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IMDbPro

The Flame Within

  • 19351935
  • 1h 12m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
224
YOUR RATING
Herbert Marshall and Ann Harding in The Flame Within (1935)
Drama
Psychiatrist finds herself falling for her patient.Psychiatrist finds herself falling for her patient.Psychiatrist finds herself falling for her patient.
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
224
YOUR RATING
    • Edmund Goulding
    • Edmund Goulding
  • Stars
    • Ann Harding
    • Herbert Marshall
    • Maureen O'Sullivan
    • Edmund Goulding
    • Edmund Goulding
  • Stars
    • Ann Harding
    • Herbert Marshall
    • Maureen O'Sullivan
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 11User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos8

    Maureen O'Sullivan, Ann Harding, Louis Hayward, and Henry Stephenson in The Flame Within (1935)
    Herbert Marshall in The Flame Within (1935)
    Ann Harding in The Flame Within (1935)
    Herbert Marshall and Ann Harding in The Flame Within (1935)
    Herbert Marshall and Ann Harding in The Flame Within (1935)
    Edmund Goulding, Ann Harding, and Louis Hayward in The Flame Within (1935)
    Herbert Marshall, Edmund Goulding, Ann Harding, and Louis Hayward at an event for The Flame Within (1935)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ann Harding
    Ann Harding
    • Dr. Mary White
    Herbert Marshall
    Herbert Marshall
    • Dr. Gordon Phillips
    Maureen O'Sullivan
    Maureen O'Sullivan
    • Linda Belton
    Louis Hayward
    Louis Hayward
    • Jack Kerry
    Henry Stephenson
    Henry Stephenson
    • Dr. Jock Frazier
    Margaret Seddon
    Margaret Seddon
    • Mrs. Ida Grenfell
    George Hassell
    • Mr. Rigby
    Eily Malyon
    Eily Malyon
    • Murdock - Lillian's Housekeeper
    Isabelle Keith
    Isabelle Keith
    • Nurse Carter
    • (as Claudelle Kaye)
    George Beranger
    George Beranger
    • Prince Hassan
    • (uncredited)
    A.S. 'Pop' Byron
    A.S. 'Pop' Byron
    • Minor Role
    • (uncredited)
    Wallis Clark
    Wallis Clark
    • Man at Hospital Benefit
    • (uncredited)
    Jay Eaton
    Jay Eaton
    • Man at Hospital Benefit
    • (uncredited)
    Earl Eby
    • Minor Role
    • (uncredited)
    Jim Farley
    Jim Farley
    • Policeman in Bar
    • (uncredited)
    Eddie Fetherston
    • Photographer
    • (uncredited)
    June Glory
    June Glory
    • Nurse
    • (uncredited)
    Sam Hayes
    Sam Hayes
    • Sam Hayes - Radio Announcer
    • (uncredited)
      • Edmund Goulding
      • Edmund Goulding
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to an article in the 24 March 1935 edition of the New York Times, Merle Oberon was originally cast in the role of Linda.
    • Connections
      Featured in Complicated Women (2003)

    User reviews11

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    Unconvincing, Dated Drama
    This story boasts some impressive credentials, being written and directed by Edmond Goulding, the well-known director of "Grand Hotel", "The Razor's Edge" and "Nightmare Alley" and with a musical score by Jerome Kern (unfortunately, not a distinguished one) and cinematography by the great James Wong Howe (again, not one of his premier efforts). It concerns two couples, Ann Harding and Herbert Marshall, a psychiatrist and a medical doctor who have been courting for quite some time, and Louis Hayward and Maureen O'Sullivan, two wealthy young people: he, an alcoholic wastrel and she, a pathologically needy woman obsessed with her relationship with Hayward. When O'Sullivan attempts suicide over Hayward's neglect, Marshall tends to her and calls in Harding to attempt to help her. Harding goes about this, rather strangely, by attempting to cure Hayward's alcoholism so that he will hopefully be a better partner to O'Sullivan (no matter that her obsession with him is not the mark of a well-balanced individual).

    After his rehabilitation, Hayward does indeed attempt to be better to O'Sullivan and marries her, but finds that his attachment to Harding has developed into love. Harding finds that she reciprocates his feelings also and the dilemma must be resolved. Sounds like an interesting, even juicy movie could have been made of all this, but I'm afraid not. Ann Harding had a blonde, patrician beauty that is lovely and her acting could be subtle, thoughtful and surprisingly modern. However, the one thing I have not seen her capable of in what I admit is my limited knowledge of her acting (3 performances) is physical passion. She and Marshall strike no sparks and seem to have no more than a companionable friendship, but neither does she give any indication that she burns with passion for Hayward, so the viewer is left with no investment in either relationship. O'Sullivan has a good scene or two, but her character is awfully inconsistent, swinging from noble to nutsy, without enough exploration by Goulding of what could account for her feelings, just neediness. The now jaw-dropping sexism of some of the attitudes expressed, as well as the simplistic look at the mechanics of psychiatry also work against the drama and make it quite dated.
    helpful•9
    4
    • FANatic-10
    • Aug 5, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 17, 1935 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 12 minutes
      • Black and White

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