Bearing no small resemblance to Maytime and Smiling Through without the other worldly visits, Enchantment is a delightful film about two generations of romance in an English family. David Niven as one of three siblings and the family butler Leo G. Carroll both play young and later on are heavily made up for old age which in this film is during World War II.
At that time the only occupants of the old family estate are Niven and Carroll when a niece from America arrives in the person of Evelyn Keyes. She has made a promise to her father who is Philip Friend now deceased to look up her uncle, the last of that generation. A rather crotchety Niven bereft of his usual charm in old age reluctantly takes her in. Soon enough she takes herself a fella in flier Farley Granger who is a nephew of Niven's lost love.
Back to those days before World War I and the children who grow up to be David Niven, Philip Friend, and Jayne Meadows are told that they are taking in an orphan girl who is the daughter of their father's friend who with his wife was recently killed in a train wreck.
The boys are agreeable enough, in fact as adults they're most interested in the girl who grows up to be Teresa Wright. But Cinderella's stepsisters never treated Wright the way Meadows does. She never misses a chance to demean her and when the boys especially Niven show any interest she schemes like mad to keep them apart.
Meadows who as I write this is the last survivor of the adult cast members is one cool, calculating and incredibly evil woman. Sam Goldwyn who produced Enchantment should have pushed for a Best Supporting Oscar for her. This may be her career role.
If you know what happens in Maytime and in Smiling Through you have some idea how all this ends. But don't skip Enchantment and its message of when true love comes along only trust your heart.
At that time the only occupants of the old family estate are Niven and Carroll when a niece from America arrives in the person of Evelyn Keyes. She has made a promise to her father who is Philip Friend now deceased to look up her uncle, the last of that generation. A rather crotchety Niven bereft of his usual charm in old age reluctantly takes her in. Soon enough she takes herself a fella in flier Farley Granger who is a nephew of Niven's lost love.
Back to those days before World War I and the children who grow up to be David Niven, Philip Friend, and Jayne Meadows are told that they are taking in an orphan girl who is the daughter of their father's friend who with his wife was recently killed in a train wreck.
The boys are agreeable enough, in fact as adults they're most interested in the girl who grows up to be Teresa Wright. But Cinderella's stepsisters never treated Wright the way Meadows does. She never misses a chance to demean her and when the boys especially Niven show any interest she schemes like mad to keep them apart.
Meadows who as I write this is the last survivor of the adult cast members is one cool, calculating and incredibly evil woman. Sam Goldwyn who produced Enchantment should have pushed for a Best Supporting Oscar for her. This may be her career role.
If you know what happens in Maytime and in Smiling Through you have some idea how all this ends. But don't skip Enchantment and its message of when true love comes along only trust your heart.