The Green Years (1946)

Sent to live with his Scottish Protestant grandparents after the death of his mother, Irish orphan Dean Stockwell finds solace in the companionship of his kind great-grandfather Charles Coburn who encourages the lad in his dreams of becoming a doctor. I continue to be fascinated with how self-possessed and competent Stockwell was in his young roles. His struggles and relationship with Coburn in the first half of the film is the best part of the production. It unfortunately drags somewhat after the character grows up, but the film holds some interest whenever it comes back to Coburn’s clever Scotsman.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Cinematography, Black-and-White