tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post3900875120560022828..comments2024-03-26T05:01:57.793-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: THE HEIRESS 1949Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-80719056761341616842023-06-25T10:37:00.058-07:002023-06-25T10:37:00.058-07:00Reading about your experience of seeing THE HEIRES...Reading about your experience of seeing THE HEIRESS for the first time was such a pleasure. Not only does it offer a “fresh eyes” perspective of a movie I adore and have long been familiar with, but how you establish context and prior exposure to THE HEIRESS and its reputation goes a long way toward providing insight into what shaped your experience and what expectations the film fell short of.<br /><br />From the characters and relationships to the quality of the performances, you do an excellent job of identifying what didn’t work for you. And, as in mentioning Joan Fontaine or hypothesizing about the possibilities proposed by Catherine's inner and/or external transformation in the final act; your point of view is so well established that even those who feel entirely differently about the film can appreciate and gain insights about the critical and aesthetic subjectivity of the moviegoing experience from what you’ve written.<br /><br />There are many classic films with reputations of excellence that have left me underwhelmed when I finally saw them. In some cases I wonder what I might have thought of it had I come to the film with no prior awareness of its reputation as a cinematic "must see." Other times (most times, actually) I'm just made aware that my movie tastes have seldom jibed with the popular consensus. <br />Because my opinions about the movies I like are so clear and fully formed within me, I find it enjoyable to read a thoughtfully-written perspective that’s different from my own. Not only does it reveal the flexible facets of perception that are an important part of what makes film such a living art form, but it reinforces what I think is great about movies, but is too often forgotten: <br />Their magic is in that they provide an experience, but no two people are guaranteed the same one.<br />Variety is the spice of life, so reading a non-rave take on THE HEIRESS makes a fine contribution to this post. Thank you for your generous compliment, reading this post, and sharing your thoughts with us. Much appreciated!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-35017070917352033492023-06-25T00:11:50.521-07:002023-06-25T00:11:50.521-07:00I was keenly aware that De Havilland's perform...I was keenly aware that De Havilland's performance in this film was hugely acclaimed back then as it is now. I was aware of her Oscar win. Before watching this film, I'd seen the Carol Burnett spoof called "Lady Heir". Hilarious and heartbreaking.<br /><br />A couple months ago, I finally watched "The Heiress" expecting a more dramatic but really as good viewing experience. I was let down.<br /><br />I didn't find the father to be that villainous. He was practical and knew that most men were likely more interested in Catherine's fortune than her looks or personality. Parenting styles were different in the 1800s than they are now - less encouraging, for one.<br /><br />There wasn't enough conflict or drama to make this film engrossing. De Havilland wasn't terrific, in my mind. If it weren't for Joan Fontaine's undeniable beauty, I'd wager she'd have acted this part far better. I didn't feel De Havilland displayed the range of emotion necessary. Her "transformation" wasn't that impressive. She just came across bitter and practical, a lot like her father. If that was the point of the film, then I wasted my time.<br /><br />One thing to note: Catherine's character became a glamorous-looking woman following her father's death. In the film, Catherine looks the same. No physical transformation. It needed that to make its point more clear.<br /><br />Overrated film if there ever were any. I love your posts and the movies you choose to review. <br /><br />9.5/10 for your review<br />4.5/10 for the film.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-80408705081303552762021-07-01T08:53:30.625-07:002021-07-01T08:53:30.625-07:00I'm with you in having watched THE HEIRESS mor...I'm with you in having watched THE HEIRESS more times than I can count. And likely for the strengths you cite regarding Wyler's talents. A solid storyteller with an unobtrusive style. I appreciate your reading this post and commenting.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-10699814777905896612021-06-30T16:54:28.946-07:002021-06-30T16:54:28.946-07:00I have lost track of how often I've seen THE H...I have lost track of how often I've seen THE HEIRESS. Absolutely perfect and I agree with your comments on Clift. He's certainly outclassed performance-wise-- but then again, he's playing a charlatan.<br /><br />Wyler is a great director too-- not a showy auteur type, but the acting and visuals in his movies tend to be strong, even in the lesser stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-53895445107016929732020-12-01T16:39:14.284-08:002020-12-01T16:39:14.284-08:00Yes, this one really holds up. I agree with you ab...Yes, this one really holds up. I agree with you about Wyler being a director whose track record reveals a deft hand with women's roles. And I never thought about the similarities of those closing images in his films!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-2695823041573758832020-11-29T21:38:02.098-08:002020-11-29T21:38:02.098-08:00Such a great film. Interesting how many of Willia...Such a great film. Interesting how many of William Wyler's films end with a close up of one of the movie's female stars: Olivia de Havilland climbing the stairs in THE HEIRESS, Teresa Wright gazing up at Dana Andrews following Homer's wedding in THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, Mary Astor's ecstatic wave on the balcony as she realizes Walter Huston has come back to her in DODSWORTH, Bette Davis looking out of a rain streaked window in THE LITTLE FOXES as Teresa Wright walks out of her life forever. George Cukor was known as Hollywood's greatest "Women's Director," but I think maybe that title should have gone to Wyler.Kipnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-2287260568806225032020-09-23T12:01:26.258-07:002020-09-23T12:01:26.258-07:00Hello Pete
Such an enjoyable, conversational comme...Hello Pete<br />Such an enjoyable, conversational comment post you contributed! You do write as though we're sitting in a room with other film buffs, just talking about our perceptions and thoughts.<br />You bring up such a good point about classic movies and the internet. I'm one of those people that learned the hard way, if I come across a trailer for an upcoming film or TV show I might be interested in, I have to avoid ALL internet mention of it until I watch it. That's turned out to be easier to do than I once thought, but like you, I can have a fresh experience "marred" if you will, by an overly-descriptive IMDB summary or pieces like my own, that can influence a person's initial perceptions.<br /><br />I'm glad you still found so much in this superb film to enjoy, but I know what you mean...it would have been a different one had you not known anything about Clift's character.<br />I think about this every time I look back on all those Agatha Christie films I saw before I ever began reading her. <br />Would I have enjoyed them as much if I'd read the books first? I was so startled by each of the plots!<br /><br />Anyhow, THE HEIRESS is a wonderful film for so many reasons, and, like you, I see the ending as a triumph rather than a doomed future for our heroine. As someone wh barfs at the mere concept of those reality shows like THE BACHELOR, I've never held the idea that being paired up with a dolt is better than being happily single. <br />I think there would be a lot less heartache in the world if people came to enjoy their own company more and didn't settle always for "At least I'm not alone" ideas of romance.<br />Now that you've seen this, maybe some day you'll want to check out 1997's WASHINGTON SQUARE for comparison. Don't take this as a recommendation, however, because as good as it was, THE HEIRESS still captured the feel of James' novel for me.<br />Oh, and I love learning you once worked at a record store, and I had no idea that UB40 did a cover of the Elvis song (either that or I've put it out my head).<br />Great hearing from you, Pete, and thanks for taking us all with you on your own journey through film! Cheers!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-53715397792195614052020-09-22T19:48:21.648-07:002020-09-22T19:48:21.648-07:00Hi Ken-
I was so stoked to see this film pop up ne...Hi Ken-<br />I was so stoked to see this film pop up next on your blog scroll. I was already curious after learning de Havilland had won an Oscar for it, but after you referenced it on one of your screen captures on the Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte post ("As de Havilland demonstrated in The Heiress (1949), few people can play the flip side of sweetness and light to such chilling effect") I was completely sold. And boy, did it not disappoint. <br />I'm another person who hasn't seen a lot of de Havilland's filmography, so I have little to go on in terms of her collective display of brilliance...but I can't imagine anyone else even came close to deserving the statuette that year. (Especially after hearing that Richardson pulled little irritating stunts during filming!)<br />I hadn't read the book or known of the previous plays, so I didn't know the plot going in, aside from stupidly glancing at the imdb synopsis...which mentions that Clift's intentions are less than honorable. There went that chance of being doubtful! That's even more disappointing, learning that the film is less conclusive than the play, and certainly isn't fair to Clift's portrayal of the character. I pretty firmly stayed on the side of "this guy just wants her money", and viewed his actions through that lens. I look forward to eventually viewing it again WITHOUT that thought clouding his peformance. I think Clift holds his own despite being a totally different style of -and fairly green at that point- actor. (You just know that Richardson probably thought of him as an 'ineffectual little poofter', if he even deigned to think of him at all.)<br />As for those who think Catherine makes a mistake and is destined to live a life alone, I don't think so. Two things made me think otherwise (outside of my contemporary "you go, girl" pro-feminist view): <br />- that hint of smile that flashes on de Havilland's face on the stairs<br />- the fact that Catherine states that the embroidery she is finishing will be 'the last one I ever do', knowing her life is changing despite having the door bolted<br />That ending was so damn satisfying!<br />Speaking of having my viewing altered going in, I also had started to read your post...so all I could think of was Elvis (and UB40, as I was working in a record store when their lite reggae version was huge) every time the Plaisir d’Amour was played. I didn't mind though, as I think that's funny. I didn't grow up with that classic (no pun intended) commercial (oddly, considering how long it aired), but I'm so glad you included it. The number of people who saw that hundreds of times is large!<br />Thanks for writing a (yet another) wonderful analysis that sparks such great comments as well.petlodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01271851273533301436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-10335099914522448762019-08-01T15:20:24.581-07:002019-08-01T15:20:24.581-07:00I can see your point. I've read several pieces...I can see your point. I've read several pieces finding Clift's naturalism as having aged better than the formal style of Richardson's more theatrical performance.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-91026034628994815962019-08-01T10:20:10.306-07:002019-08-01T10:20:10.306-07:00I don't think Montgomery Clift was out of his ...I don't think Montgomery Clift was out of his league. In fact, I regard his Morris Townsend to be very complex and ambiguous character. I think I was a bit more impressed with his performance as I was with Ralph Richardson, who came off as a bit too stiff and theatrical at times.The Rush Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13667282586023023623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-50910935429666017732019-06-30T21:27:44.428-07:002019-06-30T21:27:44.428-07:00Hello Mac,
Your appreciation of "The Heiress&...Hello Mac,<br />Your appreciation of "The Heiress" and especially William Wyler (I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of the lack of sentimentality in his film) is not only evident, but very infectious.<br /><br />It also sounds as though you know a great deal about film and enjoy them, and that you also are very familiar with the works of Olivia de Havilland.<br />I regret to say my exposure to de Havilland films hasn't really grown since posting this (at least not in the "plus" column...I've watched "Lady in a Cage" and "The Adventurers") but I don't give up hope. Your description of "The Snake Pit" is persuasive. <br />Thrilled that you happened upon this blog and I thank you sincerely for the kind comments. Hope you stop back sometime!<br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-16494065830128495732019-06-30T01:37:29.800-07:002019-06-30T01:37:29.800-07:00I had been scouring reviews online for this incred...I had been scouring reviews online for this incredible movie when I stumbled across yours. Your critique is profound and I am more than satisfied that you appreciate The Heiress as much as I do.<br /><br />William Wyler is able to imbue many of his films with drama without resorting to, as Margo Channing would say, "cheap sentiment." Bette Davis no doubt learned a lot from Wyler, and when she utters her famous line in All About Eve, I think of his handiwork. His movies brim with intelligence and are made for mature audiences.<br /><br />One might think this movie would lose its luster with repeat viewings, but because the performances, direction, and production are so impressive, multiple screenings reveal hidden gems the stunning finale might otherwise overshadow.<br /><br />I agree with others that De Havilland's performance has to be one of the most deserving Oscar wins ever.<br /><br />You mention that you have not seen many of her films. Since this review is already a few years old by the time I write this, I'm not sure if your tally has grown. If it hasn't, may I suggest another of her films that has largely been forgotten today: The Snake Pit. <br /><br />Sandwiched between To Each His Own (gobs of "cheap sentiment", but tethered by Olivia's intelligent performance, although she really had no business taking the Oscar from Celia Johnson) and The Heiress, The Snake Pit was ahead of its time in its depiction of mental illness (Jane Wyman really had no business take the Oscar from De Havilland).<br /><br />Great work! Now that I know where you live, I'll be sure to read up on your other articles =)<br /><br /><br /><br />Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15381069667778287565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-85632734334226829192018-09-20T00:26:39.589-07:002018-09-20T00:26:39.589-07:00Hi Ed
On the contrary, I rather got a kick out of ...Hi Ed<br />On the contrary, I rather got a kick out of your venting (which it actually is not) because by now I have not a single memory of the film WASHINGTON SQUARE to draw upon. In fact, your frustration with its flaws kinda makes me want to see it again due to your actually making it sound more distractingly funny than it likely is.<br />At the core of what you've written is a fond appreciation for James' novel and Wyler's film. Your exasperation speaks to how much you felt the JJL/Maggie Smith adaptation fell short of the material's potential.<br /><br />Although I really enjoy Peter Bogdanovich's DAISY MILLER, my partner sounds a bit like you when he;s off on a tear about how awful he feels Cybill Sheperd is, and how she pulls the film down with her like a drowning woman.<br />Above and beyond anything I am a fan of people being passionate about movies. And they don't have to be the same ones, nor do the parties have to agree. I got a charge out of reading how much you paid attention to and cared about the shortcomings in film you saw. That's the best testament to what movies should be and the attitude I enjoy most reading about. Thank you for that!<br />And thanks for stopping by to read the blog and adding another informed and intelligent voice to the conversation. Hope you stop by again!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-58650583508959731422018-09-19T16:56:23.226-07:002018-09-19T16:56:23.226-07:00Hi, Ken. I thoroughly enjoyed your assessment of o...Hi, Ken. I thoroughly enjoyed your assessment of one of my all-time absolute favorite films, and the intelligent comments that followed.<br />However, I may be the sole cantankerous dissenter when it comes to "Washington Square". I've only seen it once, and can never bring myself to revisit it. I'm not a JJL fan; her one-note performance in "Dolores Claiborne" almost ruins that fine film for me. Leigh's klutz of a Catherine is nothing like the heroine of the James source material; she reminds me of nothing so much as Carol Burnett doing a lampoon of "The Heiress". There's a scene in "WS" where Catherine literally runs into Morris on the street; when they collide, she lets out with a shriek, abd throws the books, or paperwork, or whatever it was that she was carrying in her arms straight into the air. Such buffoonery is the antithesis of the world of Henry James. In fact, I must disagree with every opinion that "WS" is closer to James than "TH". Many things were added to appeal to Millenial audiences that are not in the novella, from Mrs. Sloper's death in childbirth, with that hideous hemorrhage in her genital area, to Catherine, as a child, urinating on the floor from embarrassment when forced to sing at a birthday party. Worst of all is when Aunt Lavinia meets Morris in a raffish tavern. Not only would the Reverend Penniman's widow never set foot in such an establishment, but we're forced to watch her sit still as a loose woman in the adjoining booth engages in noisy intercourse.<br />Maggie Smith is my greatest disappointment in "WS". She has long had my undying affection for her acting skills, but her performance did nothing but remind me of how truly magnificent the great Miriam Hopkins was in "TH".<br />Thanks for allowing me to vent!<br />Ed MillerRafehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12383709928350146692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-35415118669577105842017-03-18T12:19:18.085-07:002017-03-18T12:19:18.085-07:00I agree. I think that dramatic punch is a bit of a...I agree. I think that dramatic punch is a bit of a hard act to follow, and it shades every adaptation I've seen since.<br />I think it's a very good adaptation of the book, too. And likely satisfying to anyone who has never set eyes on the William Wyler film. <br />Though old-fashioned in construction, that ending culled from the pay adaptation is so dramatically satisfying, to have the story unfold without it genuinely feels as though something has been extracted.<br />I suspect a generation of viewers who have never seen Wyler's film would find it gratifying to have the novel so faithfully rendered. <br />Having seen the 1949 film first and finding that ending so powerful and satisfying, it's hard to backtrack and go for the more emotionally authentic and realistic ending of the book. One movie stayed with me all my life, the other, for all its obvious quality and care, I have a hard time recalling.<br />Thank you very much for taking the time to comment! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-67728777561436088882017-03-16T09:11:56.949-07:002017-03-16T09:11:56.949-07:00I rather liked "Washington Square" very ...I rather liked "Washington Square" very much. But it lacked the dramatic punch of Catherine and Morris' last encounter that was featured in the 1949 film. I think Holland was a bit too faithful to the source material.The Rush Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13667282586023023623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-16874239291773618692016-09-20T18:35:14.813-07:002016-09-20T18:35:14.813-07:00Hello!
It's a real kick to read about your ent...Hello!<br />It's a real kick to read about your enthusiasm for this movie, and I thank you for sharing your thoughts with us here.<br />It really IS one of the most watchable films, isn't it? And your feelings about its denouement point to the wise choice the filmmakers made in not making the motivations of Clift's character not as explicit as they are in the novel.<br />I think the film works and endures because it works its magic on each of us in different ways: allowing us to hiss him as a villain if we like, or respond to the emotions of the story and charm of the cast and arrive at a different conclusion.<br />Thank you you reading this post and for your insights born of seeing this film so often and harboring such a fondness for it.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-4176985379644314772016-09-20T15:11:46.572-07:002016-09-20T15:11:46.572-07:00never thought anyone loved the heiress as much as ...never thought anyone loved the heiress as much as i. i could watch it everyday and twice on sunday? what's not to love? olivia de haviland is superb and this is truly my favorite movie with her and she gets a brighter spotlight than she had in her oscar winning role in gone with the wind. montgomery clift. what can i say about montgomery clift except that i love him radically and i have always loved him. i often believe that he was cad in the movie because the script said he was a cad. what he told catherine about not wanting to cost her fortune and inheritance makes perfect sense. it's not like he left her and found another other duckling heiress. he became an unglamorous merchant marine for christ's sake. $10,000 a year during the turn of the century was the equivalent of $100,000 a year today. he still would have had more money as her husband than he did as a merchant marine. i believe catherine made a huge mistake not forgiving him for his human frailty. everybody natters on about her victory at the end of the movie. what victory praytell? she ended up alone and unloved just like her spiteful father predicted for her at the beginning of the movie. thanks again for sharing your thoughts. a kindred spirit is always a joy to behold.petercox97https://www.blogger.com/profile/05818754297522029991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-52553975758939628122016-08-15T13:46:16.230-07:002016-08-15T13:46:16.230-07:00Thanks for sharing your favorites, Shawn. I keep h...Thanks for sharing your favorites, Shawn. I keep hearing so much good about "Piazza" I really got to check it out someday.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-60851786661079512242016-08-15T10:01:11.062-07:002016-08-15T10:01:11.062-07:00"Light in the Piazza" is one of my favor..."Light in the Piazza" is one of my favorites among DeHavilland's films. She is touching and intelligent in it, and shows her knack for light comedy as well. Although some quibble with the resolution to the film, its tackling of the question of rights for the mentally handicapped was ahead of its time.<br /><br />"In This Our Life" is great fun. DeHavilland has some wonderful moments in it and her warm, steadfast performance is a great counterweight to Bette Davis is highflung, super bitch mode. Plus you get Frank Craven, Billie Burke and Charles Coburn, all superb character actors, adding to the texture.Shawn Cullenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18270423231633162242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-6263773966049613482016-06-03T04:15:30.826-07:002016-06-03T04:15:30.826-07:00That's awfully kind of you to notice, Rich. Th...That's awfully kind of you to notice, Rich. Thank you. I genuinely feel (and know from feedback) that the comments section is very enjoyable to a great many readers because everybody seems to be so knowledgeable and/or so in love with film. Aside from being grateful anyone takes the time, I do see the comments as contributing to the whole.<br /><br />Now as for that "Murphy's Oil Soap" ad...I hadn't thought of that for ages, and, of course, the memory of it got stuck in my head! Happily, nobody seems to write catchy jungles anymore...I don't have as much time to forget them as I used to. Thanks again, Rich!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-2229930661127830272016-06-02T11:42:39.181-07:002016-06-02T11:42:39.181-07:00Thanks for the nice response. I have only been rea...Thanks for the nice response. I have only been reading your blog for a short while but I noticed right away how nice you are in responding to comments. You treat the people that comment like they are contributors and it's very commendable. Yes, I remember that "Anticipation" commercial so well and like you it took many years to hear the song without connecting the two. I remember another commercial, this one from the early 80's I think, that used a notable song--it was an ad for Murphy's Oil Soap set to the tune of that old fiddle tune "Turkey in the Straw". More than thirty years later I can sing most of the lyrics. "I've been using Murphy's oil soap on cedar oak and pine, now the dirt is finished but the finish is fine!" Because it was set to a song I knew as a kid that jingle burrowed into my brain like the "Night Gallery" earwig. Anyway, looking forward to reading more of your essays in the future as I enjoy your insight.Rich Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-48539299499746293642016-05-30T12:55:40.441-07:002016-05-30T12:55:40.441-07:00Hi Rich
Glad you enjoyed the essay! I'm so gla...Hi Rich<br />Glad you enjoyed the essay! I'm so glad you mentioned "Come and Get It", a favorite film of mine I haven't seen in some time, but in this context (classical music themes in pop culture) I'm surprised it hadn't come to mind sooner.<br />"Aura Lee" has the exact same effect on me in that film that "The Joys of Love" has on me in this; the Elvis connection in my mind throws me right out of the era.<br />I doubt if young people would have the same problem, but I'm old enough for the Elvis songs to have been part of my childhood soundtrack far longer than I acquaintance with these marvelous films.<br />You have a good memory in this area, because I think you're right about "Detour" as well...and again, you gave provided an excellent example of this phenomenon.<br /><br />This leads me to thinking of how TV commercials sometimes cheapen pop songs that have become classics. It took ages for me to be able to listen to Carly Simon's "Anticipation" without thinking of those damn ketchup commercials from the 70s.<br />Thank you very much for your thoughtful and engaging comment!<br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-62837558781650766992016-05-30T11:18:27.525-07:002016-05-30T11:18:27.525-07:00Another terrific thoughtful essay. Regarding the i...Another terrific thoughtful essay. Regarding the infusion of classical music into popular entertainment, I had a similar experience recently when I checked out a Chopin cd from the public library. I was listening to a selection called "Fantaisie-Impromptu" when about a third of the way through I started hearing the melody of "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows", a song Judy Garland sings in "Ziegfeld Girl". I'm pretty sure there are strains of the same melody during one of the driving scenes in "Detour" as well, but I'd have to watch it again to be sure. In the same vein, I was also reminded of the song "Aura Lee" that Frances Farmer sings in "Come and Get It", which was worked into "Love Me Tender" many years later. Anyway, just thought I'd share that with you. Keep up the good work.Rich Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-75875106489214299502016-03-20T17:54:11.574-07:002016-03-20T17:54:11.574-07:00Hi Ken,
My guy and I watched "The Heiress&qu...Hi Ken,<br /><br />My guy and I watched "The Heiress" this weekend. We both had tears in our eyes when it was over! Olivia was terrific and richly deserved that second Oscar.<br /><br />One thing that impresses me about William Wyler is how straightforward and economical he was in his directing: the story is the star, his stars don't go over the top, etc. I think that's why Wyler's best, like "The Heiress" and "The Best Years of Our Lives" still hold up and don't seem dated.<br /><br />My fella is a good bit younger than me and he's lovin' and learning about classic Hollywood films. After remarking how good Olivia was as Catherine, he said the only other actress he could think of who could play the role was Bette Davis. I filled him in on why Wyler finally had enough of rangling and reining Queen Bette in after 3 films, especially after their famous falling out over "The Little Foxes."<br /><br />But you know what? In a parallel universe, where Bette didn't become a big hambone, I think Davis might have made a divine Catherine Sloper!<br /><br />Cheers, and thank you for reminding me of this movie!<br /><br />Rickhttp://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/https://www.blogger.com/profile/14243899548141583461noreply@blogger.com