Since You Went Away

Since You Went Away (1944) starring Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Shirley Temple, Joseph Cotten, Monty Woolley. World War II home-front drama has Colbert as Anne Hilton, the wife of a businessman who has enlisted and is headed off to war. She tries to keep the home fires burning, which includes keeping up a normal household for her two daughters (Jones and Temple). Cotten plays a friend of the family who comes to visit, and Woolley plays their cranky lodger. The movie was nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture. Too many subplots make this an overlong film (almost three hours), and it's dated and somewhat corny. Still, it's a landmark film. Good subtitles, as well as closed captions. Grade: B