This is one of those old movies, made by a master director, that I have no real right to criticize. It was very disjointed but even I could recognize the greatness in some of the shots and sequences. Maybe the choppiness of the story can be attributed to studio interference. Or, maybe not.

The story really hasn't stuck with me because I'm writing this a month after I watched it. I recall that no one stood up to Georgie, the entitled brat who basically destroyed a once great family. This bothered me throughout. I kept urging other characters to give him a good smack to try to knock some sense into him. Especially Eugene (Joseph Cotton), whose neutered behavior didn't reflect his success in life.

It reminded me of "Citizen Kane", which also underwhelmed me at times. In both cases, I struggled to be entertained while trying to appreciate the talent of the filmmaker.