Magnificent Obsession (1935)

Director:

John M. Stahl

Writers:

Sarah Y. Mason (screenplay) &
Victor Heerman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

30 December 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Hate turned into love!

Plot Keywords:

Medical | Based On Novel

Cast

Irene Dunne	...	Helen Hudson
Robert Taylor	...	Robert Merrick
Charles Butterworth	...	Tommy Masterson
Betty Furness	...	Joyce Hudson
Sara Haden	...	Mrs. Nancy Ashford
Ralph Morgan	...	Randolph
Henry Armetta	...	Tony
Gilbert Emery	...	Doctor 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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marion Clayton Anderson	...	Amy (uncredited)
William Arnold	...	Chief Inspector (uncredited)
William Bailey	...	Man on Pier (uncredited)
Jane Barnes	...	Guest (uncredited)
Margaret Brayton	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Hospital Interne (uncredited)
Helen Brown	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Roy Brown	...	Ex-Patient (uncredited)
Lucile Browne	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Vance Carroll	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Hugh - Mechanic (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Simpson - Bob's Butler (uncredited)
Joyce Compton	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Allen Connor	...	Man on Boat (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Antoine (uncredited)
Inez Courtney	...	Nurse May (uncredited)
Juan de la Cruz	...	Reverend Du Bois (uncredited)
Mickey Daniels	...	Billy (uncredited)
Alan Davis	...	Dr. Justin (uncredited)
George Davis	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Mario Dominici	...	Ship Passenger (uncredited)
Norma Drew	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Lowell Durham	...	Junior Masterson (uncredited)
Edward Earle	...	Mr. Miller (uncredited)
Charles Fallon	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Adolph Faylauer	...	Ship Passenger (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Sumner Getchell	...	Jimmy - Elevator Operator (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)
Andrea Leeds	...	Nina (uncredited)
Lucien Littlefield	...	Breezy (uncredited)
Rollo Lloyd	...	Panhandle Pete (uncredited)
Sidney Marion	...	Sword Swallower (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)
John St. Polis	...	Seabury - Ex-Patient (uncredited)
William Stack	...	Doctor (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
Sarah Y. Mason		(screenplay) &
Victor Heerman		(screenplay) &
George O'Neil		(screenplay)
Lloyd C. Douglas		(novel "Magnificent Obsession")
Finley Peter Dunne		additional dialogue (uncredited)
Philip Dunne		contributing writer (uncredited)
Maurice Hanline		contributing writer (uncredited)
David Hertz		contributing writer (uncredited)
Aben Kandel		contributing writer (uncredited)
Elizabeth Meehan		contributing writer (uncredited)
Alden Nash		contributing writer (uncredited)
Lynn Starling		contributing writer (uncredited)
Eugene Walter		contributing writer (uncredited)
Rena Yale		contributing writer (uncredited)

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		(gowns)
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

Visual Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special cinematographer

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
Mary Frey	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Bert Lytell	....	rehearsal director (uncredited)
Cecil E. Reynolds	....	medical advisor (uncredited)
Peggy Vaughan	....	production secretary (uncredited)

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)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

112 min | 101 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, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on April 26, 1937 with Robert Taylor and Irene Dunne reprising their film roles.

Quotes:

Dr. Robert Merrick:Take back to the cook and tell her that if she brings back again, I'm gonna buy this hospital and fire her and everybody else in it. I want some decent breakfast.
Nurse:It's the same breakfast we serve all the patients.
Dr. Robert Merrick:Yeah, but I am "The Special".

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Universal Story (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture

Wonderful Melodramatic Story of Hate, Love and Redemption

In Westchester, the reckless and arrogant playboy Robert Merrick (Robert Taylor) drinks too much and drowns in the sea. He is resuscitated with the lung equipment of the famous Dr. Wayne Hudson. Coincidently at the same time, Dr. Hudson needs the apparatus to breathe and dies in his Brightwood Hospital. Dr. Hudson's young wife, Helen (Irene Dunne), and his daughter Joyce (Betty Furness) blame Bob Merrick for his irresponsibility and hate him. They discover that Dr. Hudson had secretly helped many people that adore him. When Merrick sees Helen Hudson, he has a crush on her, but she refuses to even see him. One day, Merrick meets the artist Randolph (Ralph Morgan) by chance and he learns that Dr. Hudson followed the Christian philosophy, secretly helping people without expecting any return or acknowledgment. One day, Merrick gives a ride to Helen to force her to stay with him in his car. However Helen gets out of the car upset with Merrick's attitude, and another car runs over her and Helen becomes blind. Later Merrick meets Helen in the park and lures her, introducing himself as Dr. Robert. Meanwhile he financially helps Helen and hires five specialists to examine her in Paris. Helen is examined but the doctors find clots in her brain and advise her that they will not operate her. Meanwhile Merrick and Helen fall in love with each other; however when Merrick proposes Helen, he discloses his true identity to her. On the next morning, Helen vanishes without any trace from the hotel. Merrick studies medicine and becomes a brain surgeon and specialist in Europe expecting to help Helen someday. Six years later, he returns to Detroit and Randolph tells him that Helen is very sick in Virginia. He heads to Virginia with Joyce, her husband Tommy Masterson (Charles Butterworth) and the nurse Nancy Ashford (Sara Haden) and operates Helen.

"Magnificent Obsession" is a wonderful melodramatic story of hate, love and redemption. The introduction with Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture" causes a favorable impact with this feature from the very beginning. Irene Dunne is magnificent as usual and has a great chemistry with Robert Taylor. I bought the DVD released by the Brazilian Versátil Distributor with the 1954 version and for my surprise, the DVD was double with the 1935 version of "Magnificent Obsession" as a bonus. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Sublime Obsessão" ("Sublime Obsession")