The Shining Hour

Burning fire of passion (OT: The Shining Hour) is an American feature film starring Joan Crawford and an All-Star Cast, Margaret Sullavan, Robert Young and Melvyn Douglas belong. Directed by Frank Borzage. The film was originally intended as a follow-up project for Crawford and Spencer Tracy, in Mannequin had shortly before directed by Borzage a financial success.

Action

Olivia Riley can look back on a successful career as a dancer. It occurs in exclusive nightclubs. One day, a wealthy rancher Henry Linden love from Wisconsin in Olivia. More from loneliness for true love Olivia accepts the hasty marriage proposal. Just arrived in Wisconsin, Olivia has already massive trouble with the rest of the family who carry around all of their neuroses and secrets with you.

My brother David is married to the spiritual rather plain Judy. The marriage is only on paper, so that David has no qualms about making Olivia 's advances. However, the actual regiment leads Hannah, the spinster sister of David and Henry. She hates Olivia, who in turn tried everything to improve the mood. The subliminal conflicts break out openly, as Olivia believes to discover their love for David. There will be some dramatic clashes and many discussions between the parties. At the end of Hannah puts fire in the house and Olivia saves the last second Judy, but suffers serious burns. Finally, all recognize more intense debates their mistakes. Hannah admits to have been wrong about Olivia. David realizes how much he loves Judy. Olivia understands to have never loved Henry basically and the couple start a new life, far away from Wisconsin.

Background

In 1938 the career of Joan Crawford had fallen into a permanent crisis. In recent years, the studio had the actress often used in light romances, which laid more emphasis on the opulent costumes and equipment than on the screenplay. Neither the appearance in the historical melodrama The Gorgeous Hussy nor the dialogue -heavy strip The Bride Wore Red and The Last of Mrs. Cheyney took a decisive turn for the better. Only the participation in Mannequin seemed to open a way out. A challenging scenario, the innovative and challenging directed by Frank Borzage and with Spencer Tracy, a new co-star made ​​out of the film a huge success at the box office. Crawford signed a new contract, which ran for five years and guaranteed her a year a fee of $ 330,000.

The Shining Hour had brought it in the 1934 Broadway season, among others, Gladys Cooper, Raymond Massey and Adrianne Allen on 121 performances. Joan Crawford, who had the piece at the time seen on the stage, convinced MGM to acquire the film rights. As a male co-star Spencer Tracy was first again provided, but is smashed the plan in advance. Joan Crawford was in the occupation of the two female supporting roles on established stage actors. At the end all participants delivered the opinion of the critics good representations, but the film failed at the box office. Frank Borzage directed underperformed its potential and the film flopped at the box office.

Joan Crawford was not very happy with the finished result and its representation, as compared to Roy Newquist was later:

" " Burning fire of passion " was a flop at a high level. On Broadway, it was a huge success. Margaret Sullavan, Robert Young, Melvyn Douglas and I, however, were all wasted and I think it was around this time that my loyal fans to abwanten from me. You can not lure them into simply bad movies. "

Theatrical Release

The film came in the national rental on 18 November 1938. At a cost of 1,068,000 U.S. dollars burning fire of passion was an expensive production, which was well above the average budget for a movie of the time. He plays in the U.S. with a sum of 942,000 U.S. dollars, a sum, which already was below the standard which could be expected until the middle of the decade from a Joan Crawford movie. With foreign revenue of 425,000 U.S. dollars, and a cumulative total profit of 1.367 million U.S. dollars, the studio earned at the end of a loss of 137,000 U.S. dollars.

Reviews

Most reviewers criticized the static impression of the adaptation and the never-ending dialogues.

Variety brought things to the point:

" [ Burning fire of passion ] may have four stars, led by Joan Crawford. Ultimately, the theater owners have nothing left but a confused film that developed from the intersecting motives no real tension. The main problem is the script. Frank Borzage can not save a lot. "

Sources and literature used

  • Roy Newquist (ed.): Conversations with Joan Crawford. Citadel Press, Secaucus, N. J. 1980, ISBN 0-8065-0720-9
  • Lawrence J. Quirk: The Complete Films of Joan Crawford. Citadel Press, Secaucus, N. J. 1988, ISBN 0-8065-1078-1
  • Alexander Walker: Joan Crawford. The Ultimate Star. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1983, ISBN 0-297-78216-9

Pictures of The Shining Hour

The Shining Hour # The Shining Hour # The Shining Hour # The Shining Hour # The Shining Hour # The Shining Hour # The Shining Hour # The Shining Hour # The Shining Hour # The Shining Hour #
1938 in film Jane Murfin Joseph L. Mankiewicz Film score George J. Folsey The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937 film) Bad Girl (1931 film) A Farewell to Arms (1932 film) Flirtation Walk Living on Velvet Stranded (1935 film) Three Comrades (film) Strange Cargo (1940 film) His Butler's Sister The Spanish Main Moonrise (film)
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