STRANGE INTERLUDE (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1932) directed by Robert Z. Leonard, stars Norma Shearer in one of her most challenging yet strangest roles to date. Though credited as "from the play by Eugene O'Neill," it might have served as "based on the play" considering that the notable 1928 play, reportedly lasting five hours with a dinner break for intermission, was trimmed down to 109 minutes, eliminating plenty of material. Aside from being the movie to introduce Clark Gable with a mustache (during the second half of the story) that would make him world famous, STRANGE INTERLUDE is notable for a new gimmick of hearing spoken inner thoughts through the minds of its players. Wondering how this was accomplished on stage can be seen by Groucho Marx in his parody by having his "strange interlude" in ANIMAL CRACKERS (Paramount, 1930). Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett briefly spoke out their thoughts for one scene in ME AND MY GAL (Fox, 1932). While this thinking out loud thoughts gimmick (for audiences only to hear) seemed like a good idea at the time, it became an experiment to never be repeated again.
Following the open titles on how viewers are to fully understand the characters, the story, set in a small New England University town in Connecticut shortly after the World War, introduces Charlie Marsden (Ralph Morgan) returning from Europe. He's revealed as the man in love with Nina Leeds (Norma Shearer), but her true interest is on Gordon Shaw, recently killed in the war, Her bitterness towards her father (Henry B. Walthall) for preventing her marriage due to his jealousy, finds Nina wanting to leave home and pay her debt to Gordon by nursing wounded soldiers in the Massachusetts hospital. After her father dies, Nina returns home accompanied by Doctor Ned Darrell (Clark Gable) and Sam Evans (Alexander Kirkland), two friends she met during her year absence. Still ignoring Charlie love for her, Nina marries Sam instead. After learning the family secret of insanity running in the family through Sam's mother (May Robson), Nina, to avoid the possibility of her child might become insane, secretly allows Ned to father her son she names Gordon. With Sam pleased with fatherhood, Nina and Ned keep secret of their affair. Through the passage of time, Nina becomes disturbed watching her little boy (Tad Alexander) grow to college athlete (Robert Young) in love with Madeline (Maureen O'Sullivan) to continuously show his hatred towards Ned whenever he's around.
Considering how the story spans 25 years, starting around 1920, it's a wonder that the final half, with the characters aged and children fully grown, should obviously take place in the future of the 1940s rather than the movie release of 1932, something to stir up confusion to a first-time viewer.
Though recording thoughts coming from the minds of principals might have been difficult to accomplish, it's certainly an interesting factor presented on screen. Being a Norma Shearer movie, the reason for viewing this today would be for the strong presence given by Clark Gable. Quite believable from youth to middle-aged man, he shows his great acting skills when confronting the little boy who hates him to desperately want but unable to express his true feelings towards him. Alexander Kirkland, with few films to his credit, is satisfactory as the weakling husband while Ralph Morgan memorable as "good old Charlie." STRANGE INTERLUDE has limited incidental underscoring but more talking heard than in any early talkie up to this point.
Available on video cassette in the 1990s and later DVD format, STRANGE INTERLUDE can be seen and studied whenever broadcast on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. (***)
Following the open titles on how viewers are to fully understand the characters, the story, set in a small New England University town in Connecticut shortly after the World War, introduces Charlie Marsden (Ralph Morgan) returning from Europe. He's revealed as the man in love with Nina Leeds (Norma Shearer), but her true interest is on Gordon Shaw, recently killed in the war, Her bitterness towards her father (Henry B. Walthall) for preventing her marriage due to his jealousy, finds Nina wanting to leave home and pay her debt to Gordon by nursing wounded soldiers in the Massachusetts hospital. After her father dies, Nina returns home accompanied by Doctor Ned Darrell (Clark Gable) and Sam Evans (Alexander Kirkland), two friends she met during her year absence. Still ignoring Charlie love for her, Nina marries Sam instead. After learning the family secret of insanity running in the family through Sam's mother (May Robson), Nina, to avoid the possibility of her child might become insane, secretly allows Ned to father her son she names Gordon. With Sam pleased with fatherhood, Nina and Ned keep secret of their affair. Through the passage of time, Nina becomes disturbed watching her little boy (Tad Alexander) grow to college athlete (Robert Young) in love with Madeline (Maureen O'Sullivan) to continuously show his hatred towards Ned whenever he's around.
Considering how the story spans 25 years, starting around 1920, it's a wonder that the final half, with the characters aged and children fully grown, should obviously take place in the future of the 1940s rather than the movie release of 1932, something to stir up confusion to a first-time viewer.
Though recording thoughts coming from the minds of principals might have been difficult to accomplish, it's certainly an interesting factor presented on screen. Being a Norma Shearer movie, the reason for viewing this today would be for the strong presence given by Clark Gable. Quite believable from youth to middle-aged man, he shows his great acting skills when confronting the little boy who hates him to desperately want but unable to express his true feelings towards him. Alexander Kirkland, with few films to his credit, is satisfactory as the weakling husband while Ralph Morgan memorable as "good old Charlie." STRANGE INTERLUDE has limited incidental underscoring but more talking heard than in any early talkie up to this point.
Available on video cassette in the 1990s and later DVD format, STRANGE INTERLUDE can be seen and studied whenever broadcast on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. (***)