Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
1955 · Movie · NR · 102 min · ★ 6.0 · 58% critics
In 1949 Hong Kong, a widowed doctor and a married foreign correspondent begin a romance shaped by social prejudice, cultural tensions, and the unrest surrounding China’s political upheaval. Their relationship unfolds as they weigh duty, reputation, and the pull of a deeply emotional connection.
Also known as Love is a Many Splendored Thing
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Details
- Years
- 1955
- Release date
- 1955-08-18
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Critic score
- 58/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.0/10 (90 votes)
About
You may enjoy this if you like old-fashioned romantic melodramas with big emotions and a striking Hong Kong backdrop, especially if Picnic or The World of Suzie Wong appeal to you; Not for you if you dislike sentimentality or dated attitudes.
Pros: lush Hong Kong setting; sweeping romance; memorable theme song | Cons: very melodramatic; uneven chemistry; dated cultural attitudes
Themes
- war correspondent
- widow
- chinese civil war
- romance
- interracial romance
- hong kong
- racism
- doctor
- love affair
- american abroad
- intercultural relationship
- foreign correspondent
- +9 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design, Color · 1956
- Academy Award — Best Original Dramatic or Comedy Score · 1956
- Golden Globe Award — Best Film Promoting International Understanding · 1956
- Academy Award — Best Sound · 1956 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Original Dramatic or Comedy Score · 1956 · nominated
Show all 10 awards →
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography, Color · 1956 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 1956 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Art Direction, Color · 1956 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design, Color · 1956 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Picture · 1956 · nominated
Cast & crew
Jennifer Jones
as Dr. Han Suyin
William Holden
as Mark Elliott
Torin Thatcher
as Humphrey Palmer-Jones
Isobel Elsom
as Adeline Palmer-Jones
Murray Matheson
as Dr. John Keith
Virginia Gregg
as Anne Richards
Richard Loo
as Robert Hung
Soo Yong
as Nora Hung
Philip Ahn
as Third Uncle
Jorja Curtright
as Suzanne
Directed by Henry King