Lost Horizon (1937)

Robert Conway: It is very common here to live to a very ripe old age. Climate, diet - the mountain water you might say. But we like to believe it's the absence of struggle in the way we live. In your countries, on the over hand, how often do you hear the expression, "He worried himself to death", or "This thing or that thing on that killed him".
Chang: Oh, very often.
Robert Conway: And very true. Your lives are, as a rule, shorter. Not so much by natural death, as by indirect suicide.

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High Lama: It is the entire meaning and purpose of Shangri-La. It came to me in a vision, long, long ago. I saw all the nations strengthening, not in wisdom, but in the vulgar passions and the will to destroy. I saw the machine power multiplying, until a single weaponed man might match a whole army. I foresaw a time when man, exalting in the technique of murder, would rage so hotly over the world, that every book, every treasure, would be doomed to destruction. This vision was so vivid and so moving, that I determined to gather together all things of beauty and of culture that I could, and preserve them here, against the doom toward which the world is rushing. Look at the world today. Is there anything more pitiful? What madness there is! What blindness! What unintelligent leadership! A scurrying mass of bewildered humanity, crashing headlong against each other, propelled by an orgy of greed and brutality. A time must come my friend, when this orgy will spend itself. When brutality and the lust for power must perish by its own sword. Against that time, is why I avoided death, and am here. And why you were brought here. For when that day comes, the world must begin to look for a new life. And it is our hope that they may find it here. For here, we shall be with their books and their music, and a way of life based on one simple rule: Be Kind! When that day comes, it is our hope that the brotherly love of Shangri-La will spread throughout the world. Yes, my son; When the strong have devoured each other, the Christian ethic may at last be fulfilled and the meek shall inherit the earth.
Robert Conway: I understand you father.

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Robert Conway: I think I'm going to like it here.

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Frank Capra hated screen tests; scripts were developed with specific actors in mind. Ronald Colman was first choice to play Conway from the very beginning. It was only over who should play the High Lama that he had problems and had to resort to screen tests.
Studio head Harry Cohn didn't like Sam Jaffe's performance as the High Lama and insisted that Capra shoot it with another actor. Capra had to submit to this request and a test with Walter Connolly was made, with Cohn even insisting on an expensive new set being built specially for it. Despite loading the dice in Connolly's favor, the consensus was that his test wasn't anywhere near as good. So Jaffe won the part back, though he still had to re-shoot all his scenes as they were deemed to be far too lengthy and wordy.
The Aircraft shown in the movie is a Douglas DC-2.
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