Westward Passage

A rich woman encounters her first husband during a WESTWARD PASSAGE across the Atlantic.

RKO Studios joined the lovely Ann Harding and the dynamic young Laurence Olivier in this rather pedestrian little soap opera, which gains its main distinction from its casting. The emotions on display are a bit tawdry at times, but the performances are certainly always entertaining.

Miss Harding, sadly rather obscure today, gives a fine portrayal of a woman slowly unfolding, like a rose, into becoming a successful, vibrant female. Even though she treats her second spouse rather shoddily, the viewer still cares about her and wishes her well. Olivier gives a marvelously hammy performance, full of stagy flourishes & fidgets. Always mindful of the camera, he makes himself a coquette to the viewers, so effortlessly stealing every scene that it's easy to forget just how petty, irresponsible & disreputable his character actually is.

A fine cast of players offer able support: Irving Pichel as Harding's decent, dull second husband; Juliette Compton & Irene Purcell as her wealthy, worldly girlfriends; slow-burning Edgar Kennedy as a henpecked husband aboard ship; Herman Bing as a comic factotum; and little Bonita Granville as the precocious offspring of Harding & Olivier.

Best of all is dear ZaSu Pitts, all fluttery gestures & rolling eyes, as the wonderfully vague proprietress of the quaint honeymoon inn where Olivier takes Harding, twice.

I liked this movie, in fact I like very much Ann Harding's "natural" acting style, her fresh appearance, her smile, she's a great (& forgotten) talent, and she needs to be rediscovered, as the excellent actress (& star) she was in the early thirties. Thanks to TCM, I've been able myself to "discover" her luminous presence on the silver screen, because few of her films are available on any format, on the market.

Here she plays nicely opposite a very young Laurence Olivier, and they have wonderful chemistry, as a struggling couple of newlyweds, trying to cope with their "incompatibilities", he's an aspiring writer and she tries hard to be the "devoted" wife.

Nice support from Irving Pichel as Harding's eternal suitor, Juliette Compton as Harding's sophisticated cousin,... check for Bonita Granville's first film role, as Harding & Olivier's daughter, who looks very, very pretty...she's already got plenty of talent & that "je ne sais quois" that made her a child star, later in the decade, as the brat in Goldwyn's 1936 "These Three".

A quality picture.

I never, ever "got" Olivier. Even in his more famous roles I always thought he chewed the scenery to a ridiculous degree. And here, though he is handed a role that offers him no chance of redemption, he is as ham-handed as always.

Ann Harding, on the other hand, is as delightful as ever. Smart, sassy, intelligent, beautiful and thoughtful. I know she's pretty much forgotten these days, but she was a brilliant actress. From what I have seen, she never turned in a bad performance.

And Bonita Granville makes an audacious turn here as a child actress in her first role.

A film that is overly talky and lacking in plot, it is still worth enjoying....

In the Citadel Film series book on the Films Of Laurence Olivier, Lord Olivier was not crazy about any of his movies before Wuthering Heights. But as to this film Westward Passage he was grateful to his co-star Ann Harding for being generous to a newcomer from across the pond. Maybe Ann wanted to make sure the blame went all around for this film.

Olivier came over the USA for the first time when RKO signed his then wife Jill Esmond and they found work for him as well. In this film he plays one massively egotistical struggling novelist whom you will positively hate as you see the film. He marries Ann Harding and they have a daughter who grows up in 10 years to be Bonita Granville.

Olivier embarks on a campaign to win his wife back who is now married to the earnest, but stodgy and rich Irving Pichel after Olivier literally threw her into his arms. This is after 10 years and Olivier is now a big success.

Quite frankly I found Olivier in this film to be one egotistical jerk and can't imagine why Harding isn't well glad to be rid of him. Of course I'd provide for visitation for Granville, but that's it.

Some good comedy relief is provided by Zasu Pitts playing an innkeeper. But this film is a romantic comedy that completely misfires.

Ann Harding and Laurence Olivier are madly-in-love newlyweds who run into marital discord when she realizes he's a frustrated writer and a royal jerk. Their decision to have a child only makes things worse, and Olivier eventually abandons them. Harding turns to wealthy suitor Irving Pichel who has always loved her. Several years later, the happily married Harding runs into Olivier again. Now he's a successful writer, and attempts to rekindle their romance.

I watched this for Olivier, and he's terrible here. I'm not sure if the filmmakers wanted his character to come across as a completely repellent lout, but that's how he turned out, obnoxious, irritating and without any real redeeming qualities. I was left wondering what Harding saw in him. Olivier would give up trying to be a Hollywood star not too long after this and turn his attention to the stage where he would build his reputation. That was a good call on his part. However, this film does allow for the unlikely screen teaming of Olivier with Zasu Pitts.