Jean Hersholt stars in Sins of Man as a music lover in a small town in Austria. He rings the bells for church and wants his sons to follow in his footsteps. But his older son is far more interested in books and aviation than singing in the choir. Then, when a second son is born and takes the life of his wife, Jean puts all his hopes in his musical gifts. Tragedy strikes a second time: the baby is deaf.
This movie is a saga that spans decades, so I don't really want to tell you too much more about it. Jean does a wonderful job, playing an extremely stern father who nurses deep hurt inside him. When his older son, Don Ameche, leaves for America to study aviation, he cuts him off and refuses all communications. But it pains him terribly, and he breaks down and cries when he overhears one of Don's letters being read aloud. So, if you like Jean's memorable turn as Grandfather in Heidi, you might be interested in seeing him playing a heavy dramatic lead.
The best part of this movie is the very, very end. After "The End", there's a special message from the studio. "This picture has introduced to you a new Twentieth Century Fox screen personality, Mr. Don Ameche," precedes a few seconds of footage of Don smiling into the camera. It's so cute! If you're a fan of his, you've got to check out his first movie. If you're just looking for a great old drama, this one is a little bit corny and needlessly sad, so stick with your old favorites Stella Dallas and Now, Voyager.
