This Land Is Mine is a different type of war movie. Similar to Edge of Darkness, it takes place in a small, European village that holds virtually no hope against the Nazi invasion. There were several movies that featured that setting, all made within a few years, and this is one of the better ones. Not only does it star Charles Laughton, who instantly adds class and talent to any picture, but the story has a strong moral to teach frightened audiences at home (in 1943).
Charles stars as a meek schoolteacher who obeys all the rules. He doesn't attend radical meetings, doesn't teach his students anything controversial about the imposing soldiers stationed in town, and never disobeys his mother. He has a huge crush on another teacher, Maureen O'Hara, but he doesn't have the courage to tell her. He's not a very courageous fellow, as is shows by many scenes in the beginning. During an air raid, he flees the shelter, insisting his mother is too afraid to be alone. Once he finds her and brings her underground, he clings to her and cries. He was too frightened to be alone, and only his mother's comforting arm could make him feel safe. Since Charles Laughton is a wonderful actor, he makes it impossible for you to label him as a coward or a Mama's boy; you see his reasons for his behavior and you understand.
It's very sweet to see Charles and Maureen reunited in a third movie! They have an endearing chemistry, and it doesn't hurt to know he discovered her and gave her her career. Maureen, as you might guess, is a bit rebellious in this movie, alongside her brother Kent Smith.
Believe it or not, there's someone who can and does steal the show away from Charles and Maureen. Little Una O'Connor, known for playing bit parts mostly as innkeepers or grandmothers, plays Charles's devoted mother. When Charles is arrested for merely keeping a flyer for a prohibited meeting in his book, she lets no one stand in her way in her attempt to rescue him. She tears the town apart and uses every connection she has, even threatening the tall, imposing George Sanders with her cane. Congratulations Una on earning a Rag nomination!
Charles stars as a meek schoolteacher who obeys all the rules. He doesn't attend radical meetings, doesn't teach his students anything controversial about the imposing soldiers stationed in town, and never disobeys his mother. He has a huge crush on another teacher, Maureen O'Hara, but he doesn't have the courage to tell her. He's not a very courageous fellow, as is shows by many scenes in the beginning. During an air raid, he flees the shelter, insisting his mother is too afraid to be alone. Once he finds her and brings her underground, he clings to her and cries. He was too frightened to be alone, and only his mother's comforting arm could make him feel safe. Since Charles Laughton is a wonderful actor, he makes it impossible for you to label him as a coward or a Mama's boy; you see his reasons for his behavior and you understand.
It's very sweet to see Charles and Maureen reunited in a third movie! They have an endearing chemistry, and it doesn't hurt to know he discovered her and gave her her career. Maureen, as you might guess, is a bit rebellious in this movie, alongside her brother Kent Smith.
Believe it or not, there's someone who can and does steal the show away from Charles and Maureen. Little Una O'Connor, known for playing bit parts mostly as innkeepers or grandmothers, plays Charles's devoted mother. When Charles is arrested for merely keeping a flyer for a prohibited meeting in his book, she lets no one stand in her way in her attempt to rescue him. She tears the town apart and uses every connection she has, even threatening the tall, imposing George Sanders with her cane. Congratulations Una on earning a Rag nomination!