scarred pilot, who find that love can blind us to anothers' physical - and emotional - imperfections. Laura Pennington (Dorothy McGuire) is a homely girl who comes to work as a house cleaner for Mrs. Minnett (Mildred Natwick), who owns a honeymoon cottage that she rents out from time to time. One day, Oliver Bradford (Robert Young), hidden in the recesses of his overcoat, hat pulled down low, arrives at the house, and goes straight up to his room. A fighter pilot, he was shot down and severely injured. He's lost the use of his right arm, and his face is hideously scarred. His soul is too. He lashes out at people, taking his anger and frustration out on them. His family is sympathetic. Too sympathetic. They overlook his injuries to the point that it becomes obvious that they're trying to overlook them. His fiance' insists she still loves him, but she can't look him in the face when she says it. The truth is all too obvious.
After several weeks at the cottage, Oliver begins to let down his guard. He befriends Major Hillgrove, who can't see his injuries and so doesn't try to ignore them, and Hillgrove's nephew Danny (Alec Englander) who's too young to know that he's supposed to be shocked by them. He
also befriends Laura, whose homeliness makes her an outcast in the village. Slowly, their love for each other unfolds, and they begin to see each other through the eyes of love, they begin to see each other's souls, and they are beautiful to each other. Thinking the cottage has worked some kind of magic on them and removed their deformities, they invite Oliver's parents to come and visit them. But they see only the scarred cripple and the homely girl. As Laura and John see the disappointment in his parents' eyes, they realize that they haven't truly changed after all. But love triumphs in this little movie, and Oliver and Laura choose Love's illusion over life's harsh realities.
The Enchanted Cottage is another of those quirky little films that I love. The story is simple and predictable; still, it's a comforting predictability, the kind you get from a favorite old flannel shirt and a cup of hot chocolate. The story is helped by great sets and understated lighting that lend a wonderfully magical atmosphere to the film. If you're looking for a slightly corny feel-good movie, then pop some corn, whip up some hot cocoa, and settle in with The Enchanted Cottage.
The Enchanted Cottage is rated G and is available in velvety black and white.
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