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      The Barretts of Wimpole Street

      Released Sep 8, 1934 1h 50m Romance List
      70% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 70% Audience Score 250+ Ratings Remarkable poet Elizabeth Barrett (Norma Shearer) is slowly recovering from a crippling illness with the help of her siblings, especially her youngest sister, Henrietta (Maureen O'Sullivan), but feels stifled by the domestic tyranny of her wealthy widowed father, Edward (Charles Laughton). When she meets fellow poet Robert Browning (Fredric March) in a romantic first encounter, her heart belongs to him. However, her controlling father has no intention of allowing her out of his sight. Read More Read Less

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      Critics Reviews

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      Otis Ferguson The New Republic I don't recall seeing a movie more in the position of sitting around with its jaw hanging while the last train pulled out of the station. Jan 23, 2024 Full Review Variety Staff Variety As a film it's slow. Very. The first hour is wandering, planting-the-plot stuff that has some difficulty cementing the interest, but in the final stretch it grips and holds. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Andre Sennwald New York Times Sidney Franklin has filmed a drama of beauty, dignity and nobility. Rated: 4.5/5 Mar 25, 2006 Full Review Ann Ross Maclean's Magazine Everyone in it is completely vicious, angelic, comic, splendid or nitwitted. Aug 1, 2019 Full Review Helen Brown Norden Vanity Fair An exceptionally charming and frequently moving piece of work. Jun 7, 2019 Full Review TV Guide One of the better-known and more typical of MGM's adaptations of famous stage plays. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 31, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member "The Baretts of Wimpole Street" released in 1934, has the stamp of MGM's great production values. Norma Schearer wonderfully plays Elizabeth Barrett, the invalid poet. She is overly protected by her father, brilliantly played by Charles Laughton. We later learn Laughton is really a tyrant of a man who is incapable of really loving anyone or being loved. Elizabeth meets the fellow poet Robert Browning (Frederic March), and they fall in love. Maureen O'Sullivan give one of her finest performances as Elizabeth's sister, who also falls in love with a Captain. Her father finds out and forbids her to see him again, in a cruel and heartbreaking scene where he makes her swear on a bible. The interplay between Laughton and O'Sullivan and Schearer is fascinating, as the family dynamics are brought to the foreground. "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" was originally a stage play, but translates just fine to the screen. The supporting case is top notch, but this is Norma Schearer's show. It is difficult to take your eyes off her. Laughton is great, as is O'Sullivan. Frederic March at times seems a bit off as Robert Browning, although he is very handsome and the chemistry between he and Schearer is credible. It is a shame that Norma Schearer left the movies by the 1940's. But we are fortunate that this gifted actress left such an amazing legacy of films - "The Barrets of Wimpole Street" is certainly one of them. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Jared D Charles Laughton's performance is worth the price of admission here. As the overbearing tyrant, he is fabulous. While Shearer is miscast as a frail sickly daughter, she still holds her own -- and the rest of the cast and the story are first rate. While this story was remade in 1957, I think it would be prime material for another remake in the 2020s. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/02/20 Full Review steve d The great cast makes it worth your time. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review david l The Barretts of Wimpole Street is unfortunately little talked about nowadays despite its Best Picture nomination, but it surely deserves more love as the real life romance between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett provides here a very moving story. The film is overly stagy and simply too slow in its first half, but the second half picks up speed and that's where the film reached its best melodramatic moments. It's an intriguing story fueled by reliably good performances from its killer cast. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member one of the better plays turned into a movie ive seen mostly because of the acting by main actress. there wasn't a lot of action to this film, like most plays its just dialogue which can make it move slow at times. also the ending scene was confusing to me as to why papa was the way he was, I guess most of it is implied like in many old movies but its just confusing when they dont come out and say it. seems like papa had very puritanical thoughts about sex because perhaps he was a pervert/incestous. one of the most romantic films ive ever seen tho, almost wish it would've been more about that. loved that lil dog Flush. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member The best romance movie ever made! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Remarkable poet Elizabeth Barrett (Norma Shearer) is slowly recovering from a crippling illness with the help of her siblings, especially her youngest sister, Henrietta (Maureen O'Sullivan), but feels stifled by the domestic tyranny of her wealthy widowed father, Edward (Charles Laughton). When she meets fellow poet Robert Browning (Fredric March) in a romantic first encounter, her heart belongs to him. However, her controlling father has no intention of allowing her out of his sight.
      Director
      Sidney Franklin
      Producer
      Irving Thalberg
      Distributor
      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
      Production Co
      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
      Genre
      Romance
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Sep 8, 1934, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Mar 17, 2017
      Runtime
      1h 50m
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