The Most Precious Thing in Life is a 1934 American film directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Richard Cromwell, Jean Arthur, Donald Cook, Anita Louise, and Mary Forbes. The film tells a story about secret and selfless maternal devotion with elements of Madame X (1929) and Stella Dallas (1937).
Is it worth the time? If you have a soft spot for pre-code era melodrama or just want to see a young Jean Arthur trying to navigate a script that’s about 80% sentimentality, you’ll probably find something to enjoy here. If you hate movies that practically beg you to cry, though, stay far away. This one is basically a m...
Comparing the cinematic DNA and archive impact of two defining moments in cult history.
Lambert Hillyer
Lambert Hillyer
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"Is it worth the time? If you have a soft spot for pre-code era melodrama or just want to see a young Jean Arthur trying to navigate a script that’s about 80% sentimentality, you’ll probably find something to enjoy here. If you hate movies that practically beg you to cry, though, stay far away. This one is basically a manual on how to pull heartstrings until they snap. The story hits all the beats of a classic martyr-mom tale. Think Madame X but with a bit more Columbia Pictures polish from the ..."
Travis Ingham, Ethel Hill, Dore Schary
United States
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