Of Human Bondage

Philip Carey is an earnest young man who hopes to build a steady life through his medical studies and careful restraint. He becomes entangled with Mildred Rogers, a waitress whose cool exterior hides a calculating heart, and he is soon drawn into a risky emotional tangle. His longing for love collides with harsh realities of poverty, ambition, and social judgment, pulling him between fidelity to his ideals and the pull of a destructive passion. Alongside them move Sally Athelny, a kind, steady woman, and Norah, a practical friend whose advice contrasts with Philip's stubborn affection. The film tracks how one intense attraction threatens to derail a man’s plans, testing his self control without signaling which path he will choose carefully.

Directed by John Cromwell, the film adapts W. Somerset Maugham's novel with a screenplay by Lester Cohen. Released in 1934, it pairs Leslie Howard as Philip Carey with Bette Davis in the defining role of Mildred Rogers, boosting Davis's profile.

Box office figures for this 1934 drama are not consistently reported, but the film is typically noted more for performances and adaptation than for record grosses. It remains a notable title in discussions of classic Hollywood melodrama from the era.

Bette Davis early in her career delivers a fearless, electric performance that helped establish her screen persona in the 1930s. The movie is frequently cited for its frank portrayal of a coercive romance and its influence on later dramatic melodramas, and its image remains a touchstone in discussions of intensity.

Critics praised the film for its stark emotional stakes and the clash between desire and conscience. Its themes of unrequited love, personal dignity, and social pressure remain central, making Of Human Bondage a 1930s drama. The film asks how desire tests ethics and what dignity means when love grows painful.