Le calvaire de Flora Winters

This was one of a forgotten genre that thrived through the 1930s, the weepie about an unmarried woman who loves a married man and stays faithful to him, sometimes having his child as well-- "Madame X," "Back Street," "Stella Dallas," "The Sin of Madelon Claudet," "The Strange Case of Clara Deane," on and on. This one, scripted by the reliable Jane Murfin, doesn't offer a lot of variation on a tried-and-true formula, but it does boast an important asset: Ann Harding, at the peak of her powers. As the milliner who loves John Boles, is deliberately separated from him by her father, and eventually is wrongly convicted for his murder, she's characteristically intelligent and appealing, with a stillness, a thoughtfulness that makes her more interesting than many actresses in similar roles. Some plot twists don't really work (Helen Vinson would NOT do that on her deathbed), and Alfred Santell's direction and the supporting cast are so-so--nice to see a young Betty Furness, though, and the always appealing Frank Albertson as her suitor. But Ann brings more genuine conviction to the title part than it deserves, and by the improbable kind-of-happy ending, I'll admit, I shed a tear or two for Vergie.

This is a pretty good melodrama, mostly believable and with pretty good characters. Most of the time it maintains a decent balance, only occasionally becoming a bit too sentimental or heavy-handed. The main character's career as a milliner is worked into the story in some useful and interesting ways.

Ann Harding plays Vergie, who is in love with a married politician played by John Boles. A few of the developments and characters' attitudes reflect the era in which the film was made, but the primary dilemmas faced by the two leads would be largely the same in any setting. There are quite a few secondary characters, and some are extraneous, but some of them are good additions to the story. The supporting cast includes some good character actors (and watch also for an uncredited but amusing appearance by Walter Brennan).

It moves fairly quickly, and the story has enough to hold your interest and make it worth a look if you're interested in a somewhat sentimental story.

Little remembered great actress Ann Harding, who was also a first magnitude star during a short period with the advent of the talkies, stars in this tearjerker supreme, as noble, good-natured, unselfish, brave, courageous Vergie Winters, who defies small-town gossip, carrying on with an illicit relationship, with now-married ex-sweetheart John Shadwell, played adequately by John Boles, who's better than usual in this role.

Harding's very good and sincere acting makes believable her self sacrifice because of the bigger-than-life love which she feels for both, Shadwell and their illegitimate daughter, Joan.

Helen Vinson is very, very good as Bole's selfish, mean, superficial and ambition-driven (just the very opposite of Vergie) wife, Laura- the face of this now forgotten actress reminds me greatly of Helen Hayes'. Josephine Whittwell is also very good as sympathetic Madame Claire, who in the film is implied to be sort of the owner or `madam' of the local `bordello', who's also friendly to Harding and helps to save her small hat store (she's the local milliner) from bankruptcy. Cecil Cunnigham and Maidel Turner shine too as two local fellow professional gossipers.

Mick La Salle, in his book `Complicated Women' states that this film was released the week before the Production Code was finally fully enforced. A must see for fans of classic pre-code weepies.

Okay, I know this is a dated, old fashioned film, made transcendent by the always radiant Ann Harding. Would a woman today sacrifice herself the way Virgie did? I very much doubt it. But it's idealization of such sacrifice really touched me...perhaps because I know how unrealistic it is to expect such behavior today, or even then. Still. I love this film. I'd never seen it before today, March 29, 2015, thanks to who else? TCM, of course. I thought I'd seen every Ann Harding movie ever made... again, thanks to TCM...but they must have made a zillion movies during the 30s, because almost every week, new one turn up...new for me, that is. Bless you TCM...and bless you Ann Hadding, wherever you are...

This rather dated soap opera shows star Ann Harding as a truly noble woman sacrificing all for the man she loves out of wedlock John Boles. Harding made many of these kinds of films as the noble sufferer and Boles was typecast in many of these parts as the philandering husband after the success he had in Back Street.

Harding is our title character and she's in love with Boles who sadly is most married to socialite Helen Vinson. Vinson was another who took out a patent on the 'other' woman roles in the 30s. Boles is an up and coming politician rising to the House of Representatives and the Senate. The two have a kid who grows up to be Bonita Granville. But she's adopted by Boles and Vinson.

Boles's political enemies can never get quite get the goods on him, but rumors abound and a lot of 'decent' folks shun Harding and her millinery shop. Still he rises in politics.

The climax is one of those over the top screen moments not to be missed. Can't reveal what it is, but the screen explodes in emotion.

Walter Brennan is unbilled but has a marvelous part as the town snoop who can't wait to unload a juicy bit of gossip for a few drinks at the pub.

The Life Of Vergie Winters is most dated and unlikely to be remade. It still has some good moments.