William Wyler, The Heiress and other movies

[charliechaplinfan]

I've searched this topic for a thread about William Wyler and none is shown, my apologies if there is one somewhere else.

Last night I watched The Heiress, I'd thought for some strange reason that I wouldn't like it, I put it down to the fact that I didn't like the pairing of Olivia De Havilland and Montgomery Clift. In my mind they are from two different eras and years apart but they aren't, only 4 years seperate them in age with Monty being the younger.

In my mind I'm seeing the similarities to The Letter, perhaps because the performances by the leads are so compelling. I can't seem to rationalise in my mind where I can see the other similarities.

Rarely though in film do you see three very good performances by three very different performers. Ralph Richardson, somewhat of a scene stealer and a veteran of many shows and films, brought up in the more traditional theatre, Olivia DeHavilland, screen professional of the thirties and beyond and fresh from her performance in The Snake Pit and Montgomery Clift, darling of Broadway and the screens newest talent. They are all so very compelling to watch that I sometimes didn't know who to look at.

The film is undoubtedly about a shy girl's growth into a woman encouraged by Morris Townsend but finished by her father's lack of belief in her. Olivia plays that stilted, awkward girl so well, even though it is plain to the viewer that her problems are probably all down to her father who puts her down so much that she couldn't possibly know how to talk to people in a social gathering.

Wyler and DeHavilland bring forward such a transformation in the space of a couple of hours, it's such a lesson in believability in what is happening to Catherine and wonder, does he love her? How much does he love her? Will she blossom more under his love even if it is mercernary rather than her confidence deflating father? The scene where she confronts her father and giving him the truth, she loved Morris and any happiness she could have with him, she was willing to take.
How painful the scene when she waits for Morris, I didn't know the outcome and was almost begging him to come and get her. I so wanted to believe that he was not a gold digger and that her horrible father was wrong.

I think Monty's part was so difficult to play, he had to make us believe that he loved her and that he was the most well mannered man and perhaps he would treat her kindly and grow to love her, even if it was her money that induced him to make overtures to her. At no point does he seem disagreeable even when he turns from her. When he returns, I guess they were difficult scenes to play.

A word for Miriam Hopkins, who was brilliant as the widowed aunt, who if it had been down to her would have thrown her cap at Morris straight away, no questions asked. She was brilliant, a great addition to the cast.

One very last thought about Olivia, this really attractive actress could play plain, dowdy women so well and whilst I was watching her as Catherine Sloper I thought she'd have made a brilliant Queen Victoria.

[Professional Tourist]

I love the 1949 film The Heiress. I've read the original Henry James book "Washington Square," seen the play on Broadway back in 1976 with Jane Alexander as Catherine, Richard Kiley as Dr. Sloper, Jan Miner as Aunt Lavinia, and David Selby as Morris Townsend. It was a very good cast. I've also seen a remake of this movie in 1997, which is based more closely on the original book and thus titled Washington Square, with Jennifer Jason Leigh as Catherine, Albert Finney as Dr. Sloper, Maggie Smith as Aunt Lavinia, and Ben Chaplin as Morris Townsend. I can recommend that film too. I really love this story and all its incarnations. Not sure why, perhaps because I love New York and used to live in Washington Square, or maybe it's something about the dysfunctional relationship between Catherine and her father that reaches me.

[mrsl]

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I've always thought The Heiress was a terrific movie too. I also think Olivia was one of the great beauties of the golden age, yet in this movie just a simple hairdo turned her into a dowdy woman. The first time I saw the movie, I couldn't make up my mind if Morris really loved her or not, and the second time I watched, I wished all the way through that I had been wrong the first time. Aunt Lavinia deserves a lot of credit for this one, Miriam played her with just the right sense of empathy for her young niece and did not look like a silly old maid living vicariously through the young people.
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[charliechaplinfan]

I love the scene where Morris dances with Catherine, counting all the time, when all the other young men almost cringe to be in her company he's not at all bothered what the rest of the company thinks.

My take on Morris is that he is motivated by her money but also by her, he likes her,perhaps even love her, in the course of their romance. I don't think he was completely out and out after her money but did want her to.

Do you think he loved her Anne? I'd love to believe in it and wanted them to be happy ever after even though I knew it was not to be. I'm far more like ther auntie.

[MissGoddess]

Great movie, and while I think Morris wouldn't have looked twice at Catherine without her money, he was merely mercenary, not unkind or thoughtless and frankly, so long as the money held out I believe he'd have made a good and loving husband. Love Miriam Hopkins in this movie---the only role where I actually do like this actress.

[mongoII]

William Wyler is my favorite director and "The Heiress" (cheers to Catherine Sloper) one of my favorite films.
The 12 time Oscar nominee's list of eclectic gems cant be beat; "Dodsworth", "Dead End", "Wuthering Heights", "The Westerner", "The Letter", "The Little Foxes", "Mrs. Miniver", "The Best Years of Our Lives", "Detective Story", "Friendly Persuasion", "Ben-Hur", etc.
I could watch them all right now.

[knitwit45]

Hey, Joe, pop some corn, and I'll join you! What a list of movies, and what a bunch of stars!
Wasn't he Bette's favorite director (and the love of her life?)

I think our only argument would be which one to play first!

Nancy

[charliechaplinfan]

Great movie, and while I think Morris wouldn't have looked twice at Catherine without her money, he was merely mercenary, not unkind or thoughtless and frankly, so long as the money held out I believe he'd have made a good and loving husband. Love Miriam Hopkins in this movie---the only role where I actually do like this actress.

I think I agree with you, I'm just not sure I would have had the strength to push him out of that door, he was too charming, he would have given her companionship, care and the right kind of attention, something she had sadly lacked. I think that's how I see him, not an out an out cad who would have turned on her as soon as the ink was dry on the certificate.

I've seen Wuthering Heights and although it was abridged, it worked very well, I don't think Larry was ever that dashing again and no one has ever lived up to his Heathcliff.

I enjoyed The Letter, I thought Bette in this film was the most feminine I'd ever seen her.

Nancy, I'm glad you're a fan too. He was very flattering to women I think.

[mrsl]

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CCFan:

I agree with what you said, he started out as a mercenary, but he ended up actually liking her, that's what made me so confused. At first you thought, what a cad, but as time went on, they seemed so right and happy, and they had fun, plus she was always smiling so I figured he just didn't believe he had enough money to elope with her, and that would have messed up her opinion, although I don't think she would have cared at that point.

Remember, she didn't push him out the door, that's why she never answered him when he finally came back, she knew he could con her again if she saw him face to face, so she didn't even talk to him, and when I saw the movie as a grown up, I realized that and how mortified she was when he never came for her that night. It was a terrible thing to do and that's when I realized what a sh** he was.

The one that really confused me was her father. Knowing none of the young men wanted anything to do with her, and he would have to pay someone eventually to marry her, which would make anyone he chose an obvious cad interested only in her money; why didn't he just let this union happen, since at least she was happy?

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[charliechaplinfan]

Yes, I think that too. The worst thing Morris did wasn't the not turning up but deserting her and leaving for California the next day, if only he'd explained himself then.

Great direction and acting make for interesting discussions because different people can read different things into the various portrayals.

[mongoII]

I felt for Catherine Sloper and I believe it would have been better for her to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. And when he had the balls to return to her at the end she could have used him to the hilt (pehaps too daring for 1949). Dear Catherine.

[charliechaplinfan]

That's what I think, she could have been happy for a while, maybe she'd never have discovered his original intentions becaue he might have learned to love her. I'm sure in the 19th century marriages were built on much less.

[Professional Tourist]

The one that really confused me was her father. Knowing none of the young men wanted anything to do with her, and he would have to pay someone eventually to marry her, which would make anyone he chose an obvious cad interested only in her money; why didn't he just let this union happen, since at least she was happy?

Dr. Sloper's idea was that Catherine would remain unmarried until later in life, when men who were widowers would be looking for new mothers for their children. Sloper felt that good men in such a position would consider Catherine as a solid, respectable second wife and a caring and concerned mother for their young ones -- these men would have had love and attraction once and now would be concerned with practical matters. To such a man Sloper would consent to turn over safely his daughter's inheritance -- while simultaneously denying her a love-match to satisfy his resentment of her for being "responsible" for his beloved wife's death.

I'm not sure if it is shown in the 1949 film version, but in the book and in the 1997 film we see just this -- years go by and a couple of older widowers with young children are very much interested in Catherine, but she turns down their proposals, having decided already never to marry following the debacle with Morris Townsend, and preferring to remain independent and self-determining.

[feaito]

William Wyler is my favorite director too. "Dodsworth", "These Three", "The Letter", "The Gay Deception", "Counsellor-at-Law", "The Good Fairy". Never a dull moment when watching any of his films. I recommend Jan Herman's Bio "A Talent for Trouble".

[moira finnie]

William Wyler is my favorite director too. "Dodsworth", "These Three", "The Letter", "The Gay Deception", "Counsellor-at-Law", "The Good Fairy". Never a dull moment when watching any of his films. I recommend Jan Herman's Bio "A Talent for Trouble".

I tend to find my favorite Wyler films in the '30s too, especially the superbly acted Counsellor at Law and charming The Good Fairy. One fascinating early talkie made by Wyler when he had a reputation as an up and coming Western director, Hell's Heroes (1930)--one more version of Peter Kyne's Three Godfathers, is coming up at 3am on December 4th on TCM with Charles Bickford in the lead. It's raw, crudely made by most of Hollywood's standards then and now, but bristling with a dusty reality that leaves a mark on your memory once you've seen it.

While I love Wyler's movies in the 40s too, inevitably, as he changed and Hollywood did, his movies became gradually more ambitious and self-conscious, though they were also more impressive as dramatic spectacles. I've always thought it interesting that one of his last films, the disturbing The Collector (1965) with Samantha Eggar and Terence Stamp, was a return to a smaller scale and quite controversial when it was released.