The Moon And Sixpence (1942)

A quiet unassuming stockbroker (George Sanders) quite suddenly abandons his wife (Molly Lamont) of 17 years and children and goes off to Paris to become a painter. He has no remorse or shame and indeed, he leads a life of self destruction and no emotional attachments. Other people are convenient only in how they are useful to him. Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham and directed by Albert Lewin (PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY). Vaguely inspired by the life of the artist Paul Gauguin. I've not read Maugham's novel but the film contains perhaps the most masochistic character I've ever come across: the Dutch painter played here by Steven Geray, who I suspect is supposed to be sympathetic . Treated like crap by Sanders' artist and eventually abandoned by his wife (Doris Dudley), he grovels so apologetically so that I lost any sympathy for him. Maugham's female characters don't come across very well either. They are either bitter and vindictive or subservient to the point of accepting even physical abuse as a sign of "love". The one exception is the bawdy Florence Bates, who all but steals the film. The Oscar nominated score is by Dimitri Tiomkin. With Herbert Marshall, Eric Blore, Elena Verdugo and Albert Basserman.