The Clock
Reviewed in February 2010
Director: Vincente Minnelli. Cast: Robert Walker, Judy Garland, James Gleason, Lucile Gleason, Ruth Brady, Marshall Thompson, Keenan Wynn,
Chester Clute, Geraldine Wall, Barbara Bedford, Moyna MacGill, Arthur Freed, Roger Edens. Screenplay: Robert Nathan and Joseph Schrank (based on a screen story by Paul
and Pauline Gallico).
RW in train station looks cutely delighted to even be on an escalator, dazzled by huge buildings;
Meeting over a broken heel; "I always sneeze exactly twice, and then I'm all through";
Running gag about children not liking him; where is the office where she works?; "Mapleton";
"Dad used to mow the lawn before dinner; he'd never let us kids do it" / "Did you have a dog?";
Bizarre looping problem where he's not allowed to say "shipbuilder";
Tiresome roommate Helen: "I thought you had more sense than to do a thing like that";
Flicking RW's lighter while "Freddie" calls - nicely cropped out of shot, so thta it's mental;
"What are you staring at?" / "You've got brown eyes" / Oafish CU while JG struggles with... some feeling?;
Did they just have sex in the Park?;
"It's never quiet, really, the city's full of sounds, always underneath" - train whistles? car horns? sirens?;
Soon enough, a gloopy choir - first kiss at 36 min, but it's awfully Strangers on a Train;
[RW, post Since You Went Away - revivied soldier];
JGleason - milk wagons getting loaded, waitin for his radio request;
Keenan Wynn hollering during Al's request, unwittingly punches him out ("un-American," Monitor & Merrimack);
They wind up delivering his milk for him; Loud trashmen flummoxed by RW & JG delivering milk; tilt down to cats lapping it up;
During breakfast prep w/ Gleason, lots of movement in kitchen, but only RW in bg in focus, staring intently at JG;
Long track into train, long track out as subway carries JG away;
They don't know each other's names, etc. - but, like, just wait for the next train; (he gets on the express);
7,454,995 in NYC - how's he going to find her;
"Between you and me, I don't think I'd go around telling that story, either"; she thinks she's pregnant? is she?;
Crazy Pabst montage of all the NYC officials denying blood-test results for 72 hours;
They can't hear their wedding vows over the passing train, JG looks ready to vomit;
Crush of Bad Romance; and then they just walk out, amid the vacuuming and dusting;
RW has to point himself out in his family photo, during awkward breakfast;
Judy Garland is SCARY overacting how "ugly" their wedding was, like she's going to die;
Episcopal Church at end, not sure why RW has his arms crossed and is looking so pouty;
The generous read: the movie is INTERESTING by being so compulsory but also so romantic and solemn about marriage;
Sober intoning of the marriage service, after; "Oh, Joe, I love you - I'll love you till the day I die," altar boy snuffing candelabra;
Wordless final breakfast in robes, until "Alice," after two minutes;
I love you / See you soon - holding it fully together, and she sort of STRIDES out, confident and upward-looking;
More choiring;
C
