For almost two hours, BRIAN AHERNE suffers nobly as a man whose only son is a rotten, spoiled liar and scoundrel (LOUIS HAYWARD). He plays the man in a rather naive, prissy and Victorian way who always means to punish his son for his indiscretions but is quickly convinced by his charming no good son that he's completely innocent and his motives have been misunderstood.
Hayward plays the wayward son with a winning smile and open-eyed look that is supposed to deceive everyone but the two women who seem to know him for what he is--MADELEINE CARROLL (looking elegantly beautiful, a vision of blonde loveliness) and pert looking LARAINE DAY as a young actress compromised by him and secretly in love with his father. By the time she commits suicide, the story has reached the apex of its tear-jerker status. The story, instead, concludes with the son being awarded the Victorian Cross for his bravery in battle (World War I), and Aherne is happy that his son died a hero.
It's a story of unrequited love and tries for a bittersweet effect, but misses the mark along the way. Aherne is just too maddeningly naive and Hayward too obviously deceitful for the story to make sense. It's further hurt by the happy ending that seems to have been tacked on, it's so untrue to the characters. I understand that in the novel, the young man's character was not redeemed and he died on the gallows.
On the technical side, the Art Direction won an Oscar nomination and the B&W photography by Harry Stradling, Jr. is very effective.
Trivia note: Why did Hollywood casting directors make such obvious mistakes when selecting children who turn into adults? I mean how does cherubic SCOTTY BECKETT (much too sweet looking here) turn into LOUIS HAYWARD as an adult? No way this could have happened!! You might as well have Mickey Rooney turn into Tyrone Power.
Hayward plays the wayward son with a winning smile and open-eyed look that is supposed to deceive everyone but the two women who seem to know him for what he is--MADELEINE CARROLL (looking elegantly beautiful, a vision of blonde loveliness) and pert looking LARAINE DAY as a young actress compromised by him and secretly in love with his father. By the time she commits suicide, the story has reached the apex of its tear-jerker status. The story, instead, concludes with the son being awarded the Victorian Cross for his bravery in battle (World War I), and Aherne is happy that his son died a hero.
It's a story of unrequited love and tries for a bittersweet effect, but misses the mark along the way. Aherne is just too maddeningly naive and Hayward too obviously deceitful for the story to make sense. It's further hurt by the happy ending that seems to have been tacked on, it's so untrue to the characters. I understand that in the novel, the young man's character was not redeemed and he died on the gallows.
On the technical side, the Art Direction won an Oscar nomination and the B&W photography by Harry Stradling, Jr. is very effective.
Trivia note: Why did Hollywood casting directors make such obvious mistakes when selecting children who turn into adults? I mean how does cherubic SCOTTY BECKETT (much too sweet looking here) turn into LOUIS HAYWARD as an adult? No way this could have happened!! You might as well have Mickey Rooney turn into Tyrone Power.