Love Letters (1945 film)
Love Letters is a 1945 American romantic film noir directed by William Dieterle from a screenplay by Ayn Rand, based on the novel Pity My Simplicity by Christopher Massie.Alan Quinton, an American soldier in Italy during World War II, has been writing letters for his friend, Roger Morland, a man who admits he "never had any standards, manners or taste."While in Essex, Alan sees a sign for Longreach — the address of the farm where he sent all the letters — and visits the house, where he is told that Victoria died over a year ago.Dilly recounts that one day, she found Roger stabbed to death in the country house on Longreach, but Victoria was completely unable to remember what happened, even though she was holding the murder weapon right beside him.In Rand's version, a dimension of psychological mystery is added, and the heroine discovers the identity of the true author in time for the protagonists to experience a "happy ending.[4][5] The song has been recorded by numerous artists since 1945, including Ketty Lester, Alison Moyet, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley, Jack Jones, Elton John, Del Shannon, and Sinéad O'Connor, among others.[1] New York Times reviewer Bosley Crowther berated it as "sentimental twaddle", calling Jones' performance "fatuous", Rand's writing "a mucky muddle", and Dieterle's direction "mushy and pretentious".No one in the film talks like a human being — every one philosophizes all over the place, even the old handyman, coyly known as ‘the gargoyle.’ Maybe I just ain’t erudite, and don’t appreciate that life isn’t a burden, etc., but except for rare moments, I found ‘Love Letters’ a distinct bore.