Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)

A widowed Chinese-English doctor falls in love with a married American correspondent in Hong Kong during China's Communist revolution.

Directors:

Henry King, Otto Lang (uncredited)

Writers:

John Patrick (screenplay), Han Suyin (novel)

Stars:

William Holden, Jennifer Jones, Torin Thatcher

Won 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Holden	...	Mark Elliott
Jennifer Jones	...	Dr. Han Suyin
Torin Thatcher	...	Humphrey Palmer-Jones
Isobel Elsom	...	Adeline Palmer-Jones
Murray Matheson	...	Dr. John Keith
Virginia Gregg	...	Anne Richards
Richard Loo	...	Robert Hung
Soo Yong	...	Nora Hung
Philip Ahn	...	Third Uncle
Jorja Curtright	...	Suzanne
Donna Martell	...	Suchen, Suyin's sister

Storyline

In Hong Kong in 1949, Mark Elliott is an American reporter covering the Chinese civil war. Undergoing a trial separation from his wife, he meets the beautiful Dr. Han Suyin, a widowed physician from mainland China. As the pair fall in love, they encounter disapproval from both her family and his friends about their interracial romance. Although the film was a commercial success upon release, the casting of Jones in an Asian role has since been criticized.

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Plot Keywords:

scandal | gossip | war correspondent | swimming | beach | 

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Taglines:

She was Han Suyin, the fascinating Eurasian. He was Mark Elliot, American correspondent... In each other's arms... they found a love that defied 5000 years of tradition!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

In one of the most classic examples of camera "point of view" editing, the hilltop love scenes were cut between Repulse Bay in Hong Kong from one direction, and a hill on the Fox Movie Ranch in upper Malibu, California from the other. The same ranch was used for both the film and television series MASH.

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Goofs

During the scene with Mark and Suyin in the airplane: after they land and the announcement says they can remove their seat belts, both actors do as they are supposed to and release their belts. Then Mark stands up but you can clearly see through the aircraft window that the scenery still shows them in a taxi movement.

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Quotes

Mark Elliott: Say, when I called you earlier, they said you were doing a hysterectomy. What's a hysterectomy?
Dr. Han Suyin: Nothing that would interest you.

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Connections

Featured in Little Flames (1985)

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Soundtracks

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
Music by Sammy Fain
Performed by Chorus

User Reviews

This is the single greatest Hollywood romantic film of all time...

... in my opinion, of course. There are films that come close-- An Affair To Remember, Rome Holiday, and several others. But for sheer appeal to die-hard romantics like myself, Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing is the absolute pinnacle. It qualifies as a "perfect" romantic vehicle in my mind because of it's perfection in all areas of the cinematic art-- story, script, location, acting, even in it's controversial subject matter, illicit love. But in the capable hands of William Holden and Jennifer Jones (a truly inspired bit of casting), both still in the prime of their careers, it became a thing of beauty forever. In fact, one totally forgets the racial context of their love affair, leaving only the passion and romance. I even loved the theme song, which like the film itself, has become a romantic standard over the many decades since it was made. This was the first movie that made me cry like a baby, the dramatic emotional impact in my life, totally unforgettable. This epic film, exploring everything from racism to the the horrific toll of war, is one for the ages.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Mandarin

Release Date:

26 September 1955 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

Filming Locations:

Topanga Canyon, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,780,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,330

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording) (optical prints) 4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (magnetic prints)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1