The Flame Within

The film "Nightmare Alley" was a masterpiece of its time, with the content and theme of that film, the psychoanalysis and hypnotism as well as substance abuse issues. (Tyrone Power starred). So going into this film, one would expect an interesting theme on psycho-analysis (buregeoning practice at this time) and Goulding himself reportedly had several varied personal experiences with therapy, which is why his films are also intriguing.

Maureen O'Sullivan as suicidal socialite, and therapy patient. Anne Harding (who was also in "Prestige" with Melvyn Douglas an interesting film.) While you may watch this and try to make sense of the theme, it is probably a better idea to simply watch the players. Ann Harding as female psychiatrist has a few decent lines here . ..." to do something for a higher cause, other than ones self, is to gain insight"... .

However, the speech comes off as odd as she is counseling alcoholic patient and playboy Louis Hayward to stay with his suicidal girlfriend. Overall no resolution here, just unusual characters and a few archaic references to women's roles at the time, although Harding portrayed a believable portrait of a repressed female psychiatrist here.

While a bit convoluted the sets are interesting, the costume ball with Louis Hayward dressed as a harlequin, for example. Overall interesting if a bit inchoate. 8/10.

Yikes, what a mess.

"The Flame Within" is from 1935 and stars Ann Harding, Herbert Marshall, Louis Hayward, Maureen O'Sullivan, and C. Aubrey Smith.

Harding is Dr. Mary White, a hard-working psychiatrist. Herbert Marshall plays Dr. Gordon Phillips, her good friend. He's in love with her and wants to marry her, but she resists. She would rather concentrate on her work. In those days, when a woman married, she stayed home. Mary isn't sure how that would work out for her.

Phillips has a suicidal patient, Linda (O'Sullivan) whom he convinces to see White. The problem is Linda's boyfriend, Jack (Hayward),is an alcoholic. Mary suggests that she counsel Jack and perhaps help him.

Jack manages to both stop drinking and fall in love with his doctor and vice versa - I mean, way to go, fall for the suicidal patient's love of her life. Mary and Jack find some happiness, but Linda picks up on the situation and becomes jealous.

Dated and muddled, this isn't the best film that these people have made though they all do their best to overcome the script. Maureen O'Sullivan is beautiful, and one thing about her -- she was always very earnest. Harding is stiff upper lip.

I'm not sure I liked the way this film ended. I loved all the actors but this script was pretty bad.

The same year as the larger than life films of Mutiny on the Bounty, Captain Blood, A Midsummer Night's Dream, David Copperfield, and Barbary Coast, there was also the small, introspective film The Flame Within. It's easy to understand why everyone missed it, with all the other blockbusters to see. I've recently watched it and found out what a hidden gem it was.

Interesting and insightful, The Flame Within centers on a female psychiatrist, Ann Harding, who gets involved in the personal life of a patient. Ann's colleague and dear friend Herbert Marshall is in love with her, but she isn't ready to settle down and give up her career for a family yet. She likes being an independent woman and hasn't learned the power of being swept away by her feelings. When a beautiful socialite Maureen O'Sullivan attempts suicide, Ann is called to the scene when Bart can't find out why it happened. Ann and Maureen bond, and she gives her some pearls of wisdom to inspire her. Ann also meets up with Maureen's boyfriend, Louis Hayward, and tries to talk some sense into him.

This movie was really ahead of its time, talking about psychology and behavioral patterns. Figuring out the "why" wasn't as commonplace in the 1930s as it was in the 1960s, let alone today, so when you watch it be sure to remember when it was made. Also, the premise of a female career woman being respected and more influential than her male colleague was very unusual.

Ann Harding's performance is extremely impressive. She's compassionate, realistic, subtle, and modern, much like Katharine Hepburn in her later years. Bart and Maureen aren't given much to do, but they do it very well. And even Louis Hayward, who normally plays callous cads, manages to tug on your heartstrings. Don't miss this movie, even though you've probably never heard of it. It's very good.

This story boasts some impressive credentials, being written and directed by Edmond Goulding, the well-known director of "Grand Hotel", "The Razor's Edge" and "Nightmare Alley" and with a musical score by Jerome Kern (unfortunately, not a distinguished one) and cinematography by the great James Wong Howe (again, not one of his premier efforts). It concerns two couples, Ann Harding and Herbert Marshall, a psychiatrist and a medical doctor who have been courting for quite some time, and Louis Hayward and Maureen O'Sullivan, two wealthy young people: he, an alcoholic wastrel and she, a pathologically needy woman obsessed with her relationship with Hayward. When O'Sullivan attempts suicide over Hayward's neglect, Marshall tends to her and calls in Harding to attempt to help her. Harding goes about this, rather strangely, by attempting to cure Hayward's alcoholism so that he will hopefully be a better partner to O'Sullivan (no matter that her obsession with him is not the mark of a well-balanced individual).

After his rehabilitation, Hayward does indeed attempt to be better to O'Sullivan and marries her, but finds that his attachment to Harding has developed into love. Harding finds that she reciprocates his feelings also and the dilemma must be resolved. Sounds like an interesting, even juicy movie could have been made of all this, but I'm afraid not. Ann Harding had a blonde, patrician beauty that is lovely and her acting could be subtle, thoughtful and surprisingly modern. However, the one thing I have not seen her capable of in what I admit is my limited knowledge of her acting (3 performances) is physical passion. She and Marshall strike no sparks and seem to have no more than a companionable friendship, but neither does she give any indication that she burns with passion for Hayward, so the viewer is left with no investment in either relationship. O'Sullivan has a good scene or two, but her character is awfully inconsistent, swinging from noble to nutsy, without enough exploration by Goulding of what could account for her feelings, just neediness. The now jaw-dropping sexism of some of the attitudes expressed, as well as the simplistic look at the mechanics of psychiatry also work against the drama and make it quite dated.

If one can get over the initially dated mores that this film begins with (a woman giving up her career on marriage) this is actually a very moving drama with much modern relevance.

Doctor Mary (Ann Harding) rejects marriage with Doctor Gordon (Herbert Marshall) because he expects her to give it all up on marriage. I wonder frankly if this seemed partly as silly in the 1930s as it does now. Either way, try to stomach your way through this first part because it gets very interesting as the plot progresses.

Doctor Mary helps Linda (Maureen O'Sullivan) who is suicidal over her not-very-much-requited love for Jack (Louis Hayward), an alcoholic. Doctor Mary's treatment is to send Jack away to dry out and get a job. Unfortunately, as is not uncommon with doctors/counsellors and patients, Jack falls in love with Mary. As is also not completely unknown, though hopefully considerably more rare, Mary also falls in love with Jack.

Fortunately choosing to follow professional ethics and common sense, she does the right thing, and rejects him. While this may have been for Hays Code reasons at the time, it reflects modern ethics pretty well. The denouement would have been far less palatable if she had ended up giving up her profession for a younger, alcoholic, former patient.

Doctor Gordon is sufficiently handsome, noble and intelligent throughout most of the rest of the film, that it's not a bad consolation that Doctor Mary ends up with him.

Linda, on the other hand, is the last person you'd encourage an alcoholic to marry or vice versa. One can't help but regard her marriage with Jack with a sadly cynical eye. She's a pretty awful person (a convincing performance by O'Sullivan).

This is a poignant film that has a lot of relevance for today. It has been described as a melodrama, but it's really simply a rather elegant and restrained drama. Highly recommended if you can find a copy or catch a viewing. I bought a DVD from a company that specialises in rare films.

I'm confused by the TCM production notes which refer to PCA concerns over "indication of effeminacy in the portrayal of Ramos". I'm not sure what character this refers to but there is no character or actor named Ramos in this film, nor any theme of "effeminacy" (by which I assume they refer to homosexuality). The quote comes from a book about the Catholic Church and Hollywood, and I suspect it has been taken out of context in some way, or the book errs.