...when movies were not that realistic - 1936. Sam Dodsworth (Walter Huston) for the sake of his wife's happiness, has sold the car company that he created and built up with his own two hands and made plans for an extended trip to Europe. You can see the sadness on his face as he leaves his old world behind. On the steamship to Europe the trouble begins. Dodworth's wife, Fran (Ruth Chatterton), begins a flirtation. Dodworth begins a friendship with a divorcée, Edith Cortright (Mary Astor), a divorcée living in Italy, on her way back home. Sam tries to make the best of this upending of his world and sees this as an opportunity to learn new things. However, Fran's vanity, and the flirtations of the European men she meets, begin to have her pulling away from her husband. She eventually dumps Sam so she can pursue her life and a new love - a much younger one - in Europe. I love the irony with Fran and her attitude towards Europe. She tells Sam that "they're my people, they understand me, or something to that effect.Later she finds out different in the form of the redoubtable Maria Ouspenskaya, who asks her all sorts of nagging questions, for instance, how old are you? It is made clear to her that she is unacceptable as the old wife to a young husband who is expected to produce heirs. There is a difference between spending a summer at an Italian villa and trying to marry the son of a traditional European family. The hurt look on her face as she realizes she has been abandoned when her beloved refuses to go against his mother's wishes will probably always linger when I think of this movie. So much for Europe's understanding. Chatterton is so good. I may not warm up to Fran that much, but Ruth makes her interesting. Fran is a human being, not just a bad person, thanks to Ruth. Meanwhile Sam, while nursing his wounds, meets up with Edith again, and her love and support has him making business plans again. The words told to him by an old friend at the beginning were true - a man like him will always need to be building something. Edith Cortright in the form of Mary Astor remains for me one of the most appealing characters ever.. That long, deft scene between her and Sam is my favorite. She says to him, "We? ... we?" in her you're-going-to-take-me-with-you realization and later says to him, "I think I must love you," to which he replies, "And I'm glad of it..." which on the surface doesn't seem all that romantic but it somehow works perfectly with these two.But then that dreaded phone call from Vienna from the abandoned Fran, the way poor Edith tries to shield Sam from that call, and later making her I-won't-let-you-go speech. She doesn't come across demanding or petulant, she actually makes sense. So what happens? Watch and find out. Remember Sam is a conventional guy, and conventional guys in 1936 "stick". I'll just say that never has a to-do over the placement of luggage produced such an epiphany in a film. I'll also say that for this to come only two years after the production code it is a very real treatment of marriages and how people grow apart, and maybe they were very different from the beginning, but only after the children are grown and they are alone again do they figure that out.

The material could easily have slipped into sudsy soap. Thanks mainly to restrained performances and direction, however, the end result doesn't. Nonetheless, the ping-ponging between husband, wife and lovers is none too convincing despite the skillful approach, especially in Dodsworth's case. No need to limn the plot since it's done in detail by others.What I like most is Dodsworth, the can-do American, who puts on no European airs no matter where he is. On the other hand, wife (Chatterton) sees Europe as liberating. Its loose mores, refined manners, and posh surroundings are a new world, awaiting her reverse-Columbus discovery. Naturally, the rustic in the retired tycoon can't wait to get back home, while she's found a playground for what's left of her youth. There's a culture clash here that's often overlooked. The movie's not only about character qualities, but about how the married couple responds to sudden change in cultural surroundings.Viewers looking for something commanding may be disappointed. Drama is downplayed in favor of more restrained naturalistic approach. Still, it's fun watching Hollywood play footsie with adultery in the face of new Production Code censorship. All in all, however, I can see the end result as more of a critic's favorite than a crowd-pleaser's.

Successful auto manufacturer Sam Dodsworth (Walter Huston) retires at the urging of his wife (Ruth Chatterton). He takes her on a European vacation she desperately wants. Unfortunately poor dumb Dodsworth doesn't realize his vain, shallow wife has already emotionally checked out of their marriage and is looking for something more exciting.Wonderful lead turns by Huston and Chatterton. The rest of the cast is about as good as it gets: Mary Astor, Paul Lukas, David Niven, Spring Byington, John Payne, and the great Maria Ouspenskaya. Classic based on Sinclair Lewis' novel and beautifully-directed by William Wyler. It's a very sophisticated and mature film for the time. Highly underrated.

This was a quite a departure for films of 1936. It really depicts decadence in American society and possibly showing that family values sometimes need to be changed for lives to proceed normally.As the wealthy tycoon, John Huston etched an unforgettable character, but he is equally matched by his movie "wife" Ruth Chatterton, turning in a fabulous performance as his wife, longing for youth and therefore joining a jet-set group for her times. In his anger and frustration, Huston meets Mary Astor and the two begin a time honored affair.Maria Ouspenskaya is memorable as the wealthy-dowager mother reminding Chatterton that she is not for her son.The film so beautifully captures the grand American spirit and justifies that things have to be turned around if happiness is to be achieved. To respond to a fellow reviewer, Ruth Chatterton was nominated for best actress here as well as Oscar nominations for Huston and Ms. Ouspenskaya.