Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

John Patrick (screenplay)
Han Suyin (novel)

Release Date:

26 September 1955 (Sweden)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

The price they pay when they come out of their secret garden and face the world in modern-day Hong Kong - makes this one of the screen's unforgettable experiences!

Plot:

A widowed doctor of both Chinese and European descent falls in love with a married American correspondent in Hong Kong during China's Communist revolution.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Doctor | Hong Kong | Separated | Chinese Civil War

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

William Holden	...	Mark Elliott
Jennifer Jones	...	Dr. Han Suyin
Torin Thatcher	...	Humphrey Palmer-Jones
Isobel Elsom	...	Adeline Palmer-Jones
Murray Matheson	...	Dr. John Keith
Virginia Gregg	...	Anne Richards
Richard Loo	...	Robert Hung
Soo Yong	...	Nora Hung
Philip Ahn	...	Third Uncle
Jorja Curtright	...	Suzanne
Donna Martell	...	Suchen, Suyin's sister
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Salvador Baguez	...	Hotel Manager (uncredited)
W.T. Chang	...	Old Loo (uncredited)
Aen-Ling Chow	...	Wife (uncredited)
Kei Thin Chung	...	Interne (uncredited)
Edward Colmans	...	Dining Room Captain (uncredited)
Ashley Cowan	...	British Sailor (uncredited)
Lee Tung Foo	...	Old Loo (uncredited)
Herbert Heyes	...	Father Low (uncredited)
James Hong	...	Fifth Brother (uncredited)
Joseph Kim	...	General Song (uncredited)
Marc Krah	...	Wine Steward (uncredited)
Candace Lee	...	Oh-No (uncredited)
Weaver Levy	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Angela Loo	...	Mei Loo (uncredited)
Keye Luke	...	Lee Foo (uncredited)
Stella Lynn	...	Wife (uncredited)
Eleanor Moore	...	English Secretary (uncredited)
Harry S. Quan	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Beulah Quo	...	Third Aunt (uncredited)
Hazel Shon	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Hayward Soo Hoo	...	Second Brother (uncredited)
Walter Soo Hoo	...	Third Brother (uncredited)
Leonard Strong	...	Fortune Teller (uncredited)
Kam Tong	...	Dr. Sen (uncredited)
Marie Tsien	...	Rosie Wu (uncredited)
Barbara Jean Wong	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Jean Wong	...	Nurse (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry King

Writing credits
John Patrick		(screenplay)
Han Suyin		(novel "A Many-Splendored Thing")

Produced by
Buddy Adler	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Art Direction by
George W. Davis
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Walter M. Scott
Jack Stubbs

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hal Herman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound
Carlton W. Faulkner	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles G. Clarke	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Clyde Taylor	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant

Music Department
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator
Hugo Friedhofer	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Leigh Harline	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1963) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Fox Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Centfox (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording) (optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (magnetic prints)

Certification:

Australia:G (DVD rating) | Netherlands:AL | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (certificate #17475) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Jennifer Jones, who was married at the time to studio mogul David O. Selznick, complained constantly during the filming of the movie, often yelling, "I'm going to tell David about this!" After complaining about William Holden, the two stars barely spoke to each other on the set. Finally, Holden tried to negotiate a peace, offering Jones a bouquet of white roses. She tossed them back into his face.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the orderly comes to get Dr. Han in the operating room at the beginning of the movie, one of the members of the film crew (a man wearing glasses) can be seen reflected in the window of the right-hand door to the O.R.

Quotes:

Third Uncle: We shall now have tea and speak of absurdities.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Biography: Jennifer Jones: Portrait of a Lady" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

Romance relies on ineffable mystery and destiny...

We all want to fall in love... The experience makes us feel completely alive, where every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified... It may only last a moment, an hour, an afternoon, but that doesn't reduce its value, because we are left with memories that we treasure for the rest of our lives...

I love watching people fall in love... It must have something to do with the excellent chemistry between the main characters...

Mark Elliott, a charming sensitive American war correspondent, arrives in Hong Kong at the dawn of the Korean war... He finds in Han Suyin an awesome beauty of true grace...

Han Suyin, a lovely Eurasian doctor is captivated by Mark's tenderness and insight...

It was instant attraction when they first met... The two commence a passionate affair, leading them to fall deeply in love...

Their love is so strong, so wonderfully expressed that highlights Elliot's married status, and the difficulties of the troubled time of the Korean War, communism and race relations...

Holden is an inspired choice for the role... Not only does he have an imposing screen presence, but he brings the perfect mix of enlightenment, compassion and emotion to the part...

Opposite him Oscar Winner Jennifer Jones, perfect in her oriental look, radiantly beautiful in that traditional and modern Asian-inspired Cheongsam... Jones floods her role with personal emotion giving her character a charismatic life of its own... She delivers a heartfelt performance turning her character into a woman who undergoes a spiritual and emotional awakening...

Her scene in that verdant hill where she takes refuge is exquisitely touching specially when we heard Mark's voice whispering: "We have not missed you and I... that many-splendored thing."

Henry King - who has established himself as a masterful director of romances - spreads the theme tune (by Alfred Newman) in the air above the cosmopolitan harbor... His film is colorful, elegant, with excellent cinematography and set design...

Nominated for eight Academy Awards, this beautiful and sensitive motion picture won three: Best Costume Design; Best Music and Best Score...