LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING (DVD/1955/STUDIO CLASSICS) DVD

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
Based on the autobiographical novel by Han Suyin, Love is a Many Splendored Thing was evocatively location-filmed in Hong Kong. Jennifer Jones plays Ms. Suyin, a Eurasian doctor and the widow of a Chinese general. She falls in love with American news correspondent Mark Elliot (William Holden), who unfortunately cannot obtain a divorce from his present wife. This, together with the disapproval of Dr. Suyin's tradition-bound relatives and Hong Kong's strict racial laws, forces the couple to carry on their romance in a clandestine fashion. The romance ends in tragedy, but with renewed hope for a happier future. The one lasting legacy of Love is a Many Splendored Thing is its Oscar-winning title song, written by Paul Fain and Sammy Webster; Oscars also went to Alfred Newman's musical score and Charles LeMaire's costume design. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast William Holden as Mark Elliott Jennifer Jones as Han Suyin Torin Thatcher as Mr. Palmer-Jones Isobel Elsom as Adeline Palmer-Jones Murray Matheson as Dr. Tam Virginia Gregg as Ann Richards Candace Lee as Oh-No Richard Loo as Robert Hung Soo Yong as Nora Hung Philip Ahn as Third Uncle Jorja Curtright as Suzanne Donna Martell as Suchen Kam Tong as Dr.Sen James Hong as 5th Brother Marie Tsien as Rosie Wu Barbara Jean Wong as Nurse Kei Chung as Interne

Crew Charles LeMaire - Costume Designer Henry King - Director William H. Reynolds - Editor Alfred Newman - Composer (Music Score) Sammy Fain - Composer (Music Score) George W. Davis - Production Designer Walter Scott - Production Designer Lyle Wheeler - Production Designer Jack Stubbs - Production Designer Leon Shamroy - Cinematographer Buddy Adler - Producer Carl Faulkner - Sound/Sound Designer John Patrick - Screenwriter Han Suyin - Book Author

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
An immensely popular tearjerker, Love is a Many-Splendored Thing has dated very badly through the years, but it still holds great appeal for aficionados of good soap operas. As an over-the-top omantic melodrama, it's hard to beat, but those who are not prone to tearing up at the sight of a forlorn Jennifer Jones standing bravely and lonely atop a high, windy hill would be well advised to look elsewhere -- and quickly. Love makes no attempt to disguise its soapiness, and it wears its manipulative nature right out on its sleeve -- and that gets quite wearying after a while. Fortunately, Love has a couple of classic weeper performances from Jones and William Holden, both of whom knew just how to play this kind of material for maximum effectiveness. Even more fortunately, Love has all the gorgeous surface trappings -- beautiful sets and scenery, gorgeous costumes, sumptuous photography, a sweepingly romantic score -- that provide the real joy in films of this type. The title song is also still memorable, although nowadays it may evoke laughter more than passion and tears. Love is anything but a great film, but it's the kind of guilty pleasure that many find irresistible. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

Alfred Newman: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Drama or Comedy Score (winner) Carl Faulkner: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Sound (nominated) Charles LeMaire: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Color Costume Design (winner) George W. Davis: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Color Art Direction (nominated) Jack Stubbs: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Color Art Direction (nominated) Jennifer Jones: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Actress (nominated) Leon Shamroy: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Color Cinematography (nominated) Lyle Wheeler: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Color Art Direction (nominated) Paul Francis Webster: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (winner) Sammy Fain: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (winner) Walter Scott: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Color Art Direction (nominated)

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Picture (nominated) Golden Globe, Motion Picture Promoting International Understanding (winner)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French, Spanish Subtitle Options: English, Spanish Sound Processing: DD4.0: Dolby Digital w/ four discrete audio channels. Includes 3 for the front speakers & 1 mono channel for the surround DDS2.0: Dolby Digital w/ 4 channels of sound from a 2-channel stereo mix. Additional Features: cc Audio commentary by Michael Lonzo, Sylvia Stoddard, and John Burlingame "William Holden: An Untamed Spirit," as seen on Biography on the A&E Network Movietone newsreel (Audience Awards Presentation) Photoplay Awards highlight clip Theatrical trailer Anamorphic widescreen (aspect ratio 2.55:1) Audio: English 4.0 Surround Sound, French 4.0 Surround Sound, Spanish Mono Subtitles: English, Spanish DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.55:1: 2.55:1 MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 102 min Part of Series: 20th Century Fox Studio Classics   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Main Titles 2. Hong Kong - 1949 3. Dr. Han 4. Mark Elliott 5. The Moon Festival 6. Mrs. Palmer-Jones 7. Convent Days 8. Of Fish and Swimming 9. A Sleeping Tiger 10. The Meeting Place 11. Family Trouble 12. A Proposal 13. Love 14. Denial 15. In Macau 16. A Little War 17. Letters From Mark 18. Words of Wisdom