THE RETURN OF OCTOBER

US, 1948, 96 minutes, colour.
Glenn Ford, Terry Moore, James Gleason, Dame May Whitty, Henry O’Neill?, Samuel Hinds.
Directed by Joseph H. Lewis.

The Return of October is a slight piece of American whimsy, 1940s style.

It is not the kind of film that one expects from Director Joseph H. Lewis, who had directed My Name is Julia Ross with a Dame May Whitty in the cast and was about to direct the classic, Gun Crazy.

It is said that Colombia boss, Harry Cohn, endorsed elements of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and Broadway Bill for the writing of this comedy. As written by the team of Norman Panama and Melvin Frank who made many entertaining comedies, most especially the Danny Kaye vehicles, Knock on Wood and The Court Jester.

The film opens with a court case, a young woman being considered as sane or insane because she thinks her uncle, or his spirit, is in a horse, October. One of the stable team tells the story to a reporter and there are flashbacks.

Terry Moore is lively and high-spirited as Terry, who adores her Uncle Willie, James Gleason, and is at home on the track. She wants to place a bet and encounters a rather stiff Doctor of philosophy, a psychologist, who wants to place a bet. She tangles with him, accuses him of robbing her. A young boy throws a paper dart on to the racetrack and Uncle Willy’s horse does not win. And Uncle Willie dies.

Terry is summoned by her aunt, Dame May Whitty, to stay with her and she then improves her but forbids her to go to the track. Meanwhile, the other relatives are waiting for their aunt to die and are mixed up with a corporate lawyer who has invested the cashed stocks and bonds in shady deals.
The psychologist is doing research on the relation between humans and horses and wants to buy a horse. In the meantime, Terry has encountered October and comes to realise that the spirit of Uncle Willie is in the horse. She goes to auction, buys the horse in rivalry with the psychologist. Despite a number of mix-ups, the academic is urged to stay with Terry and to study her because of her belief that her uncle is in the horse. He publishes a monograph on the theme and she is upset. In the meantime, the aunt dies and the cousins want to prove that Terry is insane and so inherit the money instead of her.

There is an amusing court case in which the psychologist cross-examines Terry and both are urged, under oath, to declare their love for each other.

There is a humorous ending as October is entered in the Derby and of the whole crowd at the racecourse become enthusiastic, chanting Uncle Willy for the horse to win. It does, drops dead, and Uncle Willie has achieved his life’s ambitiion.

The film was made in good spirits which overcome the sillier aspects of the plot and the characters’ behavior.

1. An entertaining 1940s comedy? Whimsical?

2. The cast and the liveliness of the leads as well as the wide range of character actors from films of the thirties and forties?

3. The racetrack setting, the initial race, the bets, Uncle Willie and his friends, Uncle Willy’s collapse and death? The support of the friends? Terry and her being at home on the track?

4. Terry trying to place the bet, the tangle with the psychologist, his keys, the college and their not opening anything, Terry accusing him of stealing the money, the policeman, the bet, her preventing him to bet? The race, the cheering, the paper plane, the horse and its losing, Uncle Willie’s death? Terry persuading the doctor to take her to the hospital, the speeding fine?

5. Terry, summoned by her aunt, the aunt haughty and superior, drinking and useless cousins, the wily lawyer? The improvement for Terry, deportment, clothes, concerts, being a lady? Forbidden the track? Her going, encountering October, the characteristics of Uncle Willie, wondering whether his spirit was in the horse?

6. The psychologist, stern and unbending, the experience of Terry, and the track, driving her, his bidding for the horse, Terry wanting him to stop, their outbidding each other, her having no cash, borrowing from him, driving the horse back, its run at the university, the professor and the visitors wondering about the horse?

7. The professor and Bass overhearing Terry, talking to the horse, the proposal for his research, publicity for the university, their agreement? His spending the time with Terry, the bond together, her falling for him, his not noticing? His colleague, writing the paper, their discussions? Decision to publish the paper? Its being printed quickly, distributed?

8. The death of the aunt, the will, the lawyer, the cousins, their plans to prove Terry insane, using the monograph?

9. The court case, the defending lawyer and her shutting him up, his leaving? The cousins’ lawyer and the wily interrogations? Bass and his wanting to defend Terry, contradict his monograph? His interrogating the witnesses, the clash with the lawyer, the sympathy of the judge?

10. Under oath their having to each declare their love for each other?

11. At the races, the derby, the race, calling out Uncle Willie, the private eyes listening to Terry, everybody in the grandstands calling out Uncle Willie, support, his win, dropping dead? Uncle Willie’s achievement?

12. Use of the argument that everybody was calling out Uncle Willie, the judge summoning the lawyer to his chambers to examine the books and accounts?

13. The happy ending, Terry’s experience with Uncle Willie, her not being sure about what could happen, the human spirit in a horse... And the humanising of Bass?