Magnificent Obsession

Magnificent Obsession

By

  • Genre: Drama, Romance
  • Release Date: 1954-08-07
  • Runtime: 108 minutes
  • : 6.84
  • Production Company: Universal Pictures
  • Production Country: United States of America
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6.84/10
6.84
From 134 Ratings

Description

Reckless playboy Bob Merrick crashes his speedboat, requiring emergency attention from the town’s only resuscitator while a local hero, Dr. Phillips, dies waiting for the life-saving device. Merrick then tries to right his wrongs with the doctor’s widow, Helen, falling in love with her in the process.

Trailer

Reviews

  • CinemaSerf

    7
    By CinemaSerf
    I felt a bit sorry for poor old “Bob” (Rock Hudson) in this. Sure, he’s an obnoxious and selfish playboy but when he gets involved in an accident that requires the resuscitator he awakens to quite a lot of disdain from those in the hospital. Why? Well it seems that at the same time, a local surgeon got into difficulties of his own and as the machine was busy elsewhere, well he perished. “Bob” is fairly upset by this news, so offers the hospital $25,000 to pay his bill and get it another gadget. This only seems to make matters worse for the recently widowed “Helen” (Jane Wyman) who gives him short shrift. Then she, herself, gets into an accident that robs her of her memory and her sight. Determined more than ever to help, “Bob” resurrects his own former medical career; assumes a fake identity then also pays for the world’s top specialists to evaluate her - all while they fall in love. When the physicians reluctantly admit defeat, she absconds with instructions he leave her be and time marches on. What chance, though, that medical science might advance and maybe they could reconcile their love - a love based on one huge great lie? With quite an effective effort from Otto Kruger’s inspirational “Randolph”, the character of “Bob” evolves quite profoundly before our eyes and I have to say that the usually quite soporific Hudson does rise to the occasion, especially as the film nears a conclusion that treads the line between sentimentality and plausibility quite precariously. Wyman also contributes strongly as a grief stricken woman whose judgment is clearly compromised by the tragic death of her husband and clouded by a few somewhat unfair assumptions of her own. There is plenty of chemistry on display here, some strong supporting efforts from the likes of Agnes Moorhead and Barbara Rush and all in all I was surprised at how well this stayed away from the pitfalls of melodrama. Worth a watch.

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