The Clock (film)

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The Clock

Directed by	Vincente Minnelli
Produced by	Arthur Freed
Written by	Pauline Gallico Paul Gallico
Starring	Judy Garland Robert Walker James Gleason Keenan Wynn Marshall Thompson Lucile Gleason Ruth Brady
Music by	George Bassman
Cinematography	George J. Folsey
Editing by	George White
Distributed by	MGM
Release date(s)	1945
Running time	90 min.
Country	USA
Language	English
Budget	$1,324,000
IMDb profile

The Clock is a 1945 film that starred Judy Garland and Robert Walker and was directed by Garland's future husband Vincente Minnelli. This was the first motion picture made by Garland in which she did not sing as well as her first dramatic role.

The Clock is the story of a soldier named Joe (Walker) who while on leave in New York City meets Alice (Garland) in Pennsylvania Station. They soon fall in love and are married within 48 hours after which Joe leaves to return to the war.

Garland had asked to be given the opportunity to star in a straight dramatic role after becoming tired of the strenuous schedules of musical films. While the studio was hesitant, the producer Arthur Freed eventually approached Garland with the script for The Clock after buying the rights to the short unpublished story by Paul and Pauline Gallico.

Initially, Fred Zinnemann was brought in to direct the picture. After about a month he was removed from the picture upon the suggestion of Garland. There was a lack of chemistry between the star and director and the early footage was not considered sufficient. Freed asked Garland who she would like to direct the film, to which she responded, "Vincente Minnelli". Minnelli had just directed Garland the previous year in Meet Me in St. Louis which was a tremendous success for both the star and the director. Furthermore, Garland and Minnelli had become romantically involved during principal photography of Meet Me In St. Louis. During production of The Clock, they rekindled their romance, and were soon engaged by the end of shooting. Minnelli reshaped the film, discarding all of the footage shot by Zinnemann. As with Meet Me in St. Louis he also supervised Garland's make-up and wardrobe making adjustments to her costumes, make-up and hair. He also incorporated New York City into the film's setting as a third character and tightened-up the script while revising some scenes.

Both stars of The Clock were plagued with personal problems throughout their lives. Garland was becoming increasingly addicted to prescription drugs given to her by the studio to control her weight and pep her up. Walker was suffering from depression and was an alcoholic. Just prior to the filming the The Clock, Walker had learned that his wife Jennifer Jones had been having an affair with film producer David O. Selznick. After she asked him for a divorce, Walker's life began to take a downward spiral in which he battled with severe depression and alcoholism. During filming, Walker's problems escalated. Garland would often find him drunk in a bar in Los Angeles and then sober him up throughout the night so that he would be fit to appear in front of the cameras.

Never before nor since The Clock did Garland appear more alluring or lovely. Minnelli was a marvel at his craft and knew how best to film the star to enhance her beauty. Continually plagued by her appearance, The Clock was one of the few films Garland made in which she was satisfied with her onscreen appearance.

Though the film was shot entirely in Culver City on the MGM lot, Minnelli managed to make New York City believable, even duplicating Pennsylvania Station for a reported cost of $66,000. Two memorable scenes took place on this set including the reunion of Garland and Walker after being separated in the subway station as Garland rushes into his arms. The other takes place when Garland is swept into the crowds of people and lost, creating a feeling of loneliness at the end of the film.

Both Arthur Freed (the Producer) and Roger Edens gave cameos in the film. Freed appeared at the beginning as a man who lights Walker's cigarette and then gives him the lighter. Edens (a close friend to Garland and music arranger) appeared in a restaurant playing the piano.

The film was released on May 25, 1945, making a decent profit. In comparison to Meet Me in St. Louis the previous year, The Clock was not as successful. With World War II ending, the film was not a popular choice among film-goers who wanted to put the war behind them. Nevertheless, the film did do well and was well received by critics who noted Garland's fine dramatic talent as well as her transformation into a mature actress. Most were surprised to find that Garland did not sing in the film and although some were not pleased with his factor, many audiences were impressed by Garland's performance. However, it would be sixteen years before Garland would again make a straight dramatic film (1961's Judgment at Nuremberg).

Today the film is considered to be a classic wartime romance and a favorite among Judy Garland fans. Released on VHS in the early 90's the film has since gone out of print. There was also a limited release of the colorized version of the film. Warner Brothers has recently announced that The Clock will be released on DVD in February 2007.