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Reviews
The Shining Hour (1938)
High potential, terrible result
What a waste of talent. This film had such potential, the cast is excellent and the story idea is good. Glamorous city girl Olivia (Crawford) marries "country farmer" (who farms in suits?) Henry Linden (Douglas), from an old family. They move to Wisconsin to live with the Linden family, supposedly dour spinster sister Hannah (Bainter), lifeless brother David (Young) and his loving wife Judy (Sullavan).
Before you know it, David and Olivia are apparently, passionately, in love. How did this love develop? Nothing real is shown; Henry and Olivia arrive in Wisconsin and suddenly, love! No tension, buildup, or even scenes between the two until suddenly, David proclaims it! And the great fuss that is made about Hannah's hatred of Olivia, it is not really shown and developed either, just some rather mild comments and barbs from Hannah, directed at Olivia. No tension between the characters at all. It is a jarring moment, during the fire, when Hannah looks gleefully on as the fire burns and then screams crazily at Henry. Next, the siblings are together and all is well between Henry and Hannah, she is smiling at him and nice to Olivia. What? It's all just out of the blue and doesn't fit.
Sullavan's character Judy is the most interesting at first, she is realistic about her relationship with her husband David. She doesn't believe Hannah initially, that something is happening between Olivia and David. Why should she, the film doesn't develop any attraction between the two! In the end, Judy is the one martyred, as so many films then must have a suffering female. Yes, sacrifice her man, for love.
And then the movie ends with Olivia joining her city friend who was only in the movie for a few moments? This movie is disjointed and has no real development of the characters and story lines. Terrible waste of talent and potential.