Magnificent Obsession (1935)

Director:

John M. Stahl

Writers:

Lloyd C. Douglas (novel)
Sarah Y. Mason (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

30 December 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Hate turned into love!

Plot Keywords:

Medical | Beautiful Woman | Based On Novel

Cast

Irene Dunne	...	Helen Hudson
Robert Taylor	...	Dr. Robert Merrick
Charles Butterworth	...	Tommy Masterson
Betty Furness	...	Joyce Hudson
Sara Haden	...	Nancy Ashford
Ralph Morgan	...	Randolph
Henry Armetta	...	Tony
Gilbert Emery	...	Dr. Ramsay
Arthur Treacher	...	Horace
Beryl Mercer	...	Mrs. Eden
Alyce Ardell	...	The French maid
Theodore von Eltz	...	Dr. Preston
Sidney Bracey	...	Butler
Arthur Hoyt	...	Perry
Cora Sue Collins	...	Ruth
Andrea Leeds	...	Nina (as Antoinette Lees)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marion Clayton Anderson	...	Amy (uncredited)
William Arnold	...	Chief Inspector (uncredited)
Jane Barnes	...	Guest (uncredited)
Margaret Brayton	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Lucile Browne	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Helen Brown	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Roy Brown	...	Ex-patient (uncredited)
Vance Carroll	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Hugh - Mechanic (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Butler (uncredited)
Joyce Compton	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Allen Connor	...	Man on boat (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Antoine (uncredited)
Inez Courtney	...	May (uncredited)
Mickey Daniels	...	Billy (uncredited)
Alan Davis	...	Dr. Justin (uncredited)
George Davis	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Juan de la Cruz	...	Reverend Du Bois (uncredited)
Norma Drew	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Lowell Durham	...	Junior Masterson (uncredited)
Edward Earle	...	Mr. Miller (uncredited)
Charles Fallon	...	Croupier (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Sumner Getchell	...	Jimmy (uncredited)
Gretta Gould	...	Ex-patient (uncredited)
George Hackathorne	...	Ex-patient (uncredited)
Henry Hale	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Man on boat (uncredited)
Ara Haswell	...	Guest (uncredited)
Jack Hatfield	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Beth Hazelton	...	Ex-patient (uncredited)
Otto Hoffman	...	Gardener (uncredited)
Gladden James	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ray Johnson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jane Keckley	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Crauford Kent	...	Dr. Thomas (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Arnold Korff	...	Dr. Slade (uncredited)
Isabel La Mal	...	Society Woman (uncredited)
Louis LaVoie	...	Man on boat (uncredited)
Lucien Littlefield	...	Breezy (uncredited)
Rollo Lloyd	...	Panhandle Pete (uncredited)
Sidney Marion	...	Sword swallower (uncredited)
Frank Maye	...	John Stone (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	John Stone - Ex-patient (uncredited)
Walter Miller	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Clive Morgan	...	Guest (uncredited)
Margaret Morris	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	Dr. Bardendreght (uncredited)
Louis Natheaux	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Paddy O'Flynn	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Purnell Pratt	...	Hastings (uncredited)
Frank Reicher	...	Dr. Rochard (uncredited)
Georgette Rhodes	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Frederick Roland	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Oscar Rudolph	...	Western Union boy (uncredited)
William Stack	...	Doctor (uncredited)
John St. Polis	...	Seabury - Ex-patient (uncredited)
Ethel Sykes	...	Woman on boat (uncredited)
Melissa Ten Eyck	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Maidel Turner	...	Mrs. Martin (uncredited)
Monte Vandergrift	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Frederick Vogeding	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Walter Walker	...	Nicholas Merrick (uncredited)
Harry Watson	...	Boy (uncredited)
Lillian West	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Andy White	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Carol Wines	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Leah Winslow	...	Woman on boat (uncredited)
William Worthington	...	Man on boat (uncredited)

Directed by
John M. Stahl

Writing credits
Lloyd C. Douglas		(novel)
Sarah Y. Mason		(writer) &
Victor Heerman		(writer) &
George O'Neil		(writer)

Produced by
E.M. Asher	....	associate producer
John M. Stahl	....	producer
Fred S. Meyer	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Franz Waxman		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
John J. Mescall

Film Editing by
Milton Carruth

Art Direction by
Charles D. Hall

Costume Design by
Vera West
Brymer		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles S. Gould	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Joseph A. McDonough	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gilbert Kurland	....	sound supervisor

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
William Dodds	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Alan Jones	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Maurice Pivar	....	supervising editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Franz Waxman	....	musical director
Clifford Vaughan	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Carl Laemmle	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1935) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Universal (1936) (France) (theatrical)

Runtime:

112 min | 98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

After being loaned by MGM, his home studio, to Universal for this film, Robert Taylor would not make another non-MGM movie for 24 years (until the 1959 Paramount film _The Hangman (1959)_).

Quotes:

Dr. Robert Merrick: Help? You mean give them money?
Randolph: Money is alright since you have so much of it but there are other kind of help just as good but whatever help you give it must be in absolute secrecy that the world must never know and you must never let anybody repay you.
Dr. Robert Merrick: You mean, if I'd go out and help people secretly that would establish that "contact" you speak of?

Movie Connections:

Version of Magnificent Obsession (1954)

Soundtrack:

Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture

I'd give it an 8 out of 10

Magnificent Obsession - 1935 I've probably watched Universal's 1954 version of Magnificent Obsession 25 times while researching the movies made in the San Bernardino mountains. This is one of those films where there can be no doubt about its location, Lake Arrowhead. But I have always had my doubt about the original 1935 version as ever having been made in the mountains, even though one of the Captain's of the Arrowhead Queen unequivocally stated that he had heard it had been filmed at Lake Arrowhead. In my research over the years, I had never been able to ascertain one way or the other until August, 2000 at the U.C.L.A. Film Archives. The most pleasant surprise is that there is at least one identifiable scene with Lake Arrowhead in the background - including a speedboat cruising across the lake. It is a very brief scene and by far and away, the majority of the film is shot in a studio. Another equally pleasant surprise is a very young (23) Robert Taylor playing a sophisticated playboy (#1) and then an older doctor (#2) and pulling it off believably. His maturity and acting ability are evident from the first frame. Irene Dunne, who was 7 years older, is an accomplished and polished actress with only a few groans to show for her effort. (Her groping blind scenes leave you exasperated.) Comic relief is supplied by an aged Charles Butterworth, as an unlikely suitor to a very young Betty Furness, the step-daughter of Ms. Dunne. This is not the soapy Universal version done later by Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman, but a thoughtful, intelligent script that is closer to the original Lloyd C. Douglas novel, who just happened to be the screenwriter on this version. The print of the 1935 version is very dark and will probably never be shown again in public unless a restoration effort is made. Unfortunately, there are too many films to restore and only so much money available.