This is a warm and fuzzy movie about life back home during World War II. Unlike Since You Went Away, which involved an entire family and community, The Clock is centered around a young couple and is set entirely on the home front.
Robert Walker (Joe) and Judy Garland (Alice) are the romantic couple.
But, first, Joe, a country boy arrives at Penn Station in New York, goes out on the sidewalk, and is awe-struck by the skyscrapers of the city. He sees a wonderful panorama of New York City as it was in the spring of 1945.
Joe has no idea how he will spend his 48-hour leave. He is caught up in the crowd, pushed here and there, and finally, sits at the foot of the stair rail on the steps in front of Penn Station between the steps and an escalator.
Alice stumbles on Joe's gear, nearly falls, and gets her shoe heel caught in the escalator and broken off.
She yells for somebody to retrieve her shoe heel and Joe is accommodating.
From this point on in the movie, the couple are together almost constantly and visit various landmarks and attractions in New York.
Alice finally goes back to her apartment and is quizzed about her long absence during the afternoon and told by her roommate not to fool with military guys. Alice's response is half-hearted at first, but then she begins to think her roommate is right.
Alice's thoughts drift back to Joe, who is waiting at the clock of a prominent hotel, their meeting place at 7 p.m. Joe is in despair when Alice doesn't show. Eventually, she arrives.
As one would say, the plot thickens, and there are twists and turns, but most of all, accidental separations that are heartbreaking.
The longer the couple is together they realize they love each other and should get married, which is a further complication in the plot.
The previous reviewer threatened to turn this movie off from boredom? Why does this movie even around today and why is it highly rated? First, it was what the public wanted then. It is 1945 and people are war-weary. They wanted some about the war but from a different point of view.
Also, up to this time Judy Garland was in musicals or sang in each movie in which she played. It shows what a dramatic actress she could be.
Robert Walker is at his best even though he was recently divorced from Jennifer Jones.
So, this is WWII without blood and guts, rationing, etc. It is a love story that filled a need at a previous time in our history. For those of us who saw it on its first run, it is a special joy to see it in our twilight years because of all of the wonderful memories it brings back.
