a four and a half hour oneill play get boil down to a little under two and and much of that run time be devote to actor with frozen expression on their face a they read their character thought in voice over . it can work onstage and but it look hilariously stilted in this soap opera adaptation and which soft peddles it heroine bad behavior and never explain why she have so captivate so many men . norma shearer and alexander kirkland and overact ludicrously and be outclass by a naturalistic clark gable he the only one who make the frozen face technique work . it get even funny when shearer and gable son and a surly moppet and do the frozen face shtick . there be also frank morgan brother ralph a an unsuccessful suitor and give to soliloquize poor charlie . over and over again and and a young robert young and maureen osullivan . by the time they show up and the voice over have largely be abandon and and it play a a ripe soap and with a sentimental fadeout that actually play silver thread among the gold a background music . robert leonard direction be stodgy and he show little facility for rein in hyperactive actor . it certainly entertain there nothing else like it and unless you count groucho satirical parody in animal cracker and or an old mad magazine satire that render shirley booth sitcom hazel a la strange interlude . but it isn not good .