Magnificent Obsession (1935 film)
- Irene Dunne: Helen Hudson
- Robert Taylor: Dr. Robert Merrick
- Betty Furness: Joyce Hudson
- Charles Butterworth: Tommy Masterson
Magnificent Obsession is an American melodrama from 1935 with Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor. The film is based on the novel by Lloyd C. Douglas.
Action
Helen Hudson is totally unprepared widow. Her husband can not be saved after a swimming accident, as the only ventilator is being used for resuscitation of the spoiled and selfish playboy Robert Merrick. After his death, it turns out that Dr. Hudson, himself a brilliant surgeon, a lot of money donated for charitable purposes, and was able to help so many people. By guilt -driven, Robert Merrick tries to apologize to Helen Hudson, but she rejects him harshly and makes him responsible for the death of her husband. One day the chance brings the two back together and Robert misunderstands the situation and Helen is against intrusive. Horrified running this and it is run over by a car. The accident that blinds Helen. Robert is deeply shocked. He takes his aborted studies in medicine he will quickly become a world famous surgeon. Helen is now convinced the world to be just a load and pulls completely back into solitude. In the meantime, Robert wins the Nobel Prize for Medicine and rises to become the leading brain surgeons. In a dramatic emergency surgery him the healing of Helen succeeds.
Background
The popularity of Irene Dunne in the predominantly female fans based on a series of tearful melodramas, in which the actress has to endure all sorts of hardships and problems before they find true happiness in the end. After her exclusive contract with the studio RKO in 1934 to a close, Irene Dunne decided in future to enter into any long-term bonds, but complete only non-exclusive contracts for a limited number of films with participation rights on director and co-stars. This free - lancing mentioned procedure allowed Dunne to negotiate much higher fees than you had paid RKO. Alone for their commitment in Magnificent Obsession she earned at the end of 145,000 U.S. dollars. Dunne signed initially for two films at Universal Pictures. The first commitment should be the film adaptation of the then-popular novel Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas. The novel was published in 1929 and saw itself as a comment on the frivolities and ruthlessness of the so-called Roaring Twenties. Douglas faced the responsible Dr. Hudson, who helps other people in silence and appeals to the miraculous power in each of them, the irresponsible Robert Merrick in his literary work. Merrick has a lot of talent and every opportunity to do good, but at the beginning he wasted his talent with alcohol and female acquaintances. Only under the influence of the teachings of Dr. Hudson also discovered that Merrick Wonderful power in himself and turns into a benefactor of mankind, the money and fame mean nothing.
First, Frank Borzage should direct the film before John M. Stahl was given the task. Steel had conducted in 1932 by Backstreet Irene Dunne. For the composition of the male lead initially Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was talking before the election to Robert Taylor fell. The film's success made it possible for Taylor to break through to stardom. The studio made from Magnificent Obsession a distinct prestige production and invested almost $ 1,000,000. The film proved to be at the end of financial success. Douglas Sirk in 1954 turned a remake starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson in the lead roles.
Reviews
The New York Times was not pleased with the film and the mixture of quasi-religious undertones and love story. The reviewer called Magnificent Obsession
"Dull and exaggerated. [ The film ] describes the somewhat tortuous path, is on Mr. Taylor, the modern Merlin the medical world. "