The story, which is mostly told in flashback, begins in 1945, as Clark Gable's character (Col. Ulysses "Lee" Johnson), an Army surgeon, is returning home after the war. Prompted by a reporter's question, Col. Johnson reflects on the man he was in 1941 and the man he is now.
Prior to U.S. involvement in the war, successful surgeon Lee Johnson and his wife, Penny (Anne Baxter), live a rather selfish, high-society life. Concerned with things like parties, golfing, and dancing, Lee doesn't have much time for his friend, Bob (John Hodiak), a doctor who works with the less fortunate in the poor section of town. Though Bob longs for Lee's financial and practical help, Lee simply isn't cut from the same cloth Bob is. He sees his patients as cases, not human beings, so to work with patients who cannot further his career or enlarge his bank account matters little to him. Lee's attitude angers Bob, causing the two men to argue bitterly.
After Pearl Harbor, Lee enlists in the Army and is sent to Europe, where he will serve as a field surgeon. While enroute to his assignment, he has an uncomfortable meeting with an Army nurse---one Lt. Jane "Snapshot" McCall (Lana Turner). Arrogant, and with a seeming disdain for women's opinions about political matters, Lee succeeds in irritating the widowed nurse. Snapshot can't stand, and has no use for, the pompous doctor, even nicknaming him "Useless." As it turns out, though, the two of them will have to stop butting heads, for Snapshot is assigned to be Lee's nurse.
The workload is intense, and they find themselves sometimes in the surgical unit for 16 hours straight. Eventually, Lee begins to change, even apologizing for things he has said and done. He begins to care about people...even comes to see the error of his ways with regard to the poor people back home. As Lee changes from a self-centered man into a caring one, he and Snapshot find themselves falling in love.
Since Lee is married, however, and there can be no future for them, they vow to fight their feelings. Penny, meanwhile, on the homefront, sees the change in Lee through his letters and fears she is losing him. How it all plays out is the balance of this very lovely film.
Of the four Gable/Turner pairings (Honky Tonk, Somewhere I'll Find You, and Betrayed are the others), Homecoming is definitely my favorite; not only is it my favorite of their pairings, but it's one of my five favorite Clark Gable films and one of my five favorite Lana Turner films. I think it's a beautiful movie---the transformation of Clark Gable's character from selfish to caring, from arrogant to humble, is a joy to watch. The chemistry between him and Lana is wonderful---they really were great together. While this film is not a sobber, it is most definitely a heart-tugger--one that gets me lightly misty-eyed several times and brings on quite a volume of tears a couple other times.
The film, which I think is a must-see, is out on DVD, so it ought to be fairly easy to track down. I do hope you get a chance to see it. Happy viewing!!
