BECAUSE OF YOU 1952

An injured soldier, Jeff Chandler, falls for nurse Loretta Young and the two soon wed and have a lovely daughter. Sounds typical with a poor girl marrying a rich, handsome businessman like Jeff. However she hides a dark secret – Loretta was in jail as no one believed her innocence in the participation of a robbery.

She never told Jeff about her former life. Years later, the guy who led her down this path, suddenly shows up one afternoon and kidnaps her with the child. After another robbery, there is a high speed chase and the guy is killed instantly. Loretta and daughter survive the wreck physically-but there are plenty of emotional problems as a result. An enraged Jeff accuses Loretta of being a tramp and immediately files for divorce and gains full custody of the child.

Loretta takes a job as an entertainer for children’s parties. Her sister-in-law takes her in but  since this is years later, the child does not know that Loretta is her mother. Unexpectedly, Jeff comes home and there are fireworks.

The  film is really well  done with Chandler showing that he was a good actor. His emotional outbursts are believable. Loretta Young is subdued but as always turns in a competent performance.

About making the film, Loretta Young said she found Jeff Chandler very attractive and he told her that he was falling in love with her. She further stated that the relationship never progressed beyond hand-holding outside their love scenes, “but I think until he died, we both felt it. If I’d see him on the street I’d walk the other way because I didn’t want to spark anything.”

HORIZONS WEST 1952 In Technicolor from Universal