''The Very Thought of You'' is a 1944 romantic drama film directed by

Delmer Daves Delmer Lawrence Daves (July 24, 1904 – August 17, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director and film producer. He worked in many genres, including film noir and warfare, but he is best known for his Western movies, especially '' Broke ...

and starring Dennis Morgan,

Eleanor Parker Eleanor Jean Parker (June 26, 1922 – December 9, 2013) was an American actress. She was nominated for three Academy Awards for her roles in the films ''Caged'' (1950), ''Detective Story'' (1951), and ''Interrupted Melody'' (1955), the first ...

and

Dane Clark Dane Clark (born Bernard Zanville; February 26, 1912September 11, 1998) was an American character actor who was known for playing, as he labeled himself, "Joe Average." Early life Clark was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Jewish imm ...

. The screenplay focuses on a couple who knew each other when he was in college. They meet by chance, fall in love and marry while he is on a short

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...

leave before starting special training. Except for the opening scene on Attu, the on-screen action stays on the homefront, showing how the years of war affect their lives and the lives of their friends, her troubled family, and others.

Plot

After three years at war, two of them in the Aleutian campaign and in “cold storage” on the island of Attu, Army Sergeants Dave (Dennis Morgan) and his buddy "Fixit" (

) are sent back to the States. They spend a

pass in

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. ...

and visit Dave's alma mater,

Caltech The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

, before being transferred elsewhere in the Pacific Theater. They meet two young women who work in a parachute factory. Cora (

Faye Emerson Faye Margaret Emerson (July 8, 1917 – March 9, 1983) was an American film and stage actress and television interviewer who gained fame as a film actress in the 1940s before transitioning to television in the 1950s and hosting her own talk show ...

) quickly catches Fixit's eye, while Janet (Eleanor Parker) remembers Dave from school days. Upon realizing that Dave has no family nearby, Janet invites him home for Thanksgiving dinner. Her family does not treat him kindly. Janet's mother does not approve of getting involved with a military man who's away all the time. One reason for that is Janet's sister Molly (

Andrea King Andrea King (born Georgette André Barry; February 1, 1919 – April 22, 2003) was an American stage, film, and television actress, sometimes billed as Georgette McKee. Early life Andrea King was born Georgette André Barry on February 1, 1919, ...

), who is married to a sailor but seeing other men behind his back. Janet's brother, classified 4-F, is rude to Dave as well. Only her father and younger sister Ellie makes their dinner guest feel welcome. Ellie notices the attraction between Janet and Dave and secretly arranges a date on Thanksgiving morning between Dave and Janet. After a day at Mount Wilson runs long and causes them to be late getting Janet back home, but the couple can't bear to part, so Janet and Dave proceed to Cora's apartment and fall asleep. It is 3 a.m. when he takes her home, where Janet's mother slaps her. Dave must report for duty in San Diego, but is in love and marries Janet, enjoying a brief honeymoon. Molly disapproves and intercepts Dave's letters to Janet. Janet decides to move out and live in Cora's apartment. She and Dave (with Fixit's help) have a quick rendezvous in San Diego, sleeping on a beach, because all the hotels and trailer parks are full. Shortly after this, Janet learns she's pregnant, which leads to more acrimony between her and Molly. When news comes that Dave and Fixit have been wounded in the war, everyone in Janet's family finally relents. Molly even begs husband Fred ( William Prince) for forgiveness and they reconcile. It takes months more, but Dave finally returns to rejoin his wife and meet their new baby boy.

Cast

* Dennis Morgan as Sergeant David Stewart *

as Janet Wheeler *

as Sergeant "Fixit" Gilman *

as Cora Colton *

Beulah Bondi Beulah Bondi (born Beulah Bondy; May 3, 1889 – January 11, 1981)According to the State of California. ''California Death Index, 1940–1997''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At ...

as Harriet Wheeler *

Henry Travers Travers John Heagerty (5 March 1874 – 18 October 1965), known professionally as Henry Travers, was an English film and stage character actor. His best known role was the guardian angel Clarence Odbody in the 1946 film ''It's a Wonderful Life' ...

as Pop Wheeler * William Prince as Fred *

as Molly Wheeler * John Alvin as Cal Wheeler * Marianne O'Brien as Bernice * Georgia Lee Settle as Ellie Wheeler *

Richard Erdman Richard Erdman ( John Richard Erdmann; June 1, 1925 – March 16, 2019) was an American character actor and occasional film and television director. He appeared in more than 160 films and television productions between 1944 and 2017, mostly i ...

as Soda Jerk

Reception

According to Warner Bros records the film earned $1,933,000 domestically and $581,000 foreign.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Very Thought of You, The 1944 films 1944 romantic drama films American black-and-white films American romantic drama films 1940s English-language films Films directed by Delmer Daves Films scored by Franz Waxman Films set on the home front during World War II Warner Bros. films World War II films made in wartime Films set in San Diego