Let me begin by stating that I hold big-screen soaps in great affection (I’m always game to revisit A Summer Place). And while I favor director Delmer Daves over Douglas Sirk in this genre, I admire Sirk’s classy Imitation of Life (1959) and his quintessential sudser, All That Heaven Allows (1955). So, it’s with heavy heart that–after recently rewatching 1954’s Magnificent Obsession–I must pronounce it a dreadful way to spend 108 minutes.
The plot owes more to the 1935 film version than to Lloyd C. Douglas’ best-selling 1929 novel. Rock Hudson, in his first starring role in an “A” picture, portrays irresponsible, millionaire playboy Robert Merrick. Following a reckless boating accident, Merrick is revived with the hospital’s only resuscitator. Without that critical piece of medical equipment, philanthropist Dr. Phillips dies from a heart attack. Merrick tries to purge his guilt by writing a $25,000 check to Phillips’ widow, Helen (Jane Wyman)–but she refuses the money.
After a drunken Merrick crashes his car, he meets Edward Randolph (Otto Kruger), a close friend of Phillips, who shares a common “pay it forward” philosophy. Inspired by Randolph, Merrick tries to make amends with Helen, but inadvertently causes her to be struck by a car…and lose her sight.
One day, Merrick encounters Helen by the lake and the two begin talking. He calls himself Robinson (Robby for short) to avoid revealing his identity. As love begins to grow, Merrick starts pursuing his medical studies again and vows to do all that he can to restore Helen’s sight.
It’s easy to see why a Magnificent Obsession remake appealed to Douglas Sirk. The novel and the earlier film adaptation (starring Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor) were character-driven dramas that focused on changing the course of one’s life for the better. That’s a theme that Sirk explores in later (better) films. In 1959’s Imitation of Life, Lora (Lana Turner) progresses from a low-income single parent to a Broadway star–with the help of African American best friend Annie (Juanita Moore). And in All That Heaven Allows (1955), affluent widow Cary (Wyman) eventually realizes that true happiness lies with the simple life espoused by Ron, her young, handsome gardener (Hudson). Incidentally, both these films also tackled the challenges of being a social outcast: Ron is rejected by Cary’s friends and family; in Imitation of Life, Annie’s daughter tries to pass herself off as white.
Alas, while Magnificent Obsession has good intentions, it never comes close to becoming a good film. The screenplay condenses Lloyd C. Douglas’ philosophical underpinnings to a 10-minute conversation that sounds like a paid ad for a self-help book. The banal dialogue doesn’t help, with my favorite line being Merrick’s response to a comment about painting: “As far as I’m concerned, art is just a guy’s name.” But the script’s biggest problem is that nothing much happens after Helen reveals she has known Robby’s identity for a long time. There’s no conflict in the film’s final 40 minutes as it lumbers toward its obvious conclusion.
Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman in Magnificent Obsession (1954)
Jane Wyman (who was Oscar-nominated) does what she can with her character, but Rock Hudson struggles to get a handle on the playboy-turned-surgeon. I also think he was still honing his skills as an actor, especially given some of his wooden line readings. 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.
From a production standpoint, Magnificent Obsession is a blotch on Sirk’s otherwise stellar career as a celluloid craftsman. While the color scheme is interesting, the use of painted backdrops and rear screens give the film a cheap look (that said, there are some stunning outdoor shots at the beginning of the film). However, the biggest distraction is the overly melodramatic score by Frank Skinner, which opts for sweeping violins and a chorus of “ah”‘s at the tiniest whiff of emotion.
Magnificent Obsession has its share of admirers…and you may be one. (Heck, it was even released in a deluxe edition by Criterion). If you’re among its fans, I encourage you to leave a dissenting comment. However, I was obsessed to write this review and state how magnificently lame I found it to be.
If you’ve never seen it, now’s your chance to take a peek and get an idea of what it’s all about with the 1954 theatrical trailer:
Rick29 is a film reference book author and a regular contributor at the Classic Film & TV Café , on Facebook and Twitter. He’s a big fan of MovieFanFare, too, of course!