The Enchanted Cottage

1945

The Enchanted Cottage

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

82%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 717

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The Enchanted Cottage Photos

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Movie Info

Grab a box of hankies and curl up for a night of jerked tears and warm fuzzies with Enchanted Cottage, the romantic and melodramatic tale of a horribly disfigured WW II vet who finds love and renewal at the terribly plain, wallflowery hands of a young spinster. Knowing that society is incapable of appreciating the mutually regarded beauty within each of the lovers, they retire to the romantic seclusion of a lonely cottage in New England. The plot is taken from a romantic play by Arthur Pineroi and was filmed before in the mid '20s.

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Classics, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Romance
Directed By:

John Cromwell
Written By:

DeWitt Bishop, Herman J. Mankiewicz, DeWitt Bodeen
In Theaters:

Apr 28, 1945 limited
Runtime:

71 minutes
Studio:

RKO Pictures

Cast

Robert Young
as Oliver Bradford

Dorothy McGuire
as Laura Pennington

Herbert Marshall
as Maj. John Hillgrove

Spring Byington
as Violet Price

Mildred Natwick
as Abigail Minnett

Hillary Brooke
as Beatrice Alexander

Richard Gaines
as Frederick

Alec Englander
as Danny

Mary Worth
as Mrs. Stanton

Josephine Whittell
as Canteen Manager

Robert Clarke
as Marine

Eden Nicholas
as Soldier

Edin Nicholas
as Soldier

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Critic Reviews for The Enchanted Cottage

All Critics (6) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (1)

Shouldn't be missed.

Jun 17, 2010 | Full Review…

J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
Top Critic
Might have been just another run-of-the-mill midcentury romance, except for the bold way it depicts the debilitating effects of World War II on the very face and body of its male star.

May 2, 2013 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Christopher Lloyd
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Sensitive, occasionally touching romantic fable, well directed by John Cromwell and well acted by Robert Young and Dorothy McGuire.

Jan 30, 2012 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
For Valentine's Day, try this romantic classic.

Dec 28, 2010 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
some viewers will inevitably be charmed by it.

Jun 10, 2005 | Rating: 1/5

Douglas Pratt
DVDLaser

View All Critic Reviews (6)

Audience Reviews for The Enchanted Cottage

Jan 29, 2010

The Enchanted Cottage takes place in the foggy and ephemeral world of the 1940s hollywood movie. There is definitely a dreamy quality to the film (as though it were filmed through a cotton-covered lense). A homely maid comes to work at a honeymoon cottage that is said to be enchanted. She falls in love with the scarred air force pilot who had meant to use the cottage as his honeymoon suite before his marriage plans fell apart due to his post war depression. As the two fall in love, their physical deformities seem to disappear, and both of them begin to believe in the magic of the enchanted cottage. The film is so earnest and sincere it's tough to put it down for being a little hokey. No one can get over how ugly these two are, and yet there are people in the world (even in the 1940s) who've managed to get together even with the extreme handicap of slight homeliness. Maybe the premise is a little flawed, but it's the execution that matters.

Devon B Super Reviewer
Nov 23, 2007

Here stands one of the all time great love stories. Robert Young and Dorothy McGuire star in this tale of ugly ducklings who discover that while living in their seaside house they suddenly have the ability to see with their hearts instead of their eyes. I enjoy stories like this that expose physical vanity for what it really is, shallow and fleeting. The plot has enough unexpected twists to keep you on your toes and the supporting cast is simply fantastic. This just might be the perfect Valentine's Day movie. See it with someone you love.

Kevin S Super Reviewer