There's no bad guy or gal among the major characters in this outstanding film version of Sidney Howard's brilliant play that takes a common subject and with the help of legendary director William Wyler turns it into something special, one of the best movies of 1936 let alone the 1930's, let alone of all time. While Walter Huston's character may seem far too young to be retiring, the fact that he wants to spend some quality time with his life now that his daughter is married makes perfect sense. He's made his bundle, so why not enjoy it? A trip to Europe for the happily married Dodworths (Huston and the beautiful but forgotten Ruth Chatterton) puts a strain on their marriage, simply because freedom away from running a home and being there for her daughter has her pondering what she is made of. Now that she has time to think, Chatterton begins to think of herself as old. Make-overs, a new wardrobe and lying about her age just doesn't do it, and before long, she is seeing other men, and eventually, this ends their marriage, seemingly amicably, but with him about to find happiness and her completely lost in a world of pretension.
Huston's happiness comes in the form of the lovely Mary Astor, a woman so without pretension and completely down to earth in spite of her position in society. If ever there was a woman that a man would want to spend his retirement years with, it is Astor's character, a woman who loves to laugh, dotes on him without smothering, and is completely charming in every way. Chatterton on the other hand goes from the handsome but younger David Niven to the continental Paul Lukas and finally to nobleman Gregory Gaye whose baroness mother Maria Ouspenskaya, in one scene, completely sizes her up and annihilates her. No fool this old imperious woman. She refuses to give her blessing to a marriage with Chatterton to her son because of the rumors of Chatterton's sordid past, and in just one scene (in her film debut), the diminutive but powerful Ouspenskaya completely dominates the scene. Without cracking a smile, Ouspenskaya has the audience in convulsions of laughter as she completely takes Chatterton down.
With Huston repeating his Broadway play role, he pretty much dominates this film, and even as a rich, middle aged white man, he wins over every ounce of sympathy. Chatterton isn't completely one dimensional, and even if the audience knows she is getting what she deserves for betraying a man who worked his finger to the bone for her, they also feel sorry for her. The cast is superb, the art direction stunning, the music breathtaking and the emotion profound and eventually heartbreaking. Huston and Ouspenskaya received Oscar nominations along with director Wyler, but certainly, Chatterton and Astor were worthy of them as well. As a Samuel Goldwyn production, this is up there with his best, and certainly, his production company created many films that are still considered classics.
Huston's happiness comes in the form of the lovely Mary Astor, a woman so without pretension and completely down to earth in spite of her position in society. If ever there was a woman that a man would want to spend his retirement years with, it is Astor's character, a woman who loves to laugh, dotes on him without smothering, and is completely charming in every way. Chatterton on the other hand goes from the handsome but younger David Niven to the continental Paul Lukas and finally to nobleman Gregory Gaye whose baroness mother Maria Ouspenskaya, in one scene, completely sizes her up and annihilates her. No fool this old imperious woman. She refuses to give her blessing to a marriage with Chatterton to her son because of the rumors of Chatterton's sordid past, and in just one scene (in her film debut), the diminutive but powerful Ouspenskaya completely dominates the scene. Without cracking a smile, Ouspenskaya has the audience in convulsions of laughter as she completely takes Chatterton down.
With Huston repeating his Broadway play role, he pretty much dominates this film, and even as a rich, middle aged white man, he wins over every ounce of sympathy. Chatterton isn't completely one dimensional, and even if the audience knows she is getting what she deserves for betraying a man who worked his finger to the bone for her, they also feel sorry for her. The cast is superb, the art direction stunning, the music breathtaking and the emotion profound and eventually heartbreaking. Huston and Ouspenskaya received Oscar nominations along with director Wyler, but certainly, Chatterton and Astor were worthy of them as well. As a Samuel Goldwyn production, this is up there with his best, and certainly, his production company created many films that are still considered classics.