Anthony Adverse **** (1936, Fredric March, Olivia de Havilland, Gale Sondergaard, Edmund Gwenn, Claude Rains) – Classic Movie Review 5732

Director Mervyn LeRoy’s 1936 Warner Bros film of Hervey Allen’s novel about an early 19th-century hero’s adventures in America, France and Italy is rich, stirring and lavish. It won four Oscars, with three other nominations.

Fredric March and Olivia de Havilland as the handsome hero Anthony Adverse and lovely heroine Angela Guessippi are upstaged by succulent displays of villainy from Claude Rains (as Don Luis) and Gale Sondergaard (as Faith), who was the first ever recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her film debut.

The other Oscar winners are Leo F Forbstein (as head of the music department) and Erich Wolfgang Korngold for Best Score, Tony Gaudio for Best Cinematography and Ralph Dawson for Best Film Editing.

The film was much admired at the time and, though age has affected it adversely, it is still hugely entertaining and quite fascinating.

The screenplay is by Sheridan Gibney, it is produced by Henry Blanke and the sets are designed by Anton Grot.

Also in the cast are Anita Louise, Louis Hayward, Steffi Duna, Billy Mauch, Donald Woods, Akim Tamiroff, Ralph Morgan, Henry O’Neill, Pedro De Corboba, George E Stone, Luis Alberni, Fritz Leiber, George Creehan, Rafaela Ottiano and Scotty Beckett.

Olivia de Havilland turned 101 on 1 July 2017.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5732

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com