Symphony of Six Million

Fannie Hurst was one of the most popular authors of the first half of the 20th century, producing a stream of romantic tales rich with heartbreak and sacrifice -- elements that transferred splendidly to the screen. Hollywood turned her works into the three-hanky hits Back Street, Imitation of Life, Humoresque and this tender melodrama, notable for its fine cast and vibrant depiction of immigrant life in New York's teeming Lower East Side. Symphony of Six Million follows a young Jewish doctor (Ricardo Cortez) who turns his back on his ghetto upbringing -- and on his crippled sweetheart (Irene Dunne) -- to make his fortune as a Park Avenue surgeon. Then tragedy strikes, forcing him to examine his life and rediscover his better self. Gregory La Cava (My Man Godfrey, Stage Door) directs.

• drama