I saw this film when it came out in 1947, for either $.12 or $.15 (that's cents, folks!) at the old Nassau Theater in Brooklyn. I must have gone to see the accompanying feature, as at that age I had no interest in great romantic stories or films. How wrong I must have been, for that was 74 years ago, and although I had not seen it again until last night, there are at least five scenes in the movie that I have never forgotten, and if an 8-year-old kid can be impressed enough by a film to have a vague recollection of even one scene three-quarters of a century later, it had to be a great movie, or at least a memorable one. . Watching last night, I was convinced that it was both great and memorable and that I must have been quite advanced for my age to have enjoyed it so much at such a tender age.. I've gone considerably downhill since. Anyway, those five scenes were:
1. Frank Morgan's death and his son's tearful reaction to it.
2. Gladys Cooper's deathbed confession to her husband and daughter.
3. The shock i got almost immediately following Gladys Cooper's passing to hear the priest tell her daughter than her father had joined her mother in death.
4. The great earthquake and subsequent tidal wave scene.
5. The sight of a refined young English girl crawling for dear life up the inside of a cave to the top of a cliff to avoid an incoming tide.
None of those five points are hidden from the viewer as the story progresses, so that they do not constitute spoilers.
And I had also remembered in a more general way that the Richard Hart character had ended up marrying the wrong woman due to his drunkenly addressing his marriage proposal letter to the wrong sister.
What I may not have totally appreciated then were the superb performances of both the lead and supporting actors. I'm absolutely amazed that this film is not listed among the Hollywood classics. It should be.
1. Frank Morgan's death and his son's tearful reaction to it.
2. Gladys Cooper's deathbed confession to her husband and daughter.
3. The shock i got almost immediately following Gladys Cooper's passing to hear the priest tell her daughter than her father had joined her mother in death.
4. The great earthquake and subsequent tidal wave scene.
5. The sight of a refined young English girl crawling for dear life up the inside of a cave to the top of a cliff to avoid an incoming tide.
None of those five points are hidden from the viewer as the story progresses, so that they do not constitute spoilers.
And I had also remembered in a more general way that the Richard Hart character had ended up marrying the wrong woman due to his drunkenly addressing his marriage proposal letter to the wrong sister.
What I may not have totally appreciated then were the superb performances of both the lead and supporting actors. I'm absolutely amazed that this film is not listed among the Hollywood classics. It should be.