Film homage William Wyler Olivia de Havilland Ralph Richardson The Heiress 1949 1880's-2008
by David Lee Guss
Title
Film homage William Wyler Olivia de Havilland Ralph Richardson The Heiress 1949 1880's-2008
Artist
David Lee Guss
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
William Wyler (1902-1981) guided Olivia de Havilland to an Academy Award in this film adaptation of Henry James' "Washington Square," via a play by Augustus and Ruth Goetz.
The 1849 street set is briefly glimpsed in "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) as William Holden and Nancy Olson take a night walk on the Paramount back lot.
In "The Heiress" Olivia is the only child (Catherine) of a rich, but embittered doctor/father played brilliantly by Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-1983).
He savagely abuses her emotionally, finding her plain look, shyness and lack of social grace a painful reminder of how dazzling her mother had been. (Mom had died while giving birth to Catherine.)
Sir Ralph vehemently objects to Montgomery Clift's (Morris) courting of Catherine; rightly feeling him a fortune hunter. The naive Catherine is bedazzled by the handsome and destitute Morris.
By the end of the picture she realizes Morris' true intention and brutally rejects him in the film's stunning finale. Catherine has become sour, friendless and isolated from the world.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvWL4AvGr2c&feature=related
Strange that the scam artist Morris did not pick up on Catherine's body language of obvious disdain in this clip. He had previously not shown up for an elopement with her, thinking she had been disinherited.
Some critics have hailed William Wyler as the greatest of all American directors. His films have garnered 127 Academy Award nominations. He won three as best director.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBtIN2he4IE
Uploaded
June 4th, 2013
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