i saw this film again and notice how close it be to the novel if we ignore the part about cary [ leslie howard ] childhood . consider thatat the time not much can be show on the screen and [ not that there be much in the novel ] the obsession of the character with mildred [ bette davis ] be very well convey to the audience . i recommend this film to anyone who ever fell for another person and the other side try to take advantage of him or her . i have read that maugham be ask to make a recording of the novel for sale and but when he start to in the studio he begin cry and could not finish more than a few line and whole project be chuck . one can tell the novel be write from the heart and the film be a goodadaptation of a part of it at least .