A well-acted, slightly staid, but handsomely produced version of the romance between Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning under the eagle eye of her martinet father. Norma Shearer was never better cast than as Elizabeth and consequently gives her finest film performance, even though she is only one year younger than Charles Laughton, who gives a striking portrayal of the intractable Mr Barrett. Fredric March is poorly cast as Browning, but struggles hard to make something of the role. Director Sidney Franklin must have had a great affection for this most romantic of true stories: 23 years later he remade it for the same studio, this time with Jennifer Jones and Bill Travers.


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