Romancefest 2018: The Clock

Here's another Judy Garland film directed by Vincente Minnelli, 1945's THE CLOCK. This time it's a straight up dramatic role for Garland without any singing or dancing. Garland stars as a working girl in New York City who runs into a soldier on leave (Robert Walker) in Penn Station on her evening commute. Walker is new to the city and wowed by everything, including Garland. They spend the afternoon together and arrange for a later date, which turns into an all-night hangout session similar to the marathon date in BEFORE SUNRISE.

However, in this case, Walker is destined to ship off to war in a couple days, so as he grows closer to Garland, their looming departure from each other becomes more and more potentially tragic. The most heart-wrenching moment in the film is when the two of them lose each other in a crowd of commuters and waste the better part of the day trying to find each other again.

It was interesting to see Walker as a young, naïve romantic lead when the only other thing I've ever seen him in is as a creepy villain in STRANGERS ON A TRAIN. He and Garland make a convincing couple and the back lot at MGM makes a convincing New York City.

The movie begins to get a little long towards the end as our two romantic leads attempt to navigate the red tape of a quick wedding, but it gets back on its feet again in time for a tear jerking and hopeful final scene.