Noël Coward’s film presents a rather nationalistic view of the lives, relationships, difficulties, and successes of the wealthy Marryot family—Jane (Diana Wynyard) and her husband Robert (Clive Brook)—and the working-class Bridges—Herbert Mundin as Fred and Una O'Connor as Ellen, along with their children. The movie unfolds in a series of episodes, essentially a melodrama that spans British history from the late 1800s, encompassing Queen Victoria’s death, the Edwardian period, the looming threat of war in the early 1910s, and the years following World War I—a time when everyone's character is put to the test. It offers a look at class distinctions and how people feel about them, showing both respect and animosity, and Wynyard and O’Connor deliver solid performances. However, much of the film feels underwhelming; it comes across as a sentimental timeline decorated with patriotic imagery and stirring music from Chopin and Strauss, seemingly intended to distract from any genuine exploration of the significant social shifts happening in Britain and throughout Europe during that era. I've always been struck by the fact that it won against Ernst Lubitsch’s "Lady for a Day" at the 1934 Oscars—though at least it provided Una O’Connor with an opportunity to move beyond playing domestic staff.

Source on TMDB