Shining Victory

Dr. Paul Venner (James Stephenson) has dedicated his life to one radical notion -- that certain forms of dementia praecox may be treated biochemically. While Venner is employed at Professor Hermann von Reiter's prestigious institute in Budapest, his work is stolen by von Reiter, and he is banished from the country. Embittered, he accepts a position at a private sanitarium in Scotland, thanks to Dr. Drewett (Donald Crisp), where he promptly alienates everyone in his single-minded, almost ruthless pursuit of science. When young Dr. Mary Murray (Geraldine Fitzgerald), a medical missionary in training, is appointed his research assistant, Venner vehemently objects. Mary is given a month to prove her worth, but in the end she proves his salvation, through shocking tragedy. Irving Rapper's directorial debut is sharply crafted and lifted by superb performances from its talented cast, a film that transcends both cinematically and spiritually.

• drama