Based on the novel by Hervey Allen, this expansive drama follows the many adventures of the eponymous hero, Anthony Adverse. Abandoned at a convent by his heartless nobleman father, Don Luis, Anthony is later mentored by his kind grandfather, John Bonnyfeather, and falls for the beautiful Angela Giuseppe. When circumstances separate Anthony and Angela and he embarks on a long journey, he must find his way back to her, no matter what the cost.
Fredric March as Adverse is an ace choice, playing the role to the hilt.
– Variety Staff,
Variety,
26 Mar 2009
rotten:
We found it a bulky, rambling and indecisive photoplay which has not merely taken liberties with the letter of the original but with its spirit.
– Frank S. Nugent,
New York Times,
25 Mar 2006
rotten:
Readers wondered how those cinemen would succeed in putting the whole story into a single picture. As revealed last week, the answer is extremely simple. Warner Brothers do not succeed in anything of the sort because they do not try.
– ,
TIME Magazine,
26 Mar 2013
rotten:
An early stab at the swashbuckler from Warner Brothers, which proved popular at the time but hasn't improved with age.