After two unsuccessful years pursuing an art career in Paris, clubfooted Philip Carey decides to study medicine.

When she leaves him to marry another man, Philip falls in love with Nora Nesbitt, a writer who encourages him to complete his studies.

The first screen adaptation of Maugham's novel, made thirty years prior, starred Leslie Howard and Bette Davis.

It was to be made in conjunction with Seven Arts Films with James Woolf to produce the following year; Peter Glenville was being pursued to direct.

[5] In July 1962 Ray Stark, head of Seven Arts, said he had turned down an offer from a leading female star to appear in the movie on the grounds she was too expensive; he said she would have led to them requiring a further $3 million to break even.

[6] In November Seven Arts announced the director would be Henry Hathaway who had tried to make the film four years previously with Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift as the leads.

"[17] However, Tony Booth, who had a small role in the film, said Hathaway routinely disparaged Novak's performance and acting ability, particularly her cockney accent.

They considered John Huston and Richard Quine before deciding on Ken Hughes, who had made Trials of Oscar Wilde with Seven Arts.

Kim Novak failed to show up on set one morning, going on a 48 hour shopping trip to London, leading to rumours she would be replaced by Elizabeth Taylor.

"[19] Producer James Woolf, a long time supporter of Harvey's as well as his occasional lover, took an overdose of barbiturates during the making of the film, but survived.

[28] A. H. Weiler of The New York Times called the film a "surface, stoic old-fashioned tale" and added, "The pitiful meagerness of heartfelt dialogue, direction and acting, so essential in transporting Maugham's three-dimensional figures from book to screen, is noticeable almost from the start of this largely unemotional drama.

These are not classically tortured people who emerge whole and alive on film but are, instead, artificially quaint Edwardians who are simply play acting and speaking lines that seem alien to them and the viewer ... Laurence Harvey and Kim Novak ... seem painfully miscast.

One wonders what he ever saw, aside from an occasional physical view, in Miss Novak's conception of the ill-fated, blonde Cockney whose East End accent and actions are often a laughable parody of the real articles ...

"[29] Time said, "As portrayed by actress Novak, Mildred giggles a lot and speaks cockney like a girl who learned the sound of Bow bells from somewhere in South Chicago.

Rather than probe the psychological make-up of the characters, the script consistently focuses on superficial motivations with all the emotional intensity of a high-school drama-society production.