Quote: "Basically, I've heard nothing but praise for the 1941 version. Too much praise in fact. But rest assured, you're in the majority, not the minority. "

This is perhaps true... but in America (apparently). To date I only met two people (two!) who liked the 1941 version better than the 1931 Fredric March version. And both liked the color remake of "Psycho", so... no comment.
Each time this Rouben Mamoulian masterpiece has been shown on TV, it was presented as the best ever adaptation of the story, in this country, and deservedly so.
I always considered the Spencer Tracy version as an aseptised movie, well in the spirit of post-code US movies, and VASTLY inferior to the silent and 1931 versions.