She (1935 film)

She
Theatrical release poster
Starring	Helen Gahagan Randolph Scott Helen Mack Nigel Bruce Gustav von Seyffertitz
Directed by	Lansing Colton Holden Jr. Irving Pichel
Produced by	Merian C. Cooper Shirley Burden (associate)
Editing by	Ted Cheeseman
Studio	RKO Radio Pictures
Based on	She: A History of Adventure 1887 novel by H. Rider Haggard
Music by	Max Steiner
Cinematography	J. Roy Hunt
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Released	Jul 12, 1935 in United States
Runtime	102 minutes (original theatrical release) 94 minutes (1949 re-release)
Country	United States
language	English

She is a 1935 American adventure film produced by Merian C. Cooper. It is based on the 1887 novel of the same name by H. Rider Haggard. A man named Leo Vincey travels with his friend and the daughter of a guide to a mysterious place in Northern Siberia, where his ancestor reported finding the secret to immortality. They discover a lost world where a woman named "She Who Must Be Obeyed" - known as "She" - rules over an exotic civilization. She believes Leo is a reincarnation of his ancestor, whom She loved, and offers to share the secret of immortality with him. She dies in an effort to demonstrate that the immortal flame will not kill Leo. The film stars Helen Gahagan, Randolph Scott and Nigel Bruce. Cooper originally wanted to film She in color, but switched to black-and-white after last-minute budget cuts.

The ancient civilization of Kor is depicted in an Art Deco style, combined with influences from Egyptian, Greek, and Mayan art. Special effects were achieved through the use of miniatures, matte paintings, and other techniques. Max Steiner, who composed the score, considered it one of his greatest works. Ruth Rose adapted the story for the screen.

When it was first released in 1935, it lost money but gained more popularity in 1949 when billed with The Last Days of Pompeii. Reception in 1935 praised the film's spectacle but criticized the slow and uninteresting plot. Reviews from the late 20th century agreed that the sets, costumes, and special effects were impressive, but the acting was lacking. The film saw two DVD releases in the 2000s, including a version colorized by Ray Harryhausen.

Plot

Leo Vincey is called from America to the family's ancestral estate in England, where his dying uncle John Vincey and his friend Horace Holly convince him that his ancestor, also named John Vincey, found the secret of immortality nearly 500 years ago in the far north, though only his wife returned. Dying, she wrote a letter to her son describing their adventures, including the Flame of Life. Leo is shown a painting of his ancestor, which looks remarkably like him.

Following the route outlined in the letter, Leo and Holly travel through frozen Arctic wastes, with a guide named Tugmore and his daughter Tanya joining them on their quest. During their travels, Leo and Tanya begin falling in love.

They find a corpse wearing a gold chain and a saber-tooth tiger, all encased in ice, all as mentioned in the letter. Tugmore attacks the ice with his axe for the gold, despite Holly's warning that any sound could trigger an avalanche. Holly is proved correct, and Tugmore is killed, but the avalanche reveals a passageway through the massive cliffs barring their way north. Inside the cave system, they encounter a primitive tribe and are about to be killed when they are saved by Billali and his soldiers. They are taken to the ancient city of Kor, following the standing order that all strangers are to be brought to its ruler, She Who Must Be Obeyed.

She is immortal because of her immersion in the Flame of Life. She believes Leo is the reincarnation of John Vincey — her long-lost love — and vows to make him immortal as well so they can rule together. Later, she admits she killed John in a fit of jealousy. Tanya warns Leo that nothing human can live forever, but Leo can't resist the temptation of eternal life. When she becomes jealous again, Billali suggests that Tanya be forced to replace the human sacrifice needed to make Leo immortal.

During the ceremony, Leo finally recognizes the veiled Tanya. He frees her, and the trio battle their way through the crowd and flee ... straight to the chamber containing the Flame of Life. She and Billali arrive by a shorter path. She asks Leo to step into the Flame of Life. To prove it is safe, She steps into the Flame herself, but her second immersion proves fatal: She ages with each eruption of the Flame, finally becoming a withered crone and dying. Leo, Holly, and Tanya escape and return to England.

External links

• Review She (1935 film)   at the Internet Movie Database
• She at AllMovie
• Review She (1935 film) at the Turner Classic Movie Database
• She (1935 film) at the American Film Institute Catalog
• She (1935 film) at Rotten Tomatoes
• She on Escape: July 11, 1948

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