Cartas a mi amada

"Love Letters" is a 1945 film starring Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones. It's a mystery/romance that also is a spin on "Cyrano de Bergerac." As a favor to a buddy, British soldier Allen Quinten writes letters to his friend Roger's girlfriend Victoria while they are serving together, though Allen's conscience begins to bother him. He has also fallen in love with Victoria, and he believes that Victoria has fallen in love with a "man who doesn't exist." Once discharged and back in the London area, he learns that Roger married Victoria and later was killed. As it turns out, Roger was murdered by Victoria, who served a year in prison for manslaughter. Allen blames himself, feeling that the murder happened because Victoria was disillusioned when she realized she married a man who was not the person she fell in love with. When by coincidence he meets Victoria, she has amnesia. Once he finds out who she is, it's too late - they're in love, and he wants to marry her.

This is a really lovely film, based on a novel and adapted for the screen by Ayn Rand. Though it may not seem a likely subject for Rand, her personal philosophy is in play. "Cyrano de Bergerac" was one of her favorite stories, and she believed, as she shows in "Atlas Shrugged," that any deception in love can only lead to disaster.

There's not much mystery to the story - you know what happened from the very beginning - but the romance is good, as is the acting. Gladys Cooper plays Victoria's aunt, who suffered a stroke after the murder. She's very good. Cotten and Jones make a great team as always, Cotten strong, sensitive, pensive and handsome, and Jones stunningly beautiful and fragile with that dreamy quality that made her so good in the later "Portrait of Jennie." "Portrait of Jennie" is more interesting and a better film overall, but both benefit from an ethereal performance by Jones and nice chemistry with Cotten.

The song "Love Letters" comes from this film. It is played throughout and adds to the lovely British country atmosphere. Highly recommended.

I am very fond of the stars and many members of the supporting cast. I adore Portrait of Jennie. I think Ayn Rand was a prophet and wise beyond the ability of most people to even comprehend. Putting all of that aside. Even putting aside all of the music, the clothes, the atmosphere and the dialog. This is still wonderful. This is a story of fate, of love and how the two sometimes come together in an undeniable vision that, once seen is never forgotten. This is a wonderful movie and I enjoy it more with each viewing. Now that Ms. Jones is gone. she can always be as she was here and that is, she was loved by not just one man but by almost everyone who saw her back then when she and the world were so very much younger. Fate, not always so kind but somehow this movie makes one feel that there are worse things than to be fated to an inescapable love.

"Love Letters" is one of the most interesting films of 1945, yet it's seldom seen these days. We watched an excellent copy of it courtesy of a cable channel. The picture has kept well throughout the years. Directed by an old pro of that period, William Dieterle, and with an excellent cinematography by Lee Garmes, it was a joy to watch again. Victor Young's haunting musical score plays softly in the background.

Some comments seem to indicate that Ayn Rand wrote the original work in which the movie is based. Contrary to those opinions, the fact is it was based on a Christopher Massie's novel, "Pity my Simplicity", and adapted by the author and Ms. Rand into the finished product. Ms. Rand was an obvious admirer of the French playwright Edmund Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, which plays in the action without making it too obvious.

The best thing in "Love Letters" was the casting of the main roles. Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten played with their characters with conviction. Ms. Jones was at a great moment of her movie career; her dual role of Victoria Morland/Singleton proved she was the right choice for it. Mr. Cotten was an actor that always delivered, as it's the case with his character, Allen Quinton, the man who has loved Victoria from a distance.

The marvelous cast is enhanced by Gladys Cooper, who is seen as Beatrice Remington, the woman who brought up Victoria as her own daughter and who holds the key to solving the mystery of the tragedy that involves Victoria. Ann Richards and Cecil Kellaway are also seen in minor roles.

"Love Letters" will delight fans of the genre as it is one of the better exponent of the Hollywood of the 40s.

A soldier (Joseph Cotten) writes love letters to another soldier's girl (Jennifer Jones) back home. Imagine her disappointment when she marries him; in the meantime, Cotten is beset with guilt when he learns of it. Conveniently, she soon becomes a widow and Cotten must find her. The search is stretched across 101 tiresome minutes, complicated by the weak plot device of amnesia and the necessity to keep the past from her to protect her sanity. Director William Dieterle and DP Lee Garmes are visually talented enough to keep us seated until we get The Big Message: 'No one can build happiness on a lie," from romance writer Ayn Rand.

I have seen this video many times mainly because I absolutely adore Jennifer Jones.She is an awesome beauty and I must be honest, a sexual fantasy of mine.The fact she is playing a Canadian orphan in the film at least explains her accent.The story of an amnesiac who gradually becomes her true self is OK but why oh why does Hollywood insist on producing "twee" versions of "little 'ole England" in California complete with "gargoyles"? Surely English actors playing English characters in England would have been more authentic.Just to throw in a few English actors (Gladys Cooper and a boy in the London Journal reading room plus stock film company footage of London England, is not convincing enough to the film connoisseur).Also how could a private home have a view overlooking Trafalgar Square!This is unsubtle image - fixing on innocent susceptible eyes.I am sure Americans cringe just as much when they hear unconvincing American accents from non-U.S. nationals.Jo Cotten had the great good fortune to appear to my knowledge with Ms Jones also in Duel in the Sun (1946)/Portrait of Jennie (1948) and Since you went away (1944).Therefore they had already done a film together and their scenes worked well and I almost found myself forgetting his "English" accent! JJ never looked more lovely than in this 1945 picture and there is a very memorable scene when Alan (Jo Cotton) comes back to his house in Essex and receives a call from Dilly Carson (Ann Richards) that "Singleton" appears to have gone missing.Suddenly there is a giggle and the lovely "Singleton" a.k.a.Victoria Moreland, (JJ), pops up from the sofa to surprise Alan- JJ looks absolutely stunning!