Portrayals of Mental Illness/Trauma in Film: Ronald Colman in "Random Harvest" (1942)

Ronald Colman was no stranger to playing soldiers or ex-soldiers in his long 40 year career long before he ever became an actor. From 1900 to 1913, an 18 year old Colman had joined and served with the London Scottish ceremonials which he had joined due to his mother's family heritage. He was also one of the first 100,00 sent over to France once war was declared between Britain and Germany fighting at the battle of Ypres in 1914. While in Messines, shrapnel tore through his ankle and knee and "[used] his elbows and his good leg [to] drag himself back to his own lines on his back, concerned that if he were to be killed, he didn't wish to be found with his back facing the enemy." (Ronald Colman in World War 1 and after) He served for two more months until he was discharged in May 1915 and Colman came back to Britain a much different person than before.

MGM had bought James Hilton's Random Harvest practically the second the book had appeared and hoped it a vehicle for Spencer Tracy. Colman was already in his 50s and fearing his career was drawing to a close after co-starring with Cary Grant and Jean Arthur in "The Talk of the Town" (1942). The political comedy was a hit, placing him back on MGM's radar. Louis B. Mayer would all but jump to cast Colman as WWI soldier "Smithy" who struggles with shell shock and amnesia escaping from an asylum on the night the war ends and discovers a woman who he will marry but will forget all over again. In Mervyn LeRoy's autobiography Mervyn LeRoy: Take One, between Colman and his costar Greer Garson "the English Language was never spoken more beautifully on film." A usually extremely private Colman would admit "this is one picture I hate to finish!"