What's this about?

Lately, it seems like many of the movies/shows are just a rehash or reboot of things that have already been done. And so I started to dive into the past. It's been fun, but I find myself losing track of which ones I’ve seen and whether or not I enjoyed them. Sometimes the titles themselves just don't tell me enough to remember.

I wouldn’t have voluntarily watched a lot of these movies when I was younger. It’s strange how interests change. That goes for what I read, too. I have another blog that explores books. I’m mostly reading older fiction and memoirs, and some of the books have led me to movies/shows and vice versa. In those cases, I may post the book review over here as well.

There will be spoilers, which is different than my book reviews. That’s mostly because I want to have enough information to help me remember what I’ve seen. I’m getting older. The brain doesn’t cooperate like it used to. What can I say? The gray hairs are catching up with me!

Thursday, December 21, 2023

The Lamp Still Burns - 1943

I wanted to watch another movie with Stewart Granger in it, and this was his next appearance. It's based on a 1942 novel called One Pair of Feet by Monica Dickens. It was meant to highlight the conditions nurses endured in hospitals.

We spend a great deal of time following Hilary around as she learns the ropes. She's left a fairly successful career as an architect to pursue nursing, and it isn't going to be easy to get her to quit. Long hours, petty rules and getting in trouble don't dissuade her in the least. Back then, it was be a nurse and that's it. It's wartime, but the conditions remain the same no matter what's going on.

Larry Rains owns a factory. After an accident, a brief meeting rekindles a spark that turns into love. Hilary now has a choice to make, because she can't have a life outside nursing. 

I suppose if the goal of the film was to show how depressing it was to be a nurse, it succeeded. The fact a woman couldn't have a life outside nursing is just ridiculous and explains why they were always shorthanded. The end is just awful with Hilary walking up the stairs and Larry just standing there at the bottom watching her leave him for nursing. What a choice, and what a disappointing movie.



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