Lavishly helmed by Douglas Sirk, Magnificent Obsession, the 1954 feature starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson, established Sirk’s reputation as a director of elegant and stylish melodramas.
Grade: B+ (**** out of *****)
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The screenplay, co-penned by Robert Blees and Wells Root, is based on the 1929 book “Magnificent Obsession” by Lloyd C. Douglas.
Produced by Ross Hunter, it was the second version of the story, which Universal made in 1935 into a popular melodrama starring Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor. The 1935 picture made Taylor a bona fide star and the 1954 performed the same function for the then struggling actor Hudson.
Hudson plays spoiled playboy Bob Merrick, whose reckless behavior causes him to lose control of his speed boat. Rescuers send for the nearest resuscitator, located in Dr. Phillips’s house across the lake. While the resuscitator is being used to save Merrick, Dr. Phillips suffers a heart attack and dies. Merrick becomes a patient at Dr. Phillips’s clinic, where most of the doctors and nurses resent the fact that Merrick inadvertently caused Dr. Phillips’s death.
Helen Phillips (Jane Wyman), Dr. Phillips’s young widow, receives calls, letters and visitors, offering to pay back loans that Dr. Phillips refused to accept repayment of during his time. Many claimed he refused by saying “it was already used up.” Edward Randolph (Otto Kruger), a famous artist and Dr. Phillips’s friend, explains to Helen what that phrase means, which helps her understand why her husband left little money, even though he had a successful practice.
When Merrick discovers why he is disliked, he flees the clinic but collapses in front of Helen’s car and ends up back at the hospital, where she learns of his true identity.
After his discharge, Merrick leaves a party drunk, and running off the road, he ends up at the home of Edward Randolph, who recognizes him. Randolph explains the secret belief that has influenced his own art, his religious philosophy that anything can be accomplished by “getting in touch with the source of infinite power.”
Merrick decides to try out this new philosophy. His first attempt causes Helen to step into the path of a car while trying to run away from his advances. She is blinded by this accident.
Merrick decides to becoming a doctor, trying to fulfill Dr. Phillips’s legacy. He also has fallen in love with Helen and secretly helps her adjust to her blindness under the guise of being simply a poor medical student, Robby. Merrick secretly arranges for Helen to travel to Europe and consult the best eye surgeons in the world. After extensive tests, these surgeons tell Helen there is no hope for recovery. Right after this, Robby shows up at her hotel to provide emotional support, but eventually discovers that Helen has already guessed his real identity. Merrick asks Helen to marry him.
Later that night, howevre, Helen realizes she will be a burden to him, and so runs away and disappears.
Years later, Merrick, now a dedicated and successful brain surgeon who secretly continues his philanthropic acts, searches for Helen. One evening, Randolph arrives with news that Helen is very sick in a Southwest hospital. Merrick arrives to find that Helen needs a complex brain surgery to save her life. As the only capable surgeon at the clinic, Merrick performs this operation. After a long night waiting for the results, Helen awakens and discovers she can now see.
A note about the famous music:
Frank Skinner composed the melodic score, which inspired a song of the same title with lyrics by Frederick Herbert. The Four Lads recorded the song with the Percy Faith orchestra. Victor Young also recorded an instrumental version of the song which featured a viola solo by Anatole Kaminsky. However, much of the score is Skinner’s arrangements of Chopin (Nocturne No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 1 and Étude in E major, Op. 10, No. 3 “Tristesse”), Beethoven (“Ode to Joy” theme from Ninth Symphony), and Johann Strauss II (Wiener Blut).
The movie was a huge commercial hit, earning $5.2 million in box-office rentals.
My Oscar Book:
Oscar Nominations: 1
Best Actress: Jane Wyman
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context:
The winner of the Best Actress Oscar was Grace Kelly for The Country Girl.
Cast
Jane Wyman as Helen Phillips
Rock Hudson as Bob Merrick
Barbara Rush as Joyce Phillips
Agnes Moorehead as Nancy Ashford
Otto Kruger as Randolf
Gregg Palmer as Tom Masterson
Sara Shane as Valerie
Paul Cavanagh as Dr. Giraud
Richard H. Cutting as Dr. Derwin Dodge
Judy Nugent as Judy
Helen Kleeb as Mrs. Eden
Rudolph Anders as Dr. Albert Fuss
Fred Nurney as Dr. Laradetti
John Mylong as Dr. Emil Hofer
Alexander Campbell as Dr. Allan
Credits:
Directed by Douglas Sirk
Produced by Ross Hunter
Screenplay by Wells Root, Sarah Y. Mason, Victor Heerman, Finley Peter Dunne, based on Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas
Music by Frank Skinner
Cinematography Russell Metty
Edited by Milton Carruth
Production and distribution: Universal Pictures
Release date : August 4, 1954
Running time: 108 minutes
