Magnificent Obsession (1935) *** [Magnificent Double Feature Pt. 2]

For his 1954 remake of Magnificent Obsession (review) Douglas Sirk wisely removed the religious overtones of John M. Stahl's 1935 adaptation of Lloyd C. Douglas' 1929 novel. Outside of that, and some humor in the ‘35 version that doesn’t always land, Sirk's film isn't all that different, story-wise. Irene Dunne is good and Robert Taylor is serviceable in Stahl's 1935 version, but Sirk, Jane Wyman, and Rock Hudson (along with cinematographer Russell Metty) all give the same story more life in the heightened 1954 adaptation. Still, this is an enjoyable melodrama.