Magnificent Obsession (1954 Film)
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''Magnificent Obsession'' is a 1954 American
melodrama film In film studies and criticism, melodrama may variously refer to a genre, mode, style or sensibility characterized by its emphasis on intense and exaggerated emotions and heightened dramatic situations. There is no fixed definition of the term an ...
directed by
Douglas Sirk Douglas Sirk (born Hans Detlef Sierck; 26 April 1897 – 14 January 1987) was a German film director best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood melodramas of the 1950s. However, he also directed comedies, westerns, and war f ...
starring
Jane Wyman Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007). was an American actress. A star of both movies and television, she received an Academy Award for Best Actress, four Golden Globe Awards and nominations for two Pr ...
and
Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...
. It is a remake of the 1935 film by the same name, starring
Irene Dunne Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during Classical Hollywood cinema, the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she perf ...
and Robert Taylor. Both are based on the 1929 novel '' Magnificent Obsession'' by Lloyd C. Douglas. Sirk sometimes claimed that the story was based distantly on the Greek legend of
Alcestis Alcestis (; Ancient Greek: Ἄλκηστις, ') or Alceste, was a princess in Greek mythology, known for her love of her husband. Her life story was told by pseudo-Apollodorus in his '' Bibliotheca'', and a version of her death and return from t ...
.


Plot

In 1948, spoiled playboy Bob Merrick behaves recklessly and loses control of his speedboat, crashing it and becoming injured. Rescuers send for the nearest resuscitator, located in Dr. Phillips's house across the lake. While the resuscitator is being used to save Merrick, Phillips suffers a heart attack and dies. Merrick ends up a patient at Phillips's clinic, where the staff members resent that Merrick caused Phillips's death, however inadvertently. Helen Phillips, Dr. Phillips's widow, receives a flood of calls, letters, and visitors all offering to pay back loans that Dr. Phillips refused to accept repayment of during his life. Many claimed he refused by saying "it was already used up." Edward Randolph, a famous artist and Dr. Phillips's close friend, explains to Helen what that phrase means. This helps her to understand why her husband left little money, even though he had a very successful practice. Merrick, who had once been a medical student but abandoned his studies, discovers why everyone dislikes him. He runs from the clinic, collapses in front of Helen's car, and ends up back at the hospital, where she learns his connection to her husband's death. After his discharge, Merrick gets drunk at a party before he drives away. He runs off the road and ends up at the home of Edward Randolph, who explains the secret belief that powered his own art and Dr. Phillips's success. Merrick decides to try this new philosophy. While trying to make up to Helen, she steps into the path of a car to evade him. She is left blind as a result of the accident. Merrick soberly commits to becoming a doctor, trying to fulfill Dr. Phillips's legacy. He also has fallen in love with Helen. He helps her adjust to her blindness under the guise of being Robby, a poor medical student. Merrick secretly arranges for Helen to travel to Europe and consult with the best eye surgeons in the world. After extensive tests, these surgeons tell Helen there is no hope for recovery. Soon after this, Robby shows up at her hotel to provide emotional support and discovers that Helen has already guessed his real identity. Merrick asks Helen to marry him. Later that night, Helen realizes she will be a burden to him and runs away. Many years pass, and Merrick is now a dedicated and successful brain surgeon who secretly continues his philanthropic acts and searches for Helen. One evening, Randolph arrives with news that Helen is very sick, possibly dying, in a small Southwest hospital. Merrick arrives to find that Helen needs complex brain surgery to save her life and performs this operation. After a long night waiting for the results, Helen awakens, discovers that she can see, and reunites with Merrick.


Cast


Production

Sirk began production on ''Magnificent Obsession'', his previous production, '' Taza, Son of Cochise'' having wrapped up the month before. ''Taza'', a 3-D western, also starred Rock Hudson, and it was the second time the two had worked together (the first time being 1952's ''Has Anybody Seen My Gal?''). Hudson had previously played leading parts in Universal
B-movies A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, s ...
, usually directed by
Joseph Pevney Joseph Pevney (September 15, 1911 – May 18, 2008) was an American film and television director. Biography Born in New York City, Pevney made his debut in vaudeville as a boy soprano in 1924. Although he hated vaudeville, he loved the thea ...
or
Frederick De Cordova Frederick Timmins de Cordova (October 27, 1910 – September 15, 2001) was an American stage, motion picture and television director and producer. He is best known for his work on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life De Cordov ...
. The screenplay was written by Robert Blees and Wells Root, The film was produced by
Ross Hunter Ross Hunter (born Martin Terry Fuss; May 6, 1920 – March 10, 1996) was an American film and television producer and actor. He is best known for producing light comedies such as '' Pillow Talk'' (1959), and the glamorous melodramas '' Magnifi ...
. Pre-production scouting for locations began on August 26, 1953 by director Douglas Sirk, Director of Photography Russell Metty, and Unit Manager Edward K. Dodds. Rehearsals began on September 8. Second-unit footage of locations at Lake Tahoe began filming on September 14. An Unlimited Hydroplane speedboat, "Hurricane IV", was secured for the second unit footage of Hudson's boat. It was shot on Lake Arrowhead and was piloted by racer Bill Cantrell.
Charles Bickford Charles Ambrose Bickford (January 1, 1891 – November 9, 1967) was an American actor known for supporting roles. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943), '' The Fa ...
was originally cast in the role of Randolph, but was withdrawn from the cast on September 15. Sirk and Wyman were ill, and Rock Hudson injured, so filming of ''Magnificent Obsession'' was delayed longer than Bickford had anticipated. Although the studio and Bickford had come to an oral agreement and trade announcements mentioned Bickford in the role, Bickford had at the same time made an agreement with Warner Bros. for another picture and walked out on the ''Magnificent Obsession'' when shooting began on the 1954 version of '' A Star is Born'', in which he played studio head, Oliver Niles. Bickford was replaced by free-lance character actor Otto Kruger. While second-unit footage wrapped at Lake Tahoe, screen tests of Barbara Rush, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead, Jane Wyman, Gigi Perreau, Donna Corcoran, and Sheila James took place on Stage 8 in Universal City on September 16 and 17. Director Sirk was ill, and utility director Joseph Pevney filled in. The next day, Corcoran, Hudson and Judy Nugent were tested by Pevney. Test shots were taken in Lake Arrowhead with the new
Cinemascope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...
anamorphic lens process, an early consideration. The production started in a flat
widescreen Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratio (image), aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ...
process at an aspect ratio of 2:1, at that time Universal's standard ratio. Production began on September 21 at Lake Arrowhead with Sirk back in the director's seat.
Frank Skinner Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), known professionally as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...
composed the score for this film, the theme of which inspired a song of the same title with lyrics by Frederick Herbert. The Four Lads recorded the song with the
Percy Faith Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian–American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of instrumental ballads and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizin ...
orchestra.
Victor Young Albert Victor Young (August 8, 1899– November 10, 1956)"Victor Young, Composer, Dies of Heart Attack", ''Oakland Tribune'', November 12, 1956. was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. Young was posthumously awarded the ...
also recorded an instrumental version of the song which featured a
viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
solo by Anatole Kaminsky. However, much of the score is Skinner's arrangements of works by Chopin ( Nocturne No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 1 and Étude in E major, Op. 10, No. 3 "Tristesse"),
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
("Ode to Joy" theme from 9th Symphony), and
Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (; ; 25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (), was an List of Austrian composers, Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas as well ...
('' Wiener Blut'').


Release

The film opened at Loew's State Theatre in New York City on August 4, 1954. Audiences were greeted by co-star Agnes Moorehead in the lobby. The film was generally not well received critically but did well at the box office. Howard Thompson in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' of August 5, 1954 wrote "
he film He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
is unquestionably a handsome one. Better still, generally restrained performances at least dignify a moist text, which may seem inspiration to some, pure corn to others." Jane Wyman was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...
.


Reception

On review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, 88% of 25 critics reviewed the film positively with an average rating of 7.4/10, earning it a score of "Fresh".


References


External links

* * *
''Magnificent Obsessions''
an essay by Geoffrey O’Brien at the
Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A "sister company" of arthouse film distributo ...
{{Authority control 1954 films American romantic drama films 1954 romantic drama films Films based on American novels Films directed by Douglas Sirk Films produced by Ross Hunter Universal Pictures films Films shot in California Remakes of American films Films scored by Frank Skinner Photoplay Awards film of the year winners 1950s English-language films 1950s American films English-language romantic drama films