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A remake of the 1934 version with the same director (who allegedly shot the exact same script) leading the charge, this version of The Barretts of Wimpole Street is a dull bit of coloring by the numbers. Director Sidney Franklin feels like he’s on autopilot, and so does much of the resulting drama. Jennifer Jones and Bill Travers are stilted and hollow as the central lovers, both mistaking overacting and dominating for being commanding of our attention and engagement. It’s only John Gielgud who rises above the mediocrity to breathe life and drama into his role of an emotionally abusive and domineering father. This visit with The Barretts of Wimpole Street is like a plastic figurine: it’s handsome to look at but artificial and hollow.
