This Universal 1935 Studios Year by Year episode features some very curious medical ambitions: first, there's Eugene Frenke's wacky Life Returns, loosely based on the true story of scientist Robert E. Cornish and his canine Lazari; an act that could only be followed by John Stahl's Magnificent Obsession, starring Robert Taylor as a genius physician who can only realize his potential by becoming the man he killed and curing the woman he blinded. We do our best to isolate what distinguishes Stahl's Obsession from Sirk's (besides the comedic stylings of Charles Butterworth, a.k.a. the inspiration for the voice of Cap'n Crunch).

Time Codes:

0h 00m 20s: 1935 & Universal

0h 05m 40s: LIFE RETURNS (1935) [dir. Eugene Frenke]

0h 33m 16s: MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION (1935) [dir. John M. Stahl]

1h 06m 16s: So This is Sarris – From The American Cinema -Robert Aldrich

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Studio Film Capsules provided by The Universal Story by Clive Hirschhorn

Additional studio information from: The Hollywood Story by Joel W. Finler

1935 Information from Forgotten Films to Remember by John Springer

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* Marvel at our meticulously ridiculous Complete Viewing Schedule for the 2020s

* Intro Song: "Sunday" by Jean Goldkette Orchestra with the Keller Sisters (courtesy of The Internet Archive)

* Read Elise's latest film piece on Preston Sturges, Unfaithfully Yours, and the Narrative role of comedic scapegoating.

* Check out Dave's new Robert Benchley blog – an attempt to annotate and reflect upon as many of the master humorist's 2000+ pieces as he can locate – Benchley Data: A Wayward Annotation Project!

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