Arrowsmith *** (1931, Ronald Colman, Helen Hayes, Richard Bennett, Myrna Loy) – Classic Movie Review 12,443

John Ford’s 1931 drama film Arrowsmith is based on Sinclair Lewis’s Nobel Prize novel, and stars Ronald Colman, Helen Hayes, Richard Bennett, and Myrna Loy. Allegedly, John Ford sped up filming at the expense of plot and continuity to start drinking.

Director John Ford’s 1931 pre-Code drama film Arrowsmith is based on Sinclair Lewis’s Nobel Prize-winning 1925 novel, and stars Ronald Colman, Helen Hayes, Richard Bennett, and Myrna Loy.

Sinclair Lewis’s Nobel Prize-winning novel about a research doctor’s selfless struggles provides a good role for Colman as Dr Martin Arrowsmith, but odd material for director John Ford.

Dr Arrowsmith battles a tropical bubonic plague, as two colleagues and his wife (Hayes) pass away. This style of yarn has been better filmed since, though the good performances of Colman, Hayes, Bennett, Loy, and the good scenes still make it watchable, even if it is laborious and rambling. It is very old. You are allowed to be laborious and rambling.

Screen-writer Sidney Howard tried again with adapting Sinclair Lewis’s novel Dodsworth.

It runs 108 minutes, but cut versions run 101 minutes or 99 minutes.

Also in the cast are Charlotte Henry, Beulah Bondi, A E Anson, Claude King, Russell Hopton, Bert Roach, James Marcus, DeWitt Jennings, David Landau, Lumsden Hare, John Qualen, Raymond Hatton, Mike Donlin, Ward Bond, and Erville Alderson.

Helen Hayes had to rush from this to film retakes on The Sin of Madelon Claudet.

Sidney Howard’s script departs substantially from the book over Arrowsmith’s serial womanising and other key plot elements, skipping all mention of Arrowsmith’s wealthy, self-centred second wife.

Myrna Loy has only a few scenes with Colman, and their relationship is severely undeveloped.

Helen Hayes claimed that as filming went on, scenes were dropped from the script without explanation.

It is also claimed that producer Samuel Goldwyn hired director John Ford on condition he did not drink during the production, and that Ford sped up filming at the expense of plot and continuity to start drinking.

The film was a financial and critical success. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including for Best Picture, Best Writing, Adaptation (Howard), Best Cinematography (Ray June), and Best Art Direction (Richard Day).

The cast are Ronald Colman as Dr Martin Arrowsmith, Helen Hayes as Leora Arrowsmith, Richard Bennett as Gustav Sondelius, A.E. Anson as Professor Max Gottlieb, Clarence Brooks as Oliver Marchand, Alec B. Francis as Twyford, Claude King as Dr. Tubbs, Bert Roach as Bert Tozer, Myrna Loy as Mrs Joyce Lanyon, Russell Hopton as Terry Wickett, David Landau as State Veterinarian, Lumsden Hare as the Governor, Sir Robert Fairland, Ward Bond as Cop, John Qualen as Henry Novak, James Marcus, DeWitt Jennings, Raymond Hatton, Mike Donlin, and Erville Alderson.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,443

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