Again, we have a sort of blackout on personal news from our two young lovers. Nothing on the international front, either.

I was looking at a list of top films for the year 1944 and was struck by how many of them remain classics today, known by film buffs and the general public alike. They run the range from screwball comedies to war propaganda to melodramas and feel-good stories.

The top movie of the year was “Going My Way,” starring Big Crosby. We’ve already read that both Dot and Dart were quite moved by this story. They were not alone. It received the Best Picture award from the Academy that year.

Other titles of popular films include:

• Arsenic and Old Lace
• Double Indemnity
• Lifeboat
• Meet Me in St. Louis
• Since You Went Away