and his relationship with a nurse during the battles. The nurse being Lana Turner, with short boyish hair, in quite a different persona that we're used to seeing her. There was a lot to like here, but there's something about Homecoming (1948) that didn't rise my enthusiasm.

The melodramatic foundation is, once again, marvellous. Anne Baxter as the wife almost literally tied to the domestic space, helplessly registering Gable's infidelity, by way of the letters he sends or doesn't send. Finally, Lana Turner's image is pointed out to her on a photograph with a pencil. Now she knows and now she knows she has always known. Turner herself is called "Snapshot" (while Gable goes by Ulysses D. Johnson, an extremely MGM kind of name) and gets to do a lot with her hair, especially in the best scene of the film, when she and Gable visit a pittoresque Roman bath which just happens to pop up in bombed out Europe.

There are a few more extremely beautiful scenes, but unlike in LeRoy's best 40s films, the stuffy MGM style gets in the way too often. In the end, everyone tends to explain away feelings instead of embracing / falling victim to them.

WWII star crossed adults Clark Gable and Lana Turner fulfill their patriotic duty while getting closer to each other by the day. The most striking thing about this is that is relies mostly on scenes with only the leads standing in a room and they carry it magnificently.

The performances were good and I really liked Snapshot as a character but the story felt so...meh. And I really didn't care much for the ending (feel like that was a product of the stupid Hay's code).

Clark Gable is unusually subdued and Lana Turner is uncharacteristically glamourless. Anne Baxter and John Hodiak, then husband-and-wife duo, in thankless supporting roles. Possibly the most boring Mervyn LeRoy production.

HOMECOMING (1948) is a sensitive drama about wartime relationships starring Clark Gable, Lana Turner, and Anne Baxter. It's available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

Gable plays Dr. Lee Johnson, a successful surgeon who is wrapped up solely in his career and his loving wife Penny (Baxter). He's happy in the confines of his small, comfortable world, not interested in investing his time in parenthood or in joining his friend Dr. Bob Sunday (John Hodiak) in serving the poor.

When the U.S. enters World War II, Lee joins the military because it seems like the right thing to do, but he's in for a tough awakening as he's exposed to the rigors of frontline surgery. He's prodded out of his somewhat selfish and self-satisfied shell by Nurse Jane "Snapshot" McCall (Turner), who never hesitates to speak her mind when she disagrees with his opinions.

As years pass and they share exhausting and terrifying experiences, Lee and Snapshot develop a deep attraction and attachment, but both are always aware that Penny waits faithfully for him at home. Penny realizes from Lee's letters that the war is gradually changing him and is frightened by what the long separation and Lee's difficult experiences will do to their relationship.

Lee finally returns home after three years, physically and emotionally wounded, and he and Penny must build their relationship anew.

I found HOMECOMING a thoughtful and moving drama about good people who bond with one another -- more than they should -- when faced with the worst war has to throw at them. Lee still loves Penny, but Penny's not there being shelled with him.

A wiser man would have better protected the marriage he treasured by drawing stricter relationship boundaries in his new, challenging environment, but part of the point is that Lee isn't a perfect person. He's someone who has some growing to do, and as somewhat of a loner he finds it difficult not having someone to confide in other than his letters to Penny. Lee is even lonelier when his only close friend in the unit, Lt. Col. Silver (Ray Collins), is killed under fire, and Lee's attachment to Snapshot intensifies.

A deglamorized Turner, her hair often tucked under a cap or helmet, is quite good as the sassy widowed nurse who wants to help make the world safe for the little boy she's left at home with her parents.

Gable is quite affecting, particularly in the opening and closing scenes when he returns, and one has to wonder if his performance drew on his wartime experiences, as well as the loss of his wife in 1942. He doesn't get enough credit for being a really fine actor who never puts a foot wrong.

Baxter was excellent in a rather difficult role, breathing life into Penny so she's not simply a pallid, pretty woman waiting at home by the fire. She's touching and intelligent as she grasps that the man who will be coming home is not the same man who left. Gable and Baxter's reunion scenes are beautifully played, happy to see one another yet also awkward and uncertain, meeting almost as strangers after three years.

Baxter's real-life husband, John Hodiak, doesn't have a very meaty role but serves to prod Lee's conscience and reassure Penny. The supporting cast also includes Cameron Mitchell, Marshall Thompson, and Gladys Cooper.

HOMECOMING was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and shot in black and white by Harold Rosson. It was based on a story by playwright Sidney Kingsley. The film runs 113 minutes.

HOMECOMING is a fine film which is recommended. It's one of four films which costarred Gable and Turner; the other three films are also available from the Warner Archive.

The Warner Archive DVD of HOMECOMING is a nice-looking print. The trailer is included.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from Amazon and other online retailers.

Hi Laura

It's been quite a few years since I saw this film but my abiding memories of it are that it was a film for "grown-ups" (unlike much of what Hollywood seems to put out now). The 3 leads were excellent and Gable in particular, for me, really captured the emotional feel required. Performances of light-and-shade.
Thanks for reminding me of this movie. I would like to see it again now.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Homecomings are a cherished tradition at schools throughout the nation. The origins of the homecoming tradition are hotly debated, but the first homecoming celebrations in the United States were held sometime around 1910.

Homecomings were held sporadically after 1916. The 1923 Homecoming saw the creation of Blue Key, now Florida Blue Key. The Knights of the Blue Key, as its members were called, were sworn to serve the university in any way possible but were given the specific task of entertaining visitors. Blue Key was given full responsibility for homecoming events the following year, and all Homecomings since 1924 have been student organized and produced.

The Homecoming Pep Rally became Gator Growl in 1932 and was held in the stadium until it was recently relocated to the band shell at Flavet Field. The first themed Homecoming Parade with floats and marching bands took place in 1948 on the Friday before the Homecoming game. The parade is now as much a local event as it is a university one, with thousands of children lining the parade route and hundreds more marching in the parade or riding on floats.

There was a homecoming hiatus at the height of World War II in 1944, when college football was simply not feasible. This year, football seems feasible, but crowded venues are not, so homecoming events will be virtual. The theme? The Gator Still Growls.

In 1915, the first floats appeared in the Baylor Homecoming parade and have been an iconic part of the Baylor tradition throughout the years. Baylor is known for having the oldest and largest homecoming parade, and these floats are a representation of the effort and intentionality participating organizations put into their creation.

For an organization to enter a float in the homecoming parade, it must be approved in two categories: theme and initial risk management. Once approved, all organizations are given specifications they must meet when building their float.

Organizations will spend months creating floats to enter in the parade and often go great lengths to ensure their float idea is original by keeping their ideas a secret. The floats are then judged based on a number of categories, including title and theme, proportions, animation and special effects, craftsmanship, public appeal and ingenuity.

c80f0f1006