King Vidor made this 1938 film at MGM’s British studios and helped himself to a lot of local talent: Ralph Richardson, Rex Harrison, Emlyn Williams, Cecil Parker. Robert Donat is the young doctor who betrays his calling by becoming a society hand-holder; Rosalind Russell is the wife who brings him back. Though it has Vidor’s favorite theme of personal rebirth and his enduring country/city dichotomy, it lacks his usual fire (it also marked his return to a major studio after several fertile years as a freelancer). Naturally, it was nominated for a slew of Academy Awards, including best picture, actor, direction, and screenplay. 110 min.
