The 1940s was a great decade for melodrama. Take, for instance, “The Enchanted Cottage,” a love story about appearances and self-esteem. Laura Pennington (Dorothy McGuire) has returned to the village where she was raised in hopes of starting over. She’s a plain girl, and love has never come her way. She believes herself to be ugly, and no one has ever set her straight on that point. She takes a job as a maid in a cottage near her old home, working for the enigmatic Mrs. Minnett, played by Mildred Natwick, who is very good at looking enigmatic. Together the … Continue reading →