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Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (1955)
Director: Henry King
Writers: John Patrick(screenplay), Han Suyin(novel)
Cast: William Holden, Jennifer Jones, Torin Thatcher
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
About: Set during the last days of the Chinese communist revolution of the 1950s...A beautiful Eurasian woman (Jennifer Jones) who's recently widowed, works as a doctor in the Hong Kong hospital. Hers is an uneventful life until she meets and fall in love with an American newspaper correspondent (William Holden).
Review: The 1950's were the time of big budget, Hollywood soap-opera dramas like Peyton Place, Some Came Running and of course all those wonderful Douglas Sirk films...But don't mistake Love Is a Many Splendored Thing for a soapy style drama, it's not. It's a straight forward telling of a difficult (at the time) interracial relationship between a white American male and a woman of Chinese and European parents, a Euroasian. The film focuses on the two people and their growing love for each other, as well as the problems society and their families create for them.
Beautiful set in Hong Kong, the film is a thing of beauty. We're treated to many first hand scenes set in the crowded streets of Hong Kong...and that harbor! Oh my, it's alone worth watching.
Jennifer Jones reads a letter from her lover William Holden who's been sent to cover the war in Korea.
Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (1955)
Writers: John Patrick(screenplay), Han Suyin(novel)
Cast: William Holden, Jennifer Jones, Torin Thatcher
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
About: Set during the last days of the Chinese communist revolution of the 1950s...A beautiful Eurasian woman (Jennifer Jones) who's recently widowed, works as a doctor in the Hong Kong hospital. Hers is an uneventful life until she meets and fall in love with an American newspaper correspondent (William Holden).
Review: The 1950's were the time of big budget, Hollywood soap-opera dramas like Peyton Place, Some Came Running and of course all those wonderful Douglas Sirk films...But don't mistake Love Is a Many Splendored Thing for a soapy style drama, it's not. It's a straight forward telling of a difficult (at the time) interracial relationship between a white American male and a woman of Chinese and European parents, a Euroasian. The film focuses on the two people and their growing love for each other, as well as the problems society and their families create for them.
Beautiful set in Hong Kong, the film is a thing of beauty. We're treated to many first hand scenes set in the crowded streets of Hong Kong...and that harbor! Oh my, it's alone worth watching.
Jennifer Jones reads a letter from her lover William Holden who's been sent to cover the war in Korea.
Both Jennifer Jones and William Holden have believable screen chemistry. What I like here, is that we, the audience also fall in love as the two leads do. Jennifer Jones brings to the movie a reserved, self disciplined, yet spiritual and hopeful character in Han Suyin.
William Holden might very well be at his finest here. We're use to seeing him play the confident, swaggering maverick. Here we see a more sincere and compassionate side. His character Mark Elliott is forthright with his emotions and shows tenderness towards his love interest. Which is a testimony to his acting as reportedly Jennifer Jones and William Holden didn't get along at all! She went as far as eating garlic before their big romantic kiss, yuk. Holden should have won an Oscar just for kissing the pungent tasting girl.
William Holden might very well be at his finest here. We're use to seeing him play the confident, swaggering maverick. Here we see a more sincere and compassionate side. His character Mark Elliott is forthright with his emotions and shows tenderness towards his love interest. Which is a testimony to his acting as reportedly Jennifer Jones and William Holden didn't get along at all! She went as far as eating garlic before their big romantic kiss, yuk. Holden should have won an Oscar just for kissing the pungent tasting girl.