Watch Smilin' Through For Free

Redundant and unnecessary.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

In England, elderly Leslie Howard (as John Carteret) still mourns the death of blonde-trussed teenager Norma Shearer (as Moonyeen Clare). As we see in a flashback to 1868, Ms. Shearer was shot to death by Mr. Howard's alcoholic rival Fredric March (as Jeremy Wayne) while the two exchanged wedding vows. A flashback to 1898 reveals how Howard adopted five-year-old Cora Sue Collins; in 1915, she grows up to be adult Norma Shearer (as Kathleen Sheridan). Presently, Shearer falls in love at first sight with handsome American traveler Fredric March (as Kenneth "Ken" Wayne). As Mr. March happens to be the son of the man who killed his bride, Howard makes Shearer promise to stay away from their new neighbor... MGM's box office star, named "Quigley Publications" #6 for 1932, acts giddy and girlish in soft focus. Director Sidney Franklin, who helmed both this and the earlier silent film version, does excellent work with windows."Smilin' Through" was originally a tremendous hit for popular stage actress Jane Cowl, who wrote the strongly romantic story with Jane Murfin (using the alias "Allan Langdon Martin"). Ms. Cowl starred in only a couple of silent films, unfortunately. Even worse, the 1922 "Smilin' Through" with Norma Talmadge in the leading roles is not available for viewing. There are prints of this film surviving in the U.S. Library of Congress and the Netherlands Film Museum. It was one of Ms. Talmadge's most successful, winning a "Quigley Publications" honor as 1922's best picture, and should be restored. The Shearer version won the 1932 "Photoplay" award. MGM did it again with less success, in a 1941 musical starring Jeanette MacDonald.Note this version's unaccredited gardener David Torrence played Howard's pal "Owen" in the 1919 stage version; and, the 1941 version's unaccredited doctor Wyndham Standing played Howard's role in the 1922 silent version.****** Smilin' Through (9/24/32) Sidney Franklin ~ Norma Shearer, Fredric March, Leslie Howard, O.P. Heggie

Sidney Franklin was perhaps MGM's safest director of the '30s, being handed a series of prestige projects and always bringing an unadventurous classiness to them. This one, from a Jane Cowl Broadway war horse, has two sad love stories in different eras, sumptuous photography, and a small, starry cast. Leslie Howard, forced to spend most of the movie behind unflattering I'm-a-70-year-old makeup, lends it dignity, and Norma Shearer and Fredric March deliver a one-two punch of star quality. She was always a little artificial, a little too love-me, but she did have the individuality that spells 1930s movie star. He was usually excellent, and he is here, infusing his noble-soldier persona with a modern immediacy that's the antithesis of her actressy histrionics. Speaking of actressy, I've never been able to tolerate Beryl Mercer, and she's at her most unforgivable here, but at least it's a small part. It's less arthritic and overproduced than the Jeanette MacDonald remake, and if the ending steals from "Viennese Nights" and presages the MacDonald-Eddy "Maytime" right down to the double exposure, it doesn't ruin a still-affecting love story.

This is a wonderful old-time romantic film, though sadly it's been pretty much forgotten today. It's a real shame, because this is one of the best romantic movies of the 1930s--one that should be remembered.The film begins with Sir John Carteret (Leslie Howard) living all alone in his British mansion. He's been alone there with his memories for decades, though why exactly he lives this life of seclusion isn't totally clear. You know that his lady love, Moonyeen (now THAT'S an odd name), had died many years earlier and that he's been pining for her all along. Well, into this morgue-like life appears an old friend, Dr. Owen. Owen is there to tell Carteret that the niece of his dead love is now an orphan and in need of a home--and he brings the child to Carteret to be raised.Years have passed and now this child is a vivacious 22 year-old, Kathleen (Norma Shearer). She and her adopted father are quite happy and fortunately Carteret is less melancholy. Having Kathleen to raise has obviously lifted his spirits. That is, until Kathleen meets Kenneth Wayne (Frederic March). They fall almost instantly in love and everything seems great until Carteret learns of this. Then he reluctantly tells her a sad tale that he's kept to himself all these years. You finally learn what happened to Moonyeen. It seems that on her wedding day with Carteret, a jealous suitor (Kenneth's father) stormed into the wedding and tried to kill Carteret--accidentally killing Moonyeen in the process!! His bitterness about this understandably demands that Kathleen break off her relationship with Kenneth once and for all.Unfortunately, while she and Kenneth tried to call it quits, they were just too much in love. Try as they might, they couldn't ignore that they were head over heels in love. However, Carteret was determined to destroy this relationship at all cost--as he NEVER could forgive Kenneth for his father's heinous act. Where the story goes from there, you'll just have to see for yourself. It becomes a lot more complicated--particularly when Kenneth goes off to war. See this wonderful film for yourself to see how it all unfolds.There are a few silly clichés that prevent it from earning a 10, though this is still an amazing film. Having Moonyeen and Kathleen as well as Kenneth and his father played by the same actors was a silly but accepted cliché back in 1932. While the idea of a son looking exactly like his father is silly, having Kathleen look almost exactly like her aunt is even more ridiculous. Plus, having no British accent whatsoever for Kenneth's dad was also pretty silly (you could understand this with Kenneth, as he was raised in America).As to what there is to like, where do I begin? The film has such a luminous and romantic quality about it start to finish, I just couldn't get over it. Only MGM could have done such a perfect looking film during this era. Shearer is magnificent--and it might just be her best film (even better than THE WOMEN) and Howard and March are also quite good. The characters are lovely--very complex and tender. You just can't help but find yourself sucked into the film--so be sure to have a box of Kleenex nearby. An amazing film.By the way, towards the end, you can sure see that one of the plot twists was later reused in the great love story LOVE AFFAIR (with Iren Dunne and Charles Boyer, 1939) as well as in LOVE AFFAIR's remake, AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER. Wow. Think about seeing LOVE AFFAIR followed by SMILIN' THROUGH--now that would be a terrific double-bill.

I just can't tell you how much I adore this film! It was superb in every way! Norma Shearer and Fredric March were wonderful together, the chemistry between these two can be felt, it burns right through the tv screen! I'm not kidding! ;-) It's just lovely, you care about these two, you want them to be together and be happy! That's a sign of good acting on their parts! Leslie Howard is excellent too, don't get me wrong. He just can't beat Fred! Oh Fred Fred Fred! Yes, I like him! Is it obvious? ;-) He's just the most amazing actor! I'm definitely going to buy The Barretts of Wimpole Street now because I think anything with Shearer and March together is worth my money! Or someone elses! ;-)Oh, and Fred and Norma kiss an awful lot too! Lucky gal! haha!