Smilin’ Through (1941)

This Technicolor remake of Smilin’ Through (1932) adds songs for its star Jeanette MacDonald to sing and changes the nature & location of Kathleen and Kenneth’s meetings from lunching at an Inn to lakeside picnics but is otherwise a faithful retelling of the Jane Cowl and Jane Murfin (What Price Hollywood? (1932)) written play; screenwriters Donald Ogden Stewart (The Philadelphia Story (1940)) and John Balderston (The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935)) adapted while Frank Borzage (Bad Girl (1931) & 7th Heaven (1927)) directed and produced (with Victor Saville Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939)) this one. MacDonald also plays Moonyean (as well as Kathleen) Clare as did Norma Shearer in the talkie remake of the Norma Talmadge original Smilin’ Through (1922)) and her husband Gene Raymond plays (Kenneth and) Jeremy Wayne. Brian Aherne plays Sir John Carteret (the Leslie Howard part) and Ian Hunter plays Reverend Owen Harding a role change from Dr. Owen (though the part is essentially the same as) in the two previous films. Patrick O’Moore plays Willie Ainley the only other significant character.

Since I wrote a fairly complete synopsis for the 1932 film I won’t rehash it here. It is surprising however that this World War I romance fantasy drama with music doesn’t feature much chemistry between its two romantic leads MacDonald and Raymond given the fact that they were married (and had been for 3 years) … or perhaps it isn’t. TCM’s host Robert Osborne mentioned that both James Stewart and Robert Taylor had been initially cast to star opposite the red-headed MacDonald before Stewart enlisted and later served in WW II (he’d joined the Air Force quite some time before Pearl Harbor which occurred just months after this film’s release).

Purchase this DVD now at