Eurasian physician Rosalie Chou was an extremely interesting woman who wrote under the name of Han Suyin. Apparently she sold the rights to her autobiographical 'A many-splendored thing' so as to pay for her adopted daughter to receive treatment in England for pulmonary thrombosis. Unsurprisingly she distanced herself from the film.
This adaptation by John Patrick has here been given the full Twentieth Century Fox treatment by its 'A' team. Sensitive direction by Henry King, stunning cinematography by 'the cameraman's cameraman' Leon Shamroy, seamless editing by William Reynolds and a lush score by Alfred Newman.
The English correspondent with whom Suyin has an ill-fated romance has become an American, no surprise there, and is played by William Holden whilst Suyin is portrayed by Jennifer Jones. Good support from Torin Thatcher, Isobel Elsom and Murray Matheson as the resident 'colonials'.
It is supremely ironic that one of the great love stories is here played out by two actors whose relations off set were far from cordial to say the least. Their consummate professionalism has enabled them to rise above this antipathy and Miss Jones gives one of her very best performances. Mr. Holden of course has the unbeatable combination of masculinity and sensitivity. One genuinely cares what happens to their characters and they are aided immeasurably by the glorious theme music derived by Sammy Fain from Puccini's 'Un bel di......'
The film has naturally been dismissed by the flint-hearted as overly sentimental but it was made at a time when sentimentality was not a dirty word. It is designed to appeal to the emotions and does so in spades.
This adaptation by John Patrick has here been given the full Twentieth Century Fox treatment by its 'A' team. Sensitive direction by Henry King, stunning cinematography by 'the cameraman's cameraman' Leon Shamroy, seamless editing by William Reynolds and a lush score by Alfred Newman.
The English correspondent with whom Suyin has an ill-fated romance has become an American, no surprise there, and is played by William Holden whilst Suyin is portrayed by Jennifer Jones. Good support from Torin Thatcher, Isobel Elsom and Murray Matheson as the resident 'colonials'.
It is supremely ironic that one of the great love stories is here played out by two actors whose relations off set were far from cordial to say the least. Their consummate professionalism has enabled them to rise above this antipathy and Miss Jones gives one of her very best performances. Mr. Holden of course has the unbeatable combination of masculinity and sensitivity. One genuinely cares what happens to their characters and they are aided immeasurably by the glorious theme music derived by Sammy Fain from Puccini's 'Un bel di......'
The film has naturally been dismissed by the flint-hearted as overly sentimental but it was made at a time when sentimentality was not a dirty word. It is designed to appeal to the emotions and does so in spades.