A Bill of Divorcement (1932)

A wonderfully touching film. Meg Fairfield (Billie Burke) lives an affluent life. She is about to be married for the second time to Gray Meredith (Paul Cavanaugh), her lawyer and an old friend of the family. Meg's daughter Sydney (Katharine Hepburn) is also about to be married to Kit Humphries (David Manners). Everything seems to be going well until word comes that Meg's ex-husband Hilary (John Barrymore) is on his way back home. It seems that he has been in an institution for the past 15 years. Sydney has been told that the reason for his confinement was shock from his service in the war but the truth is that insanity runs in the Fairfield family. Hilary has come back to his senses but he has no idea that he and Meg are no longer married. Now Meg feels that she should not abandon him and is torn about what to do. Sydney is worried about what will happen if she and Kit have children. How will everyone keep themselves together.

This movie was a bit melodramatic at times but I still liked it. Hepburn was wonderful in her film debut. Barrymore and Burke are the two who are very over the top but it seems to work in their roles. This is the second of the three movie versions of this movie. The first was made in 1922 and the third in 1940. A wonderful and touching movie.