evening1 Maybe the H. L. Mencken novel makes more sense but I found this filmed version to be a mishmash.Paul Henreid is fair as a bookish failed artist obsessed with a lower-class waitress, played with extreme crudeness and haughtiness by Eleanor Parker. His self-esteem, laid low by a club foot, has left him convinced he deserves no better.I had a problem with the casting and characterization here. It's never the least bit clear what Philip sees in Mildred, who doesn't even try to fake any charm. She's dowdy waiting tables, and a plain Jane to boot! Overlooking the lack of believability, there is a ring of truth to what is being said here about male-female relationships. Beautiful, glamorous, smart Alexis Smith DOES like Philip, but he doesn't appreciate her. "For months I've been starved for beauty!" he complains to her, after, yes, spending months with her. "If you want men to behave well to you, you must be beastly to them," Nora laments, in words that must ring true for every single woman out there today. "If you treat them decently, they make you suffer for it." The story suffers in many tiring plot twists that make Philip out to be a kind of ping-pong ball, bouncing toward Miserable Mildred and then away from her, contingent on whatever abuse she's flinging at the moment. Philip is a very sick person, and so is she. (One pities the baby girl she is raising to face, we can only assume, her same exact fate.) Then we must also sit through Philip's weekly visits to the home of Altheny, played by a repetitious and pedantic Edmund Gwenn. He deems his oldest daughter to be a good match for Philip, and he hints at it incessantly.None of this hangs together very well. And, despite the unlikely marriage proposal, I don't think Philip and the daughter will fare well together. One doesn't transform from being a doormat-in-denial to domestic bliss so magically.But the director would have us believe such claptrap. As if!

gamay9 What I find fascinating is that two of my 12 favorite (most alluring) actresses starred in different versions of the same film: Eleanor Parker and Kim Novak.In an era where lousy remakes of good films are made once a month, 'Of Human Bondage' improves with time. Kim Carnes might have idolized 'Bette Davis' Eyes' but I think Bette was homely. Eleanor Parker was (and still is, at 90) a scintillating, wholesome looking beauty, as I also rate Cathy O'Donnell ('Best Years of Our Lives') and Margaret Sullivan ('Shop on the Corner,' amongst others). Problem is, they all were divorced several times, so they may not have been as wholesome and charming as they appeared on-screen. Then, again, they may have been 'unlucky' in love; perhaps they had cheating husbands. I can't imagine Cathy O'Donnell being anything but the eternal virgin.Kim Novak was (is?) sexy and flaunted it. That's why she was best cast in 'Of Human Bondage.' I have always been a fan of Laurence Harvey (my middle name is 'Harvey').I would recommend watching all three versions of 'Of Human Bondage' and judge for yourself.

moonspinner55 W. Somerset Maugham's tragic story about a medical student in late 1800s London who is used and abused by a coarse, common waitress--one who has a habit of flirting with the wrong kind of men (she gets used, too). These two characters take turns debasing themselves and insulting each other, but a persistent question is never really answered: just what does the future doctor see in this woman? As played by Eleanor Parker, mercurial Mildred is childishly trampy and silly instead of dangerous; Parker switches her snarling anger on and off at whim, and when she pouts she sticks her chin out like a punished adolescent. As her would-be paramour, Paul Henreid (probably too old for the part, but not bad) has two expressions: a beaming, boyish smile and a thin-lipped, painful sort of incredulity. When he's chatting up a patient at the hospital or getting to know womanly authoress Alexis Smith, Henreid seems right at home, but his scenes with Parker don't quite come off. Story was previously filmed in 1934, and again in 1964, but this is the weakest variation, with little visual style, a skittering narrative, and uneven performances overall. ** from ****

whpratt1 If you love old great classic films in B&W and great actors, this is a must see film. This 1946 Film Classic had all time greats, like Paul Henreid,(Philip Carey),"Casablanca",'42 who was very handsome and had a handicap, and fell in love with the wrong lady, Eleanor Parker(Mildred Rogers),"A Hole In The Head",'59. Mildred took advantage of Philip's great love for her and wound up in many other men's beds. Edmund Gwenn,(Athelmy),"The Keys of the Kingdom",'44 came to the aid of Philip and gave a great supporting actor's role through out the entire picture. Athelmy even introduced his daughter, Janis Paige(Sally Athelmy),"Two Guys From Milwaukee",'46 to Philip, who seemed to warm to her beautiful good looks and warm and kind ways! A great actress Alexis Smith,(Nora Nesbitt),"Rhapsody in Blue",'45, also appeared in this film and gave a great supporting role. Edmund Gwenn and Eleanor Parker made this film into an all time film Classic for many generations to view and enjoy!