Review of Anthony Adverse (1936) by Rob M — 30 Aug 2017

Anthony Adverse is a gigantic epic costume drama/adventure film that was made at a time when a rigid production code was in place. If we look at the film within the confines of that production code we can see something beautiful yet watered down from its source material. The novel created quite the splash upon its release in 1933 and sold copious amounts of copies to become the bestelling novel of all time; replaced three years later by Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind.

Fredric March is our leading man here and he triumphantly portrays the troubled Adverse through his adult years. Olivia DeHavilland is stunning as his forgotten wife and there is scene chewing support galore from the likes of Edmund Gwenn, Claude Rains, and Gale Sondergaard (who won the first ever Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance). The film takes through a large amount of time and we travel to several different countries within that timeframe including Cuba and somewhere in Africa. What the film lacks in cohesion it makes up for in gorgeous black and white cinematography and flawless costume sets. It may not be remembered as one of Hollywood's great epic films but it should still be given a chance to take its place as one of its most extravagant.