An immortal masterpiece with a melodramatic but romantic -and extremely sentimental- plot with a religious morale.
The wonderful film is actually a vehicle for the essays and writings of the great novelist and author Rev. Lloyd Cassel Douglas, since its plot is based on the novel THE MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnificent_Obsession), written in 1929 by the American chaplain, pastor and church minister Doya or Lloyd C. Douglas.
THE FULL TEXT of the book :Magnificent Obsession" can be read here
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks04/0400631h.html
In 1939, Douglas wrote a fundamental text in order to decode his philosophy as a prequel to the "Magnificent Obsession", called DOCTOR HUDSON'S SECRET JOURNAL which can be read here
https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks14/1401061h.html
In 1935 he wrote the magnificent film THE GREEN LIGHT, in 1942 THE ROBE and in 1948 THE BIG FISHERMAN.
ALL THE IMPORTANT BOOKS of Lloyd Douglas, here:
1.
https://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty-a-m.html
2.
https://www.fadedpage.com/csearch.php?author=Douglas%2C%20Lloyd%20C.
3.
https://www.ronaldrjohnson.com/copy-of-free-resources
FOR THE FULL BIO of Loyd Cassel Douglas, you MUST read
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_C._Douglas &
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0235160/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
The Lloyd Douglas MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION novel was adapted to a screepnlay for the wide screen by a) the American screenwriter -and the 1st ever script supervisor in Hollywood- Sarah Yeiser Mason, b) her husband, the English screewriter, producer and director Victor Eugene Heerman who lived in the U.S. and c) the American poet, playwright, novelist and film writer George O'Neil.
The movie was filmed on Big Bear Lake & Lake Arrowhead at San Bernardino National Forest and in Universal Studios (CALIFORNIA).
The movie was directed and produced by the American producer and director John Malcolm Stahl (of Jewish-Russian descent, he was born in Baku as Jacob Morris Strelitsky but lived almost all his life in the U.S.).
MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION was adapted for the radio in 1937 (starring Bob Taylor and Irene Dunne), in 1941 (starring Myrna Loy and Don Ameche), in 1944 (starring Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche) and in 1949 (starring Irene Dunne and Willard Waterman).
The film was remade in 1954 by director Douglas Sirk (not Kirk Douglas), starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson: this movie was especially made -on every possible point- to exclude all Christian messages about the gospel of St Matthew and, above all, in order to blur the wonderful splendour of the original 1935 version that blinded the audiences with the beauty of Bob Taylor and the eyes of Irene Dunne).
Read absolutely these 2 reviews:
a)
https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2387674/?ref_=tt_urv ,
b)
https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3261563/?ref_=tt_urv .