''Strange Interlude '' is a 1932 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Robert Z. Leonard Robert Zigler Leonard (October 7, 1889 – August 27, 1968) was an American film director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Chicago, Illinois. At one time, he was married to silent star Mae Murray with the two formin ...

and released by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

. The film stars

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'N ...

and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

, and is based on the 1928 play ''

Strange Interlude ''Strange Interlude'' is an experimental play in nine acts by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. O'Neill began work on it as early as 1923 and developed its scenario in 1925; he wrote the play between May 1926 and the summer of 1927, and complete ...

'' by

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

. It is greatly shortened from the play: the stage production lasts six hours and is sometimes performed over two evenings, while the film runs for two hours.

Plot

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

veteran Charlie Marsden (Ralph Morgan) returns from the war, hoping to see his secret crush Nina Leeds (Norma Shearer). He arrives to find her still at odds with her father (Henry B. Walthall), who stubbornly stood in the way of her dating Gordon (Robert Young) who recently died in the war. Nina honors Gordon's memory by becoming a nurse in a war veteran's hospital. Feeling the loss of the one she loved, Nina dates many men. Upon the later death of her father, Nina returns with Dr. Ned Darrell (Clark Gable) and Gordon's old buddy Sam Evans (Alexander Kirkland). Nina eventually marries Sam, hoping to have the life she once wanted with Gordon. After the nuptials, Sam's mother (May Robson) tells her that insanity runs in the family. Nina conceives a child by Ned, whom she secretly loves. Ned, on the other hand, deserts her and moves to Europe. When a son is born, he is named Gordon after Nina's first love. Charlie knows who the father is, but the three of them vow to keep the secret of who is Gordon's biological father. Years pass, bringing age and frailty to the friends and one-time lovers, and death to Sam, after a happy life. After Gordon reaches adulthood, he announces his pending nuptials to Madeline Arnold (Maureen O'Sullivan). During a confrontation between Gordon and Ned, Nina, cries out that Gordon has struck his father. Gordon assumes she is speaking metaphorically and apologizes. He says that he has always known that his mother and Ned were in love, but that they denied their passion. He tells them that they must marry, now, with his blessing. Wordlessly, Nina prevents Ned from speaking the truth. Gordon leaves the room, and Nina and Ned agree that they will not marry, because despite his words, Gordon would be disappointed. They wave farewell to Gordon's plane as it carries the young people to a happy life. Nina is tottering from exhaustion, but Ned steps away, leaving her alone. Then Charlie appears, bearing an armful of wilting roses. Nina sits down, leans against him and rests her head on his shoulder, and he whispers “God bless dear old Charlie who, passed beyond desire, has all the luck at last.”

Cast (in credits order)

as Nina Leeds *

as Dr. Ned Darrell * Alexander Kirkland as Sam Evans *

Ralph Morgan Raphael Kuhner Wuppermann (July 6, 1883 – June 11, 1956), known professionally as Ralph Morgan, was a Hollywood stage and film character actor, and the older brother of Frank Morgan. Early life Morgan was born in New York City, the eig ...

as Charlie Marsden * Robert Young as Gordon Evans (as a young man) *

May Robson Mary Jeanette Robison (19 April 1858 – 20 October 1942), known professionally as May Robson, was an Australian-born American-based actress whose career spanned 58 years, starting in 1883 when she was 25. A major stage actress of the late 19t ...

as Mrs. Evans *

Maureen O'Sullivan Maureen O'Sullivan (17 May 1911 – 23 June 1998) was an Irish-American actress, who played Jane in the ''Tarzan'' series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She performed with such actors as Laurence Olivier, Greta Garbo, William ...

as Madeline Arnold *

Henry B. Walthall Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915). Early life Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...

as Professor Leeds *

Mary Alden Mary Maguire Alden (June 18, 1883 – July 2, 1946) was an American motion picture and stage actress. She was one of the first Broadway actresses to work in Hollywood. Life Alden was born in New York City on June 18, 1883. She performed on Br ...

as Mary (the Leeds' maid) * Tad Alexander as Gordon Evans (as a child)

Production notes

When MGM boss Irving Thalberg bought the movie rights to the play, he initially wanted

Lynn Fontanne Lynn Fontanne (; 6 December 1887 – 30 July 1983) was an English actress. After early success in supporting roles in the West End theatre, West End, she met the American actor Alfred Lunt, whom she married in 1922 and with whom she co-starred i ...

, who played Nina Leeds on Broadway, to play the lead, with her husband

Alfred Lunt Alfred David Lunt (August 12, 1892 – August 3, 1977) was an American actor and director, best known for his long stage partnership with his wife, Lynn Fontanne, from the 1920s to 1960, co-starring in Broadway and West End productions. After th ...

as Dr. Ned Darrell. But they were not interested in making movies, so Thalberg decided to use his wife Norma Shearer and Clark Gable instead. At first, Gable was intimidated by the story's material, but he gave it his best effort and, subsequently, received a very positive reaction from all who were involved.Robert Osborne on Turner Classic Movies

Box office

According to MGM records, the film earned $957,000 in the US and Canada and $280,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $90,000.

References

External links

* * * * {{Irving Thalberg 1932 films 1932 romantic drama films Adultery in films American black-and-white films American films based on plays American romantic drama films Films based on works by Eugene O'Neill Films directed by Robert Z. Leonard Films set in New England Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films