How does The Clock portray a wartime romance in New York City?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Vincente Minnelli, seated at right, discusses a storyboard with actress Lana Turner, seated at left in costume, on the set of The Bad and the Beautiful. — Vincente Minnelli Vincente Minnelli (right) with Lana Turner (left) during the filming of *The Bad and the Beautiful* (1952).

Directed by Vincente Minnelli, the 1945 film The Clock is widely regarded as one of the most charming romances set during World War II. The story follows a corporal from a small town who arrives in New York City on a two-day leave before he is scheduled to ship out to the war front. During his brief time in the city, he meets a wised-up local woman, played by Judy Garland, and the two fall desperately in love.

The film serves as a poignant wartime homefront drama, capturing the urgency and emotional intensity of a romance formed under the shadow of impending military deployment. It remains one of Garland’s most enduring dramatic performances and marked a significant moment in the personal lives of the director and star, who married after the production was completed.1