Westward Passage | |
---|---|
Directed by | Robert Milton |
Screenplay by | Bradley King Humphrey Pearson |
Based on | Westward Passage 1931 novel by Margaret Ayer Barnes |
Produced by | David O. Selznick Harry Joe Brown (associate) |
Starring | Ann Harding Laurence Olivier ZaSu Pitts Irving Pichel |
Cinematography | Lucian Andriot |
Edited by | Charles Craft |
Music by | Max Steiner |
Production company | |
Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Westward Passage is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Robert Milton and starring Ann Harding, Laurence Olivier, ZaSu Pitts and Irving Pichel. [2] The screenplay concerns a woman who falls in love and marries, but soon discovers how unpleasant her new husband is. [3] The film marked Olivier's second major role in the United States. It was not a commercial or critical success, and Olivier did not make another film in America until 1939 when he starred in Wuthering Heights . The film recorded a loss of $250,000. [4]
Newlyweds Olivia and Nick Allen struggle to keep their relationship afloat through personal disagreements. Nick lacks recognition for his works as an independent writer; hence, he is unable to support Olivia and their young daughter. These difficulties eventually lead to a divorce, the last they will see each other for many years. Six years after their divorce, Olivia lives a stable life with her husband, Harry Ottendorf, and her daughter, Little Olivia. Meanwhile, Nick has made a successful and rewarding career in writing but still yearns to be with Olivia. When the two board the same ship returning from Europe to the United States, Olivia is torn between the love of her kindly husband and the attempt by her former husband to rekindle the passion they once shared.
The film was considered a commercial failure, despite its relative popularity. Adapted from Margaret Ayer Barnes' novel Westward Passage, the film was criticized for its lack of logical progression and thematic development [5] when compared to the novel.
Olivier's brash delivery and mannerisms garnered mixed reviews, and the critical reception largely delayed the mainstream success Olivier would garner in later films. Some [ who? ] believed that poor dialogue hindered the development and likability of essential characters, including Olivia Ottendorf. Others added Westward Passage to their list of empowering and emotional Ann Harding films. [6]
William Wyler was a German-born American film director and producer. Known for his work in numerous genres over five decades, he received numerous awards and accolades, including three Academy Awards. He holds the record of twelve nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director. For his oeuvre of work, Wyler was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award, and the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award.
Ann Harding was an American theatre, motion picture, radio, and television actress. Harding was a regular on Broadway and on tour in the 1920s. In the 1930s Harding, was one of the first actresses to gain fame in the new medium of "talking pictures," and she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1931 for her work in Holiday.
Edna May Oliver was an American stage and film actress. During the 1930s, she was one of the better-known character actresses in American films, often playing tart-tongued spinsters.
Jill Esmond Moore was an English stage and screen actress.
The Thrill of It All is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Norman Jewison and starring Doris Day and James Garner, with a supporting cast featuring Carl Reiner, Arlene Francis, Reginald Owen and ZaSu Pitts. The screenplay was written by Carl Reiner from a story by Larry Gelbart and Carl Reiner.
Irving Pichel was an American actor and film director, who won acclaim both as an actor and director in his Hollywood career.
Florence Roberts (March 16, 1861/1864 – June 6, 1940 was an American actress of the stage and in motion pictures.
Julie Bishop, previously known as Jacqueline Wells, was an American film and television actress. She appeared in more than 80 films between 1923 and 1957.
(For a similar sounding film of the same year see Paris )
Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid is a 1948 American romantic fantasy film directed by Irving Pichel starring William Powell and Ann Blyth in the title roles. The film was based on the 1945 novel Peabody's Mermaid by Guy and Constance Jones. Sequences were shot at the Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida; Blyth's swimming doubles were Nancy Tribble and Mary Ann Ziegler.
Kindling is a 1915 American drama film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Charlotte Walker, in her film debut. The film is based on a 1911 Broadway play by Charles A. Kenyon which starred Margaret Illington and was produced by her husband Major Bowes, later of radio fame.
Shopworn is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Nick Grinde and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Regis Toomey. Written by Jo Swerling and Robert Riskin, based on a story by Sarah Y. Mason, the film is about a poor hardworking waitress who meets and falls in love with a wealthy college student. His mother objects to the union and frames the waitress for a crime she did not commit. After serving her time, the waitress enters show business and becomes a star.
Juliette Compton was an American actress whose career began in the silent film era and concluded with That Hamilton Woman in 1941.
So Evil My Love is a 1948 British and American Gothic psychological thriller film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Ray Milland, Ann Todd and Geraldine Fitzgerald.
The Cheat is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Abbott and starring Tallulah Bankhead and Harvey Stephens. The film is a remake of the 1915 silent film of the same title, directed by Cecil B. DeMille.
The Right to Romance is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film starring Ann Harding and Robert Young and released by RKO Radio Pictures.
Make Me a Star is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy film starring Stuart Erwin, Joan Blondell, and ZaSu Pitts. Directed by William Beaudine, the film is a remake of the 1924 silent film Merton of the Movies, based upon the 1922 novel of that name, and the 1923 play adapted from the novel by George S. Kaufman, and Marc Connelly. It was remade again as Merton of the Movies in 1947.
Humphrey Pearson was an American screenwriter and playwright of the 1930s. During his brief career, he penned a Broadway play and 22 screenplays. His promising career was cut short when he was found shot to death, under mysterious circumstances in his home, in early 1937.
The Trial of Vivienne Ware is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William K. Howard, written by Barry Conners and Philip Klein, and starring Joan Bennett, Donald Cook, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, ZaSu Pitts, Lilian Bond and Alan Dinehart. It was released on May 1, 1932, by Fox Film Corporation.
Mr. Skitch is a 1933 American comedy film directed by James Cruze and written by Sonya Levien and Ralph Spence. The film stars Will Rogers, Rochelle Hudson, ZaSu Pitts, Florence Desmond, Harry Green and Charles Starrett. The film was released on December 22, 1933, by Fox Film Corporation.
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