Dodsworth



In this highly acclaimed adaptation of Sinclair Lewis's novel, Walter Huston plays Sam Dodsworth, a good-hearted, middle-aged man who runs an auto manufacturing firm. His wife Fran (Ruth Chatterton) is obsessed with the notion that she's growing old, and she eventually persuades Sam to sell his interest in the company and take her to Europe. He agrees for the sake of their marriage, but before long Fran has begun to think of herself as a cosmopolitan sophisticate and thinks of Sam as dull and unadventurous. Craving excitement, Fran begins spending her time with other men and eventually informs Sam that she's leaving him. Sam meets an attractive widow (Mary Astor) who seems to understand Sam in a way his wife does not. When Fran returns to Sam after being rejected by her suitor's family, Sam gives in, but in a short time he comes to his senses and returns to the widow.  was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Huston), and Best Supporting Actress (Maria Ouspenskaya), though only art director Richard Day walked away with an Oscar.

 was added to the National Film Registry in 1990.