One of a number of films based on W. Somerset Maugham's tragic novel, director John Cromwell's 1934 version is notable for catapulting Bette Davis to stardom as coarse Cockney waitress Mildred Rogers. When clubfooted Philip Carey (Leslie Howard) -- a cerebral but weak-willed young man pursuing a medical degree -- becomes obsessed with the heartless Mildred, his passion threatens to destroy his career and any chance for a happy future.