MERVYN LeROY
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBBB.
USA, 1936. Warner Bros.. Screenplay by Sheridan Gibney, based on the book by Hervey Allen. Cinematography by Tony Gaudio. Produced by Henry Blanke. Music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Production Design by Anton Grot. Costume Design by Milo Anderson. Film Editing by Ralph Dawson.
Drama and adventure on a grand scale as Fredric March is born to an adulterous woman and left to be raised by nuns. Upon reentering society as the assistant to a merchant, he finds himself at the mercy of a rough society that bounces him around the world until he finally stands on his own two feet and boards a ship travelling for America. Gale Sondergaard won the very first Oscar given for Best Supporting Actress for a deliciously cruel role, while Olivia de Havilland is ravishing as the love interest, but she was better served as an actress in the Errol Flynn adventures she was doing around the same time.
Academy Awards: Best Cinematography; Best Art Direction; Best Film Editing; Best Scoring
Nominations: Best Picture; Best Assistant Director (William Cannon)
