AllMovie

Body and Soul was a remake of the heavy-breathing 1920 melodrama The Branding Iron. Lionel Barrymore is shameless in his portrayal of double-dyed villain Dr. Leyden. After disgracing his profession, Leyden escapes to Switzerland, where he is smitten by inn servant Hilda (Aileen Pringle). Tricking her into marriage, he treats her atrociously, so it's hardly a surprise when Hilda falls in love with handsome young skier Buffo (Norman Kerry). Tricking the boy into an accident, Dr. Leyden threatens to let Buffo die unless Hilda returns to him. She agrees, but to bind the bargain he brands the poor girl with a red-hot iron. This guy is definitely overdue for a horrible demise -- which comes in due time in the form of a deux ex machina avalanche.