Splendor *** (1935, Miriam Hopkins, Joel McCrea, Helen Westley, Katharine Alexander, David Niven, Paul Cavanagh, Billie Burke, Ruth Weston) – Classic Movie Review 8887

Director Elliott Nugent’s 1935 black and white romantic comedy drama Splendor is a forgotten but not negligible yarn from the Samuel Goldwyn Company studios about Brighton Lorrimore (Joel McCrea) upsetting his fraught, cash-strapped family, especially his mother Mrs Emmeline Lorrimore (Helen Westley), by falling for and marrying poor Phyllis Manning (Miriam Hopkins) instead of a rich young thing, Edith Gilbert (Ruth Weston).

Splendor is well played, intriguingly written and always interesting, but the piece’s splendour has faded. Good though McCrea and Hopkins are, the veteran Westley (1875–1942) steals the show. Rachel Crothers adapts her own play for the screen, though the play had been unproduced and she wrote the screenplay from it as part of a larger arrangement with producer Samuel Goldwyn.

Also in the cast are Katharine Alexander, David Niven, Paul Cavanagh, Billie Burke, Ivan F Simpson, Arthur Treacher, Reginald Sheffield and Torben Meyer.

Splendor is directed by Elliott Nugent, runs 75 minutes, is made by the Samuel Goldwyn Company and Howard Productions, is released by United Artists, is written by Rachel Crothers, based on the play by Rachel Crothers, is shot in black and white by Gregg Toland, is produced by Samuel Goldwyn, is scored by Alfred Newman (musical director) and is designed by Richard Day.

It was shot in September and October 1935 at the Samuel Goldwyn Studios, 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, and also at Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, and Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino National Forest, California. Samuel Goldwyn’s house on Laurel Lane in Beverly Hills is also used as a location. The front and rear of the house, courtyard and swimming pool are seen. The house was built by the Goldwyns in 1934 and is now owned by singer Taylor Swift.

It is the third of five films McCrea with Hopkins made together between 1934 and 1937.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8887

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