The Dark Angel **** (1935, Merle Oberon, Fredric March, Herbert Marshall) – Classic Movie Review 5693

Director Sidney Franklin’s 1935 romance stars the formidable trio of Merle Oberon, Fredric March and Herbert Marshall, and is an Academy Award winner as its production designer Richard Day won an Oscar for Best Art Direction. Oberon was Oscar nominated for Best Actress and sound director Thomas T Moulton was Oscar nominated for Best Sound.

Famed author Lillian Hellman co-adapts the old Guy Bolton tearjerker play about an officer (March) who does not want to tell his fiancée (Oberon) that he has been blinded in action in World War One, instead disappearing in order to convince his fiancée to marry his rival and boss (Marshall), who despatched March on his war-wound service action.

There is a touch of class in Hellman’s intelligently heart-tugging screenplay (written with Mordaunt Shairp). And the stars’ splendid acting (March is superb and Oberon is on Oscar-nominated Best Actress form) is full of conviction and holds the attention, despite the contrived, mechanical nature of the plotline.

Although the movie is a manipulative, dated piece of work, script, performance and the sensitive direction by Franklin combine to make it still a sentimental joy.

Also in the cast are Janet Beecher, John Halliday, Henrietta Crosman, Frieda Inescort, Claud Allister, George Breakston, Fay Chaldecott, Dennis Chaldecott, Douglas Walton, Sarah Edwards, John Miltern, Olaf Hytten, Lawrence Grant, Ann Fielder, David Torrence, Cora Sue Collins, Jimmy Butler and Jimmy Baxter.

It is shot by Gregg Toland, produced by Samuel Goldwyn and scored by Alfred Newman.

It was previously made in 1925 as a silent with Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky.

It is Oberon’s only Oscar nomination. Her other best films are The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934, playing Lady Blakeney), Wuthering Heights (1939, as Cathy), That Uncertain Feeling (1941, as Jill Baker) and Berlin Express (1948, as Lucienne).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5693

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