Smilin' Through | |
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Theatrical poster
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Directed by | Sidney Franklin |
Produced by | Albert Lewin |
Written by |
Donald Ogden Stewart Ernest Vajda |
Starring |
Norma Shearer Fredric March Leslie Howard |
Music by | William Axt Arthur A. Penn |
Cinematography | Lee Garmes |
Edited by | Margaret Booth |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date
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September 24, 1932 |
Running time
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98 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $851,000 |
Box office | $2,033,000 |
Smilin' Through is a 1932 American pre-Code MGM romantic drama film based on the play by Jane Cowl and Jane Murfin, also named Smilin' Through.
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for 1932. It was adapted from Cowl and Murfin's play by James Bernard Fagan, Donald Ogden Stewart, Ernest Vajda and Claudine West. The movie was directed by Sidney Franklin (who also directed an earlier version in 1922) and starred Norma Shearer, Fredric March, Leslie Howard and Ralph Forbes.
John Carteret (Leslie Howard) is a wealthy man with a huge estate. He was set to marry Moonyeen Clare (Norma Shearer), but on their wedding day she was accidentally killed during the wedding ceremony by her drunken and jealous ex-fiance Jeremy Wayne (Fredric March), who actually meant to kill John. John has spent the rest of his life in mourning. However, Moonyeen has kept in touch with him from the next life. He runs the estate, and has a private retreat where he communicates with her spirit.
His close friend Dr. Owens (O.P. Heggie) tells him of Moonyeen's niece Kathleen, whose parents have drowned at sea. He begs John to adopt the child, and he does. Kathleen is five, but as she grows older she looks exactly like the dead Moonyeen (and is also played by Norma Shearer). Her childhood friend Willie (Ralph Forbes) wants to marry her, but she is interested in Kenneth Wayne (also played by Fredric March), whom she meets in dangerous and romantic circumstances. However, Kenneth is the son of Jeremy, Moonyeen's killer, who disappeared and was never found.