Anna Karenina (1935)

The married Anna Karenina falls in love with Count Vronsky despite her husband's refusal to grant a divorce, and both must contend with the social repercussions.

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

Leo Tolstoy (from the novel by) (as Count Leo Tolstoy), Clemence Dane (screen play)

Stars:

Greta Garbo, Fredric March, Freddie Bartholomew

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Greta Garbo	...	Anna Karenina
Fredric March	...	Count Vronsky
Freddie Bartholomew	...	Sergei
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Kitty
May Robson	...	Countess Vronsky
Basil Rathbone	...	Alexei Alexandrovitch Karenin
Reginald Owen	...	Stiva
Phoebe Foster	...	Dolly
Reginald Denny	...	Yashvin
Gyles Isham	...	Konstantin Demitrievitch Levin
Joan Marsh	...	Lili
Ethel Griffies	...	Mme. Kartasoff
Harry Beresford	...	Matve
Sarah Padden	...	Governess
Cora Sue Collins	...	Tania

Storyline

This version of the Tolstoy classic lingers longer in Moscow during the weeks that follow the initial meeting of the starstruck lovers-to-be Vronsky and Anna Karenina. The story -- as it unfolds -- also focuses on Kitty, a young woman who is related to Anna's sister-in-law whose marital rift has brought Anna to Moscow. Until Anna shows up, Kitty had hopes of getting Vronsky, who is single and well connected, to propose to her. Ignored by Vronsky, Kitty turns her attention to another suitor, a man who seems to have a lot in common with Tolstoy.

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Plot Keywords:

infidelity | dysfunctional marriage | adultery | loveless marriage | bare chested male | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 1935 (Hungary)

Also Known As:

Ana Karenina

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,152,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$865,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,439,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Because Greta Garbo refused to work at night, MGM was forced to build a stage over the St. Petersburg railroad station set on the back lot to simulate darkness.

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Goofs

During the steeple chase, when Count Vronsky and his mount fail to make the jump, a segment from another race is edited into the film depicting the fall. In the film, Vronsky is wearing his white uniform jacket and dark pants and cap before and after the spill. The clip inserted depicts a jockey wearing white pants and dark silks.

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Quotes

Anna Karenina: You say this knowing this I cannot do. There is no life for me without my child. To leave him would be infamous and base. I couldn't. And you know I couldn't.
Karenin: Very well. I can assume, then, that you will never again jeopardize my honor.
Anna Karenina: Oh, your honor! Your selfishness! Your hypocrisy! Your egotism! You've never considered me as a human being. Your social position and... your reputation. These must be kept up at what cost to those who are around you? At what cost?
Karenin: [Checking his pocket watch] ...

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Alternate Versions

Despite all previous versions being intact the 2006 UK Warner DVD was cut by 7 secs by the BBFC to remove footage of horse-falls.

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Connections

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions: America's Greatest Love Stories (2002)

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Soundtracks

None But the Lonely Heart (Nur Wer die Sehnsucht Kennt)
(1869) (uncredited)
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ("Romance for Voice and Piano, Op. 6. No. 6)
Sergei's theme - played often in the score

User Reviews

A well-done adaption

For a film that tries to pack a 900 page novel into 95 minutes, Clarence Brown's rendition of Tolstoy's masterpiece is quite impressive. Naturally, there are aspects of the story that are forced aside- too little time is spent on the relationship between Kitty and Levin (who was a self-portrait of Tolstoy)- but Brown manages to portray the affair between Anna and Vronsky with plenty of depth and emotion.

Greta Garbo, one of the greatest actresses of the 30's, is stunning in the lead. Frederic March is a little flat as Vronsky, dressed in his military uniform in almost every scene, but manages to do well with the character nonetheless. Basil Rathbone's usual grimness suits Karenin perfectly. The production design is spectacular. Brown directs his cast so that they always stand out from the scenery, clearly visible amidst the decadence and imperial settings. The ballroom scenes, where characters dance gracefully while exchanging crucial dialogue, particularly impressed me.

A delight for Garbo fans, as well as anyone who likes costume pieces or literary adaptations.