Lost Horizon (1937)

 

When a wise diplomat's plane crashes in the snows of Tibet, he and the other survivors are guided to Shangri-La, where they wrestle with the invitation to stay.

Big budget over-the-top fantasy, still entertaining after all these years despite the naive utopism.

Halliwell****: "Much re-cut romantic adventure which leaves out some of the emphasis of a favorite Utopian novel but stands up pretty well on its own, at least as a supreme example of Hollywood moonshine, with perfect casting, direction and music. If the design has a touch of Ziegfeld, that's Hollywood."

Maltin****: "A rare movie experience, with haunting finale."