Magnificent Obsession

1935 "After You See It You'll Never Be the Same!"
6.8| 1h52m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 30 December 1935 Released
Producted By: Universal Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

A playboy tries to redeem himself after his careless behavior causes a great man's death.

Genre

Drama, Romance

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Magnificent Obsession (1935) is currently not available on any services.

Director

John M. Stahl

Production Companies

Universal Pictures

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Magnificent Obsession Audience Reviews

Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
GamerTab That was an excellent one.
Pluskylang Great Film overall
Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
edwagreen The 1954 remake of "Magnificent Obsession" was far better. In the '35 version, there are some comic overtones. This was not needed here.Robert Taylor, as the irresponsible turned doctor, seemed to have improved with the film. Irene Dunne, as always, gave a solid performance here.The gentleman who teaches the wild Merrick humility had an extremely cold veneer. The melodramatic scene at the operating table by Dr. Merrick seemed out of line here.The plot is an endearing, excellent one. The playboy learning humility by causing a double tragedy in a woman's life. Even when he tried to please, tragedy struck. The acceptance of all concerned about him is another tremendous asset to the film.
vincentlynch-moonoi I note that many prefer this version of the film, rather than the Rock Hudson/Jane Wyman version. I totally disagree. And what makes me so dismissive of this version is humor the first half of the script that is inappropriate to the story line, as well as clear flirting by Irene Dunne. Right after her husband dies, Dunne is flirting (in the car scene) with Robert Taylor...highly inappropriate. In terms of the attempted humor, take -- for example -- the drunken car scene with Taylor's compatriot falling into the sewer. This film is not about humor or flirting. It is about moral character and redemption. So why is Robert Taylor smiling so much throughout the movie, even though he is the cause of another man's death and the cause of a woman going blind? She finds surgery will not restore her sight (and he knows it), yet he is smiling like a lovesick fool on a date in the moonlight...a moonlight she can't see because of him.I make these criticisms even though I have often admired Miss Dunne's work in films. And while Robert Taylor is not one of my particular favorites, he was a fine actor and made some great films.Despite my criticism, I'm not saying you shouldn't watch this film. It's quite watchable, and an interesting contrast if you also watch the 1954 Sirk version, which takes things far more seriously and dramatically. And, in the second half of the film the inappropriate humor and the silliness of the flirting disappears and movie gets more serious, and is really gone quite nicely.So again, watch this film, but also consider watching the Hudson/Wyman version.
blanche-2 "Magnificent Obsession" is a 1935 film starring Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor; it was remade in the '50s in Technicolor and starred Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. The story is preposterous, the melodrama is over the top, but this film gave both Taylor, a farm boy from Nebraska and Hudson, a truck driver from Illinois, their big breaks.Robert Merrick (Taylor) is a drunken playboy who, one afternoon, falls off his sailboat and has to be resuscitated with the use of what's called in this film a "pulmotor," a device that forces oxygen into the lungs.Unfortunately, the pulmotor was needed across the lake for an older man, a Dr. Hudson, who has had a heart attack, but because one isn't available, the man dies. When his wife (Dunne) and daughter (Betty Furness) arrive home, they get the horrible news. There is bitterness everywhere because Dr. Hudson was beloved, a fine doctor and an exceptional man, and Merrick is a drunken, rich loser.At one point, Merrick meets a man (Ralph Morgan) who gives him the secret philosophy that Dr. Hudson lived by and taught him - give anonymously and without expecting repayment.When Merrick spots Mrs. Hudson, he has no idea who she is and tries to pick her up. One day, he offers her a ride and "runs out of gas." As she's leaving the car to take a ride with someone else, a car hits her and she is badly injured - in fact, she's blinded.Merrick now befriends her in the park, where she sits practicing her Braille. He doesn't identify himself - she calls him "Dr. Robert"; he tells her that he once had aspirations to be a doctor himself. He arranges for her to have a steady income, since Dr. Hudson gave most of his money away and only has worthless stocks - she thinks her husband's copper stocks are now worth a lot -- and then he arranges for some of the finest doctors in the world to meet in Paris and study her. She thinks it's because her husband was so highly regarded. Alas, the prognosis is that the doctors see no point in surgery. It goes on from there, assuming fabulous aspects.This kind of melodrama was extremely popular in the 1930s; director Douglas Sirk loved this type of film and remade some of them in the '50s, giving them big, glitzy productions, and made some new ones as well.Though today the plot seems ridiculous, because of the commitment and likability of the actors and the spiritual undertone that goes throughout the film, somehow one doesn't stop watching, and it sure worked well in 1935 and 1954.Robert Taylor is gloriously handsome, known for his perfect profile, resonant speaking voice, and charming presence. I have never considered him much of an actor, but he was my mother's favorite, and I watch him every time he's on TCM in her honor. He holds the record for being employed by a studio the longest - 24 years with MGM, until it dissolved, and went on to more films, a successful television show, and he replaced Ronald Reagan on Death Valley Days.Irene Dunne gives a lovely performance without histrionics or being overdone in any way.Good movie? For what it is, yes.
mysterv I am a fan of Irene Dunne and was looking forward to seeing this movie. Unfortunately it felt a little out of touch with the events, especially in the first half of the movie. After the initial shock of learning that her husband had suddenly died, the wife displayed little grief. In fact she seemed somewhat interested in a young man (Robert Taylor) she met when her car broke down. Of course, she didn't know that he had indirectly contributed to her late husband's death but she seemed a little too carefree for the situation. This movie is of some interested because it is the original version of the story. I have not seen the updated version yet so am interested in comparing the two movies.