The legendary future "King of Hollywood" meets the future "Queen of Broadway" in this remake of a silent classic that starred another odd pairing. Clark Gable was at the start of a long reign as the top dog at MGM, while Helen Hayes, already a stage star, attempted a screen career that left her cold because of her longing for the footlights. A recent Oscar winner, she had several more years to go on her contract, and did the best she could with what she got. Gable, just over a year from receiving his Oscar, was made for the cinema. Hayes, however, longed for applause, not something you get from being 15 feet tall on a movie screen.Their single pairing has them as star crossed lovers during World War I who are torn apart by fate. Believing him dead, she goes into a convent, leaving behind the life she's known, certain that his death was God's way of telling her that she was not meant to be a wife. Gable, in the meantime, struggles to get back to her, tearing them both apart when the truth comes out. Co-starring Lewis Stone as her stern father, Louise Closser Hale as her companion, Edward Arnold as the priest who advises her and May Robson as the kindly mother superior, quite a different role for her from the same year's "Lady For a Day". This is quite a different type of film for the rugged Victor Fleming who directed gable in several tough guy roles. The MGM gloss is glorious, and if you open your heart, you might find it nearly broken from the emotional story.

This version of The White Sister is the third and final one to date that was brought to the big screen. This old fashioned drama with heavy religious overtones is not a likely candidate for a modern remake.It's that second version that is the most known. Shot in Italy in 1923 it was the breakout picture for Ronald Colman as he starred with Lillian Gish and a cast of Italian players because the film was shot on location in Italy, a very unusual thing for the time. In the Citadel Film Series book the Films of Ronald Colman, it was mentioned that Colman had a swarthy complexion and that was why this erudite man of the English speaking language was cast in the film. The same could be said for the casting of Clark Gable as the male lead opposite Helen Hayes in this sound version.The story was updated from the 19th century and the Italian colonial wars in Libya to World War I. Gable is an air ace in the Italian Air Corps and he meets Helen Hayes who is the daughter of the local nobleman Lewis Stone. He's got an arranged marriage with wealthy Alan Edwards who will help this noble, but impoverished family out of debt. But Helen wants Clark after spending a little time with him.But fates just keep them apart, especially after Lewis Stone is killed in an automobile crash and Gable goes off to World War I. Other than the updating of the time of the story and the elimination of a sister for Hayes, if you've seen the Colman-Gish silent version you know what happens here.Someone like Tyrone Power who was a few years away from breaking into stardom at another studio would have been far better at handling the mushy romantic dialog. Certainly Ronald Colman might have done well with it even though he was British to the core. Gable is too American for the part though he does his best with it. The female lead is very suitable to Helen Hayes, especially with her Catholic background.Fans of Clark Gable will still like The White Sister, but it will never be rated among his better films.

It's odd that some of Gable's movies of the time directly dealt with religion: in " the laughing sinners "-check the title- he played a salvation army officer;in "Polly of the circus" ,he portrayed a minister.And though in "the white sister " he is cast as a dashing young officer ,the whole movie is steeped in religion,to be precise ,the catholic rites.The heroine is very anxious to go to confession;when she thinks her only love is dead ,the only way out is to take her wows :the scenes which take place in the convent are the most interesting in the whole movie,depicting in lavish details how a woman becomes a nun ,how a girl "marries " Christ.For that matter ,Fred Zinneman's "a nun's story" starring Audrey Hepburn is also absorbing.Helen Hayes is the stand out and she's touching even if the role may seem old fashioned today.She was also the delightful old lady -an unlikely stowaway-in "Airport" (1970)(an Oscar-winning performance)

I admire the stars of this film, and they give great performances, as expected. The acting strikes all the right emotional chords, but unfortunately the material is weak - one of those Doomed Romances where the plot contrives to keep the lovers apart through one calamity after another, and some stupid, unnecessary sacrifices made by the Heroine.She believes he's been killed in the war and becomes a nun. He escapes from prison camp *just* too late to stop her from taking her final vows. Oh, fate is Cru-el! Of course you're supposed to enjoy the soapy drama without questioning it, and have a good cry, but I just roll my eyes and berate the characters on the screen.She could've waited a bit before taking such a radical step - after all, he was only missing & presumed dead. I wouldn't be giving up on *my* True Love so soon. And after the poor guy struggles repeatedly to get back to her, how is he rewarded for being so brave, clever and loyal? He finds out she wasn't loyal to *him*, and she isn't brave enough to be with him no matter what. (I choose to interpret the "White" in this film's title as "Cowardly", thankyouverymuch).Oh, she can't renounce her vows (even though technically she *can*). It's Too Late. She's married to Jesus now. Even though she admits she still loves Gable and wouldn't have gone through with it if she'd found out he survived. Which means her vows are a mockery anyway and she pretty much lied during the ceremony. Isn't it compelling to watch someone struggle to suppress their real feelings for the sake of a promise made because it gave her "comfort", even when the reason & need for said comfort has been removed? No, it's just infuriating.The ending really piles on the soapsuds, as the Hero finally accepts her decision, and they have their upteenth Moving Goodbye Scene ...How many times do we have to watch these two say Goodbye Forever?! 1. when her father disapproves of him & she tries to honour her engagement to another man - 2. when she feels too guilty to be with Gable now that her father's gone, because dad died while chasing her (!) to stop her from being with Gable, you see! - 3. when Gable goes off to war - 4. when he first visits her at the convent & she sends him away - 5. when he finally stops pursuing her but promises to love her for the rest of his life ... and get ready for one more! A few seconds later the "rest of his life" is cut short (with just enough time to say Goodbye again though!) as he's killed by a bomb during a raid (which wouldn't have happened if she hadn't insisted on going back to the convent, under his escort).Sheesh. Jesus really hates this guy for moving in on His woman, eh? Gable promises to wait for her in the afterlife, but I have a feeling the Eternal Love Triangle will never be resolved. God, the big bully, will keep tripping Gable up with banana peels in Heaven. Or maybe He'll just remove the competition and send the guy to Hell. Fate is Cru-el that way."The White Sister" started off promisingly, with some cute and amusing courting scenes between the would-be lovers. Too bad the film descended into contrived melodrama that only a masochist (or a repressed nun, but now I'm being redundant) could enjoy.