JOHN BARRYMORE POURS HIS BURNING SOUL INTO ONE OF THE FINEST LIVING DOCUMENTS THE STAGE HAS EVER GIVEN TO THE SCREEN.

After spending 15 years in a mental institution, Hilary Fairfield (John Barrymore) suddenly appears, unannounced, at the home of his wife (Billie Burke) and daughter (Katharine Hepburn).

Hepburn’s film debut is a remake of a British drama from 1922, where she and Barrymore carry the emotional burden. Many decades later, the film’s themes and ideas surrounding mental health are outdated, culminating in a final act of sacrifice that comes across as more odd than moving.

Still, as a 70-minute depiction of a family crisis, the film is engaging, and it was a popular story at the time. 

1932-U.S. 70 min. B/W. Directed by George Cukor. Play: Clemence Dane. Cast: John Barrymore (Hilary Fairfield), Billie Burke (Meg Fairfield), David Manners (Kit Humphreys), Katharine Hepburn (Sydney Fairfield), Paul Cavanagh, Henry Stephenson. 

Trivia: Remade as A Bill of Divorcement (1940).