Time Out Of Mind (1947)

Set in 19th century Maine, a young housekeeper (Phyllis Calvert) falls in love with the son (Robert Hutton) of her employer, a wealthy retired sea captain (Leo G. Carroll). Although his first love is music, the son is forced to go to sea by his father to uphold the family tradition. Based on the best selling novel by Rachel Field and directed by Robert Siodmak (THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE). The film started off promisingly and I was anticipating a Gothic unrequited romance between a wealthy aristocrat and the household maid and for about half the movie, it was a decent enough romance. Then, it falls into a maudlin, almost sickly, spiral and I lost interest in it. Nothing annoys me more than films about women who pine away for weak willed men and keep pushing them to be great when they'd rather get drunk and wallow in self pity. Perhaps if a stronger actor than the bland Hutton had played the son, the film might have worked but Hutton is a cipher and one wonders why the appealing Calvert wastes her time on him especially when a robust fisherman (Eddie Albert) is obviously romantically interested in her. This was an attempt to launch Calvert, a popular actress in England, on a Hollywood career but the film was a flop so it never happened. Siodmak directed some classic gems in the 1940s  including THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE, PHANTOM LADY, CRISS CROSS and THE KILLERS and this represents one of his rare failures. With Ella Raines (wasted), Helena Carter and John Abbott.