ianlouisiana Review of My Foolish Heart

My Foolish Heart (1949)

In which a doomed wartime love affair echoes down the years..

[8/10 · 16 November 2008]

J.D.Salinger is perhaps not quite so revered here in the U.K.as he is in his own country.I came upon his works in my early twenties,perhaps a little too old to become in thrall to them.Nonetheless I can understand that college - age middle - class Americans might well find in him the vicarious expression of their developing literary sensibilities. His writings are determinedly rooted in American Culture and have more resonance to those familiar with it rather than its European counterpart. Innocence,poignancy,lost love,adolescent rites of passage,these are all universal themes,but somehow seemed fresher when expressed by a sharp eye from the optimistic,young and energetic New World. Many of Salinger's admirers are clearly unhappy with the way Hollywood turned "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut" into "My Foolish Heart" but this disapproval shouldn't be allowed to distract you from the fact that it is a very good picture indeed,a superior product with excellent performances and arguably one of the most beautiful and romantic title - songs ever written.Mr D.Andrews,too often dismissed as merely a reliable second lead,is outstanding as the Army officer who shares a passionate ill - fated wartime affair with Miss S. Hayward.Miss Hayward,also - unjustly - not much remembered nowadays, will give you some idea why she was highly regarded in an era when leading ladies were far thicker on the ground than they are today. Despite being ostensibly happily married as the movie starts,Mr Andrews was the great love of her life and she has been in decline since his disappearance.The story of their affair is told in flashback.Just the sort of thing Hollywood used to excel at,it is an unashamed tear - jerker and none the worse for it. Don't let some strange sense of intellectual snobbery prevent you from enjoying "My Foolish Heart" for what it is - a jolly good picture.