When Magnificent Obsession was originally released this was how many people saw the film. Found insideFurthermore, his enlightening study undertakes a detailed reconsideration of the generally overlooked novels and plays that served as sources for Sirk’s films, as well as providing a critical survey of previous Sirk commentary, from the ... It has also been the view that the 1935 film the 1954 version was a … This was the issue Rock Hudson dealt with in 1954, in what would be his breakout role Magnificent Obsession a remake of a 1935 film of the same name. While it can't compare to the gloriously soapy 1954 remake, which benefited from Douglas Sirk's total glossy commitment to the story, the original version of Magnificent Obsession is not without its rewards. The inevitability of her husband’s death without his special machine and her implausible recovery both bear witness to an optimistic confidence in the power of medical science that characterized the 1950s. According to modern sources, Universal originally offered the direction of this film to Frank Borzage, but Jack Warner of Warner Bros. refused to let him go. When you get clear on the answers, they can empower you … energize you … magnetize your very being. . Found insideBy JANE WYMAN The writer will he seen soon in a remake of "Magnificent Obsession" HoiiYWoon. THE primary question asked of me lately by interviewers Is. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Years later, Merrick is summoned from his busy practice by Helen’s confidante and nurse (Agnes Moorehead); he arrives just in time to perform brain surgery, saving both her eyesight and her life. Introduction by Heather Stewart, BFI Creative Director (Sunday 23 May only). This is the first book to provide a comprehensive and systematic account of the phenomenon of cinematic remaking. It isn’t even, by the measure of your average Sirk enthusiast, his first masterpiece. This insightful volumes the use of imitation and the modern cult of originality through a consideration of the disparate fates of two Venetian painters - the canonised master Titian and his artistic heir, the little-known Padovanino. The charm and chemistry of Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor are unrivalled. Magnificent Obsession catapulted Hudson to bigger and better parts (he made Giant two years later)--although I believe his success with this film had more to do with his good looks and earnestness than to his performance. In 1929, Lloyd C. Douglas, a Protestant minister, wrote Magnificent Obsession. REVIEW:Magnificent Obsession is the first in a series of colorful, melodramatic films from director Douglas Sirk. This is absolutely not what the author intended. A biography of Lew Ayres, an accomplished actor, pacifist, and conscientious objector of World War II. A biography of the accomplished actor and staunch pacifist who changed the way America considers grounds for conscientious objection Its theme and feel are very similar to that of An Affair to Remember (1957; which itself is a remake of 1939’s Love Affair). DOUGLAS, Lloyd C. Published by Grosset and Dunlap New York [1954], 1954. . The two movies are based on the same story and share similar plot lines, but differ dramatically in the way that they are presented. An accident leaves self-absorbed playboy Bob Merrick in need of a resuscitator to survive. . Besides, I wish to show that there is a way in which we can “check” Sirk’s possible personal contributions to Magnificent Obsession, because the film is a remake of an earlier work of the same title, directed by John M. Stahl in 1935. . Otto KrugerTom Masterson . This was the issue Rock Hudson dealt with in 1954, in what would be his breakout role Magnificent Obsession a remake of a 1935 film of the same name. . In the end, Jane Wyman even received an Academy Award nomination for her fantastic performance. USED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH PENGUIN GROUP (USA) INC. SPOILER ALERT! Jane Wyman, 90, Star of Film and TV, Is Dead. This Douglas Sirk-directed version does a fine job adapting, updating and streamlining the original film. However, "Magnificent Obsession" is a success of technique on two levels. In 1932, Vincent Krall sets out to create his perfect woman by reanimating the corpse of the love of his life. Douglas Sirk is Turner Classic Movies’ Director of the Evening. But primary credit for mooring the picture to an earthly and earthy plane belongs to the two stars. Magnificent obsession. The Magnificent Seven is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges from a screenplay by William Roberts.An Old West–style remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai, it stars an ensemble cast led by Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, James Coburn, and Horst Buchholz. Found insideRemade in 1954. Magnificent Obsession (1954) C108m. D:Douglas Sirk. Jane Wyman,Rock Hudson,Barbara Rush, Otto Kruger, Agnes Moorehead, Gregg Palmer. D ouglas Sirk’s Magnificent Obsession wasn’t the German expatriate’s first film made in Hollywood, his first collaboration with frothy producer Ross Hunter, or his first dabbling in the genre of melodrama. Not quite as heart-wrenching as the original version, this remake is still pretty good and does benefit from being filmed in color. Magnificent Obsession Looking back on the abbreviated career of Douglas Sirk, “Magnificent Obsession” rises above being just another “woman’s film” or “weepie”. Especially Charles Butterworth, in one of his typical funny sidekick roles, takes up some time. His response is to find some way to continue a legacy in the hopes of balancing a larger karma scale for good. Found inside – Page 805... and a pair of remakes , Let's Do It Again , which was The Awful Truth with ... fat box - office hit with another remake , Magnificent Obsession , as the ... He refers her for special eye examinations in Europe. After he unintentionally causes an accident which leaves her blind, his attempts at redemption leads to him falling for her. 0. Barbara RushNancy Ashford . USA. In Remake, she explores the timeless themes of emotion and technology, reality and illusion, and the bittersweet place where they intersect to make art. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Paul Cavanagh, See the article in its original context from. I've seen the 1930s, John Stahl-directed version of this story, which is very good. When they do, there’s no barrier that can stand between you and the achievement of your life’s purpose. Found insideHer admiration and love for the ballet, asEntertainment Weekly notes, brings “a dancer’s grace and sure-footed agility to the page.” NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW • LOS ANGELES TIMES • ... The breakthrough film of Hunter's career was the 1954 film remake of the 1935 film Magnificent Obsession, starring Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman and directed by Sirk. The general aesthetic qualities of the movies are different with one film being in… As Merrick recovers thanks to this man’s sacrifice, the doctor’s widow Helen Phillips learns that her husband has been living by a unique code of honor where he has secretly refused payment from the countless people he has helped over the years. Movie More Info. Post category: Uncategorized. The New York Times Archives. This, by cracky, is the obsession magnificent, passed on to Mr. Hudson by an artist, Otto Kruger, and actually nothing more than a furtive application of the Golden Rule, which we'll take straight and undiluted. The story has minor modifications, actually updates and color, but the black and white movie of 1935 is better and better. Vastly overshadowed now by Sirk's remake made almost 20 years later, John Stahl's version of "Magnificent Obsession" is a good enough film that should be appreciated more. Magnificent Obsession Reviews. This was the issue Rock Hudson dealt with in 1954, in what would be his breakout role Magnificent Obsession a remake of a 1935 film of the same name. Special Features. These range from matters of reception to production. It is cited as proof that a heavily emotional melodrama can work so long as those behind it are good. Found inside – Page 618Remakes had always been part of the Hollywood system ; countless silents were ... but also of The Magnificent Obsession ( 1954 ) and Back Street ( 1961 ) . . Moorehead portrays an ironic, but compassionate nurse who in the end dutifully takes orders from a man she once had good reason to doubt. I suggest everyone try it!The first black and white version should be made available. Made in 1954 and set in a small town, this film … . "Nearly two-thirds of the firm harps, literally, on the hero's oblique fixation, under Douglas Sirk's easy-going direction, as an unseen choir sings near by. His response is to find some way to continue a legacy in the hopes of balancing a larger karma scale for good. His response is to find some way to continue a legacy in the hopes of balancing a larger karma scale for good. Submit a letter: Email us [email protected] Reviewed: Vertigo ... the saleswoman and the hairdresser who seem to take intuitive pleasure in frustrating Scottie’s impatient desire to remake Judy as Madeleine. https://houseofgeekery.com/2020/12/01/retro-review-magnificent-obsession In Douglas Sirk’s delirious remake of a John M. Stahl adaptation, a millionaire playboy (Rock Hudson) fervently devotes himself to the widow (Jane Wyman) whose … Magnificent Obsession is a remake of an only marginally less grotesque 1935 film. The film is a remake, or at least the second adaptation of Fannie Hurst’s 1933 novel. That’s OK. In this remake of the 1935 film of the same name, the young doctor’s "magnificent obsession" with medicine is a metaphor for his path to redemption through the new religion of science. "All that Heaven Allows" is Sirk's masterpiece, though, and is probably Wyman's greatest performance. A Magnificent Obsession describes Alberts illnesses and death in minute detail, mesmerizing because it is based entirely on first-hand accounts and documents, and is a snapshot into the minds and feelings of people living (and dying) over years ago. This year’s remake of The Magnificent Seven, based on Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. John subsequently challenged some misconceptions relating to Magnificent Obsession. The result further alienates Phillips' widow, Helen, with whom Merrick has fallen in love. Merrick's persistence causes another tragedy, and he must remake his life, including going back to medical school, in an attempt to make amends and win her love. How would you react? Jane Wyman, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of a victimized deaf woman in the 1948 movie “Johnny Belinda,” played a fierce matriarch in … Magnificent Obsession is a 1954 American romantic drama film directed by Douglas Sirk starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. Magnificent Obsession is a remake of an only marginally less grotesque film. Left, Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor in John M. Stahl’s film of the 1929 novel “Magnificent Obsession” (1935); Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman in Douglas Sirk’s remake (1954). The screenplay was written by Robert Blees and Wells Root, after the 1929 book Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas. ( Log Out / To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. . Giraud . Movie Rating. It becomes your magnificent obsession. Magnificent Obsession 1h 52m drama ... the spiritual background of Magnificent is magnificent. August 29, 2019. His response is to find some way to continue a legacy in the hopes of balancing a larger karma scale for good. One of the great tragedies in cinematic history was the fate of Orson Welles’s 1942 epic, ... And so there’s an added poignancy to the … Phillips had helped many people, and when Merrick learns Phillips' secret, to give selflessly and in secret, he tries it in a ham-fisted way. The result further alienates Phillips' widow, Helen, with whom Merrick has fallen in love. Found inside – Page 87The alternative, as everyone agreed, was to remake Eileen with an original score. ... A Star Is Born, and Magnificent Obsession were all remade with the ... The heavy melodramatic aspects of Magnificent Obsession proved to be a perfect fit for Sirk’s style as a director. Magnificent Obsession is a film directed by Douglas Sirk with Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, Agnes Moorehead .... Year: 1954. Film, Drama. The plot is high hokum. (director: Douglas Sirk; screenwriters: from the book Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas/Wells Root/Robert Blees/Sarah Y. Mason/Finley Peter Dunne, Jr./Victor Heerman; cinematographer: Russell Metty; editor: Miton Carruth; music: Frank Skinner; cast: Jane Wyman (Helen Phillips), Rock Hudson (Dr. Bob … . Overcome with remorse, Merrick studies medicine, visits Helen under a false name and falls in love. The remake Magnificent Obsession is as far-fetched as you would expect any reasonably well-written soap opera to be, and it suddenly does not seem too absurd to presume that the soap opera genre would not have become quite the same without the undeniable influences of Douglas Sirk. Wyman’s performance earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, and Hudson’s made him a star. The novel was published in 1929 and was seen as a commentary on the frivolities and ruthlessness of the so-called Roaring Twenties . ( Log Out / Sirk is a far from neglected figure; Stahls much longer Hollywood career deserves attention and celebration in its own right, as this book definitively shows. Found inside"It's like having a new Brian De Palma picture. . Although Taylor already had appeared in several films, modern sources credit Magnificent Obsession with bringing him into prominence. . December 19, 1996 issue. Wyman replaces Irene Dunne (and also receives top billing), Rock Hudson replaces Robert Taylor, and the late … Change ). "Magnificent Obsession" is a remake of a film from twenty years previous, and which had a stupid plot even then. According to modern sources, Universal originally offered the direction of this film to Frank Borzage, but Jack Warner of Warner Bros. refused to let him go. The sudden critical and scholarly attention for such films as Magnificent Obsession (1954), All That Heaven Allows (1955), and Imitation of Life (1959) obscured the fact that most of Sirk’s triumphs were actually remakes of older melodramas, usually from the 1930s. Imitation of Life. . Title (Brazil): "Sublime Obsessão" ("Sublime Obsession") It actually serves as a notable turning point as it is the first in a string of Technicolor melodramas Sirk helmed at Universal-International, as well as one of … Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . . The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Ross Hunter (May 6, 1926 March 10, 1996) was an American film and television producer and actor. These range from matters of reception to production. Rock Hudson's breakthrough role, in this remake of Magnificent Obsession (1935). This is a remake of the same film made n thw 30's They did a great casting job about playboy Rock who lands up becoming a doctor due to harm he did, and wants to make her better. Hunter is best known for producing light comedies such as Pillow Talk (1959), and the glamorous melodramas Magnificent Obsession (1954), Imitation of Life (1959), and Back Street (1961). Found inside – Page 187Remade in 1954. Based on the novel Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas. 879. Magnificent Obsession. UI. US. 1954. 107m. With Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead, Otto Kruger, Barbara Rush. Andrew Sarris, The American Cinema, Film Culture, Spring. Remade 'Magnificent Obsession' Opens. How should one react in the occasion their life is saved but it comes at the cost of another life? We could use this `` Magnificent Obsession '' is Sirk 's masterpiece, though, then. Obsession '' is a movie for the 1935 film than you, this film Actress, and Hudson... 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