Sentimental Journey 1946

Sentimental Journey 1946





Theatrical director William O. Weatherly is deeply in love with his beautiful wife, Julie Beck, who stars in his plays and devotes herself to fulfilling his every whim. Unknown to Bill, Julie has a serious heart condition, and one day, while they are rehearsing their new play at their Long Island country home, Julie has a dizzy spell. Family friend and physician Jim Miller warns Julie that the consequences will be dire if she does not relax the busy pace of her life, and suggests adoption when Julie confides her wish that she and Bill could have a child. Julie hopes that a child will give Bill the strength to continue living if she should pass away, and soon after, she finds the perfect child while strolling along the seashore. A group of orphans from the city happily plays on the beach, but one of them, a ten-year-old girl named Mehitabel, who is called "Hitty," sits alone and watches for seahorses. Hitty imagines that Julie is the "Lady of Shalott," from Tennyson's poem, and Hitty's daydreaming reminds Julie of her own childhood fancies. After they part, Julie returns to Bill and asks him about adopting a child. Distracted by a new playscript, Bill agrees to Julie's plan, and later, after the play has opened successfully, Julie takes Bill to the orphanage to meet Hitty. Bill clumsily tries to charm Hitty, who shyly responds to his overtures. After a while, the adoption proceedings are underway and Hitty moves into Bill and Julie's elegant New York City apartment. Bill is baffled by Hitty's talk of unicorns and poetry, but the girl's relationship with Julie deepens as Julie teaches her how to pamper Bill. During a visit to the zoo, Bill buys Hitty a toy horse, which she dubs "No Name," and later, she clutches it to her as she suffers from a slight fever. Bill storms off when Julie refuses to accompany him to a party because she wants to look after Hitty, and Jim advises Julie to send Hitty back to the orphanage, as he believes that Bill will never be mature enough to welcome Hitty into the family. Soon after, Julie is trying to break the bad news to Hitty when she suffers a fatal heart attack, but before she dies, she urges Hitty to take care of Bill. Time passes as the grief-stricken Bill visits Julie's grave every day and stays with his business manager, Donnelly. Hitty's own pain and loneliness increase as she waits for Bill to come home, but one day she sees Julie's ghost, who encourages her to be cheerful for Bill upon his return. Donnelly finally persuades Bill to go home, and Hitty tenderly looks after him. The pressure is too much for Bill, and he rebuffs Hitty's attempt to serve him breakfast in the same fashion that Julie had always done. While Bill struggles to cope with Julie's death, Donnelly buys a book on child psychology and attempts to help Hitty accept Bill's decision that she be sent to boarding school. Hitty tearfully tells Bill about Julie's admonition that she should care for him, and Bill agrees to let her stay. Hitty continues to be comforted by Julie's ghost and arranges for a Sunday afternoon party at the country house, just as Bill and Julie used to do. Bill cannot enjoy himself, however, and tells his friends to leave when Hitty describes her latest visitation from Julie. Bill remains at the house while Donnelly takes Hitty back to New York, but later that evening, Hitty runs away and a frantic Bill returns to the apartment. There, he discovers a recording left for him by Julie, in which she describes Hitty as the "living link" that will always bind them. Finally realizing how much Julie loved Hitty, and how much he cares for her himself, Bill goes to the seashore to search for the girl. As Bill had suspected, Hitty has gone to the place where she first met Julie, and he rescues her as the tide comes crashing in. Back at the apartment, Bill tucks Hitty into bed and tells Donnelly that he must return to work because he now has a daughter to support.