Smilin' Through

The third film to be based on Jane Cowl and Jane Murfin's romantic play--a 1922 silent starring Norma Talmadge and 1932 talkie with Norma Shearer preceded it--SMILIN' THROUGH was made into a musical to showcase the vocal talents of its star, Jeanette MacDonald. She and real-life husband Gene Raymond (in their only film together) play dual roles in this story of a love so strong it conquers death. When Kathleen Claire (MacDonald) takes an interest in Kenneth Wayne (Raymond), a dashing young American who has come to WW I England to join the British army, her guardian, Sir John Cateret (Brian Aherne), forbids her to continue seeing Wayne. In flashback we see why: year...