JohnHowardReid
You can't hit the target every time (unless your name is Annie Oakley - - and even she missed six or seven times in her career) and this film certainly maintains audience interest at very high level for at least two-thirds of its length. The ominous atmosphere of the sanatorium is most skilfully evoked by Milner's soft, shadowy photography, plus the aseptic sets and above and beyond all, the brooding music score reworked from "Spellbound". All the acting is absolutely first-class, thanks to the skill and flair of Andre De Toth's direction. I should mention, however, that, despite his prominent position in the official cast list, Gilbert Roland's part is extremely small. This didn't worry me -- I can take him or leave him -- but if you're a Gilbert Roland fan, you're going to be very disappointed.
st-shot
In The Other Love Barbara Stanwyck turns in her standard praiseworthy desperate woman performance while director Andre DeToth's lackluster direction makes it a challenge to get through. Lacking pace and energy the film moves slowly and predictably from one anguished moment to the next with dull results.Concert pianist Susan Duncan is forced to seek treatment for life threatening TB in a Swiss Sanitarium. There she finds herself falling in love with caregiver Dr. Anthony Stanton (David Niven) as well as be frustrated with her treatment. When she feels Stanton has little interest in her she takes up with Paul Clermont Richard Conti) a race car driver, running down her health as she does. Stanton tries to prevent her from self destruction but also reveals his love for her as well. Will it be enough to save Sue? As post war melodramas go The Other Love is a little dated in story and style. Niven's Stanton is a little too retiring and poorly cast. The chemistry just doesn't work and their big emotional scenes together are without passion and desire. Conti's race car driver fares better, but it is Gilbert Roland in one scene with Stanwyck that gives the film its most powerful moment as he coldly exploits her in a highly vulnerable situation.Even with Stanwyck delivering the goods, The Other Love is one dull weeper.
nomoons11
I've always liked Barbara Stanwyck. She's one of a handful of actresses who could make a film even if it was ordinary. This is not one of those films.A concert Pianist heads to a Sanitarium for a stay to convalesce. She's told very little about why she's gotta be there but she acquiesces and stays. The doctor continually averts her attention from her condition to the "things are gonna be alright" type of philosophy. Over time she gets bored staying there and questions why he never tells her the results of his tests on her so she decides to go out into the local town. She meets a race car driver whom she likes and decides she's had enough of the Sanitarium and goes with the race car driver...but not for very long.This was one of those films that never ends up telling you what she has but it's pretty clear by the X-rays she gets and a few comments in the film that she's suffering from an advanced state of Tuberculosis and will not recover. The Sanitarium is just a place to go to die basically. Back In the day when this was rampant these places were rife with this illness. Among all this she falls in love with the Race Car Driver and the Doctor. You basically deal with a woman who's dying and she doesn't realize it. It's good for a decent cry but Stanwyck has done better. It's not bad In any way but it's a pretty generic drama of it's day. It doesn't stand out amongst others of the time. Decent cast with an ordinary story means you should decide for yourself. I liked it for what it was but this isn't a Stanwyck film I would hang my hat on.
bkoganbing
In The Other Love Barbara Stanwyck steps into territory that was reserved for Margaret Sullavan, Hollywood's all time champion of essaying roles in bittersweet romances. Two films of her's, Three Comrades and The Mortal Storm bare no small resemblance to The Other Love. Especially the former since it also was taken from a Erich Maria Remarque story.But Three Comrades had Frank Borzage directing it and that was the man for these films. His touch on bittersweet romances is as apparent and obvious as Alfred Hitchcock with suspense. This film would have raised a few notches in ratings had he directed it. And of course Sullavan would have aced the part of the tubercular heroine.As it is Stanwyck is not bad in the role of a patient of Dr. David Niven at a Swiss sanitarium for tuberculosis. Niven is having a lot of trouble keeping his professional decorum with Stanwyck, but the doctor does win over the potential lover. Stanwyck doesn't realize how sick she is just as Sullavan didn't realize it in Three Comrades. She's a classical concert pianist and the enforced rest is rusting her technique. The first chance she gets she runs off with racing driver Richard Conte who she doesn't tell how sick she is. But in the end Conte proves to be a stand-up guy.There is also a very touching performance from Joan Lorring as a singer who is also a patient in the sanitarium. Her death just about pushes Stanwyck over the edge.Barbara and the cast acquit themselves well, but Frank Borzage could have made The Other Love a classic.
AD
