Awards and Honors

Random Harvest brought in $4.5 million on its initial release, a profit of $2.5 million for MGM. It ranked fifth among the year's top moneymakers, behind Bambi, Mrs. Miniver, Casablanca and Yankee Doodle Dandy.

The National Board of Review named Greer Garson (for Random Harvest and Mrs. Miniver) and Susan Peters among the best actors of the year. At the time, they did not give competitive acting awards.

Random Harvest was nominated for seven Academy Awards®:, though it failed to win anything. Its main competition was another MGM hit, Mrs. Miniver, which beat it for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. In addition, Susan Peters lost Best Supporting Actress to that film's Teresa Wright. Colman lost Best Actor to James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy, while the film lost Best Art Direction to another wartime drama, This Above All, and Best Score to Now, Voyager.

In the screenwriting category, the writers of Random Harvest were running against themselves. Claudine West, George Froeschel and Arthur Wimperis were also nominated for Mrs. Miniver, along with Random Harvest author James Hilton.

Sidney Franklin won the Irving G. Thalberg for his work as producer on both of his 1942 releases, this film and Mrs. Miniver.

Garson's failure to receive an Oscar® nomination for her acclaimed performance in Random Harvest would have created an uproar in any other year, but in 1942 her performance was overshadowed by her work in the pro-British flag-waver Mrs. Miniver, which brought her the Oscar® as Best Actress.

Director Mervyn LeRoy never won a competitive Oscar®. In fact, Random Harvest brought him his only nomination for Best Director. He would win the Academy®'s honorary Irving G. Thalberg Award in 1976.

The Critics' Corner on RANDOM HARVEST

"One of the truly fine motion pictures of this or any other year...an emotional experience of rare quality. Rave press notices cannot fail to greet the excellence of its production, direction, performances and craftsmanship, for there can be no fault to find with any phase of the great, enduring love story it stirringly brings to life." -- The Hollywood Reporter.

"Miss Garson, more charming and seductive than ever, is an important mainstay of the picture. Essaying a highly sympathetic role, she overshadows Colman and places the film in the laps of the women together with their moist handkerchiefs." - Variety.

Random Harvest...is distinguished by (1) a moving love story, (2) the unveiling of Miss Garson's interesting legs." - Time.

"I would like also to recommend Random Harvest to those who can stay interested in Ronald Colman's amnesia for two hours and who could with pleasure eat a bowl of Yardley's shaving cream for breakfast...." -- James Agee, The Nation.

"Given Metro's usual glossy treatment and packed with familiar faces in supporting roles, Random Harvest offers many delightful surprises (Garson dancing in a miniskirt, for one) and fantastic plot twists while providing enough hanky action to break even the meanest cynic." - Luisa F. Ribeiro, Baltimore City Paper.

"The only reason to see this twaddle is the better to savor the memory of the Carol Burnett-Harvey Korman parody, which also was shorter. Mervyn LeRoy, who directed many a big clinker, also gets the blame for this one." - Pauline Kael (5001 Nights at the Movies).

Compiled by Frank Miller