Thanks to Crystal for hosting the blogathon and inviting me to participate. I have always enjoyed the work of Joan Crawford and am anxious to read everyone's contributions to the blogathon. Please visit Crystal's fine blog, In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood.
Watch the Trailer for Sudden Fear
Sudden Fear (1952) is a beautifully crafted film noir thriller. Joan Crawford turns in one of the most emotionally charged performances of her career as a playwright who must use her plotting skills to save her own life. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Actress (Joan Crawford), Best Supporting Actor (Jack Palance), Best Cinematography (b/w) (Charles Lang), and Best Costume Design (b/w) (Sheila O'Brien). Sudden Fear is an unbeatable combination of lush melodrama and drop-dead suspense.
Production Company: Joseph Kaufman Productions, Inc. and RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. Producer: Joseph Kaufman Distribution Company: RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. Director: David Miller Writers: Lenore Coffee and Robert Smith - Based on the novel Sudden Fear by Edna Sherry (New York, 1948). Cinematographer: Charles B. Lang, Jr. Art Director: Boris Leven Film Editor: Leon Barsha Costumes: Sheila O'Brien(Miss Crawford's gowns designed by), Al Teitelbaum (Miss Crawford's furs designed by), Tula (Miss Crawford's lingerie and hostess gowns by), Rex, Inc. (Miss Crawford's hats by), Ruser (Miss Crawford's jewels by) Music: Elmer Bernstein Makeup: Edwin Allen (Makeup for Miss Crawford) Release Date: August 7, 1952 Production Dates: Late January to late March 1952 at Republic Studios Duration (in minutes): 110 Color: Black and white Sound: Mono (RCA Sound System)
David Miller was an American film director who directed such varied films as Billy the Kid (1941) with Robert Taylor and Brian Donlevy, Flying Tigers (1943) with John Wayne, Love Happy (1949) with the Marx Brothers, Sudden Fear (1952) with Joan Crawford, Midnight Lace (1960) with Doris Day, Back Street (1961) with Susan Hayward, Lonely Are the Brave (1962) with Kirk Douglas, and the psychodrama Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) with Gregory Peck. Extraordinarily adaptable, he had an easygoing temperament and an ability to get along with anyone he was working with.
Lenore Coffee was an American screenwriter, playwright and novelist. She was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Street of Chance (1930) and Four Daughters (1938).
Of the studio system she is quoted as saying:
"They pick your brains, break your heart, ruin your digestion—and what do you get for it? Nothing but a lousy fortune."
Charles B. Lang, Jr. was an American cinematographer. He received a total of 18 Oscar nominations, tying with Leon Shamroy for the most Academy Award for Best Cinematography nominations ever. Lang won for A Farewell to Arms (1932). He was nominated for Sudden Fear (1952). Actress Katherine Kelly Lang is his granddaughter.
Boris Leven was a Moscow-born Academy Award-winning art director and production designer whose Hollywood career spanned fifty-three years. He was nominated for an Oscar nine times. He won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color for West Side Story (1961). For Giant (1956), he constructed the Victorian home that sits isolated in a wide expanse of open field, which became an iconic image for the film.
Sheila O'Brien was an American costume designer. She began her career as a seamstress for Paramount Pictures but transferred to the costume department of MGM, coming into her own as a Hollywood costume designer in the 1950s. She was a favorite of Joan Crawford’s, dressing her in 1952's Sudden Fear, (for which O’Brien received an Oscar nomination), Johnny Guitar (1954), and Female on the Beach (1955).
Elmer Bernstein was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions. Bernstein's work was Oscar-nominated 14 times. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Music Score for Thoroughly Modern Millie. His scores for The Magnificent Seven and To Kill a Mockingbird were ranked by the American Film Institute as the eighth and seventeenth greatest American film scores of all time.
Edwin Allen was a favorite makeup artist of Joan Crawford. They worked together on Mildred Pierce (1945), Humoresque (1946), Flamingo Road (1949), Sudden Fear (1952), General Electric Theater (1953 TV Series) - Episode: "The Road to Edinburgh" (1954), and Della (1964).
Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur) was an American film and television actress who started as a dancer and stage chorine. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Crawford tenth on their list of the greatest female stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Mildred Pierce (1945). She was Oscar-nominated in the same category for Possessed (1947) and Sudden Fear (1952). Crawford was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama for Sudden Fear (1952).
Jack Palance (born Volodymyr Palahniuk) was an American actor and singer. During half a century of film and television appearances, he was nominated for three Academy Awards, all for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1992 for his role in City Slickers (1991). His first two nominations were for 1952's Sudden Fear and 1953's Shane. He famously performed one-handed push-ups (at age 73) at the March 30, 1992 Oscars. I've always thought his razor-sharp cheekbones could cut a Kevlar cable.
Gloria Grahame (born Gloria Grahame Hallward) was an American stage, film and television actress. Often cast in film noir projects, Grahame received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Crossfire (1947), and she won this award for her work in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). Her second husband was Nicholas Ray. Her fourth husband was her former stepson. Anthony "Tony" Ray was the son of Nicholas Ray and his first wife Jean Evans.
Bruce Bennett was an American actor and Olympic silver medalist in the shot put. Born as Harold Herman Brix, he went by the name Herman Brix in the 1930s. In 1939, Brix changed his name to "Bruce Bennett" and became a member of Columbia Pictures' stock company.
Virginia Huston (born Virginia Houston) was a film actress. Signing with RKO in 1945, her first film was opposite George Raft in Nocturne. She played Robert Mitchum's girlfriend in Out of the Past (1947) and Joan Crawford's assistant in Sudden Fear (1952).
Mike "Touch" Connors (born Kreker Ohanian) is an American actor best known for playing television detective Joe Mannix in Mannix (1967-1975 on CBS). Connors' acting career spans six decades; in addition to his work on television, he has appeared in numerous films.
Sudden Fear is one of those noir gems about a love-hate relationship between a husband and wife that's doomed from the very beginning. Joan Crawford plays Myra Hudson, a successful playwright and heiress who insists that actor Lester Blaine (Jack Palance) be fired from the Broadway production of her new play because he doesn't look properly romantic. But when she takes a train back home to San Francisco, they meet again, and this time she falls head over heels in love. Before long they're married. A wedding photo in the New York City newspapers brings Blaine's old girlfriend, Irene Neves (the criminally underappreciated Gloria Grahame) back into his life and he falls under her dark spell. When Blaine and Neves plot to get Hudson's fortune, the evil scheme backfires with ironically twisted results. Blaine has no idea how much his wife truly loves him, and she has no idea how sinister he truly is. Sudden Fear is a fascinating film, with wonderful nuances and sensitive performances by the three leads. The direction is taut and heavily influenced (but successfully so) by Alfred Hitchcock; the use of sound is particularly skillful. The thriller earned Oscar nominations for Crawford and Palance as well as for its gorgeous black-and-white cinematography and natty costumes. And whether it's because she's playing opposite Palance or not, this is definitely one of Crawford's most sympathetic performances.
Did You Know?
Legend has it that Joan Crawford fought against having Jack Palance as her leading man, protesting that he was the ugliest man in Hollywood. Her producer finally prevailed by convincing her that her character had to be sympathetic—and Palance was the only actor in town who was scarier than she was.
Sudden Fear marked the first film in which Jack Palance's first name is listed as "Jack" instead of "Walter Jack." Lester Blaine was his first major film role.
According to a July 1952 Variety item, Joan Crawford and director David Miller worked on a participation basis. Modern sources note that Crawford, who had script and casting approval, chose to receive a forty percent interest in the $720,000 picture in lieu of a $200,000 salary.
Crawford originally requested Clark Gable as her co-star, according to modern sources. Miller, who thought Gable too old and well-known for the role, screened the 1950 Twentieth Century-Fox film Panic in the Streets, in which Jack Palance had a small but pivotal part, three times for Crawford, and she eventually agreed to cast him.
As the film's executive producer, Joan Crawford was heavily involved in all aspects of the production. She personally hired Lenore Coffee as the film's screenwriter, David Miller as director and suggested Elmer Bernstein as composer. She insisted on Charles Lang being hired as the film's cinematographer.
According to Jack Palance, Joan Crawford and Gloria Grahame did not get along and got into a physical altercation at one point during the filming. The fight started after Grahame sat on the edge of the set during one of Crawford's close-ups and very loudly sucked a lollipop in an attempt to anger Crawford. It worked, and Palance noted that the all-male crew watched the fight for a few moments rather curiously before stepping in to break it up.
Sudden Fear was Mike "Touch" Connors' first film.
Virginia Huston also appeared with Joan Crawford in Flamingo Road (1949).
Elmer Bernstein reused portions of his musical score the following year in Robot Monster (1953).
If you think the life of a kept woman is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy, you're wrong, wrong, wrong, peeps. Fannie Hurst made it clear in 1931.
Fannie Hurst was born in Hamilton, Ohio, grew up in St. Louis and spent her adult life in New York City. She was the author of 17 novels and more than 250 short stories, as well as plays, screenplays, memoirs, essays and articles. Her best-remembered works are those turned into films, including: The Younger Generation, Back Street, Imitation of Life, Humoresque, and Young at Heart. She was active in a variety of progressive Jewish, social justice, labor, peace and women's organizations. A lifelong philanthropist, Hurst willed her considerable estate to her alma mater Washington University and to Brandeis University.
Back Street (1931), Hurst's seventh novel, was hailed as her "magnum opus" and has been called her "best loved" work. Originally called Grand Passion, it was first published as a monthly serial in Cosmopolitan magazine. When the installments were compiled into a novel, the title changed to Back Street. Soon Hollywood came calling, and Universal Studios bought the book rights for $30,000 in 1931. Its main character, a confident, independent young Gentile woman, falls in love with a married Jewish banker and becomes his secret mistress, sacrificing her own life in the process and ultimately meeting a tragic end.
Back Street was the basis for three films of the same name in 1932, 1941, directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Margaret Sullavan and Charles Boyer, and 1961, directed by David Miller and starring Susan Hayward, John Gavin, and Vera Miles. In addition, there's a fourth film written by Frank Capra, Forbidden (1932), which liberally borrowed elements from Hurst's novel without crediting her.
Since this is a blogathon featuring the films of 1932, I'll be focusing on the first movie version of Back Street. It was directed by John M. Stahl and stars John Boles and Irene Dunne.
Watch the Opening Credits of Back Street (1932)
Production and Distribution Company: Universal Pictures Corp. Production Text: Carl Laemmle, President; A John M. Stahl Production Director: John M. Stahl Producers: Carl Laemmle, Jr. (producer), E. M. Asher (associate producer) Writers: Gladys Lehman (screenplay), Gene Fowler (screenplay), Ben Hecht (screenplay), and Lynn Starling (dialogue) - Based on the novel Back Street by Fannie Hurst (New York, 1931). Cinematographer: Karl Freund Art Director: Charles D. Hall Editor: Milton Carruth Music: James Dietrich Premiere: September 1, 1932 Release Date: December 30, 1932 Duration (in minutes): 93 Color: Black and white Sound: Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)
Carl Laemmle (born Karl Lämmle) was a pioneer in American film making and a founder of one of the original major Hollywood movie studios—Universal. Laemmle produced or was otherwise involved in over four hundred films.
Carl Laemmle, Jr. (born Julius Laemmle) was an American businessman and heir of Carl Laemmle, who had founded Universal Studios. He was head of production at the studio from 1928 to 1936.
E. M. Asher (born Ephriam Milton Asher) was the associate producer of a number of famous films, including: 1931's Dracula and Frankenstein, Back Street (1932), and Magnificent Obsession (1935). He was the father of director/producer/writer William Asher, and Betty Asher, publicist for Judy Garland and Lana Turner at M-G-M.
John Malcolm Stahl (born Jacob Morris Strelitsky) was an American film director and producer. Stahl was one of the thirty-six founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He famously directed Back Street (1932), Imitation of Life (1934), Magnificent Obsession (1935), The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), and Leave Her to Heaven (1945).
Gladys Lehman (born Gladys Collins) was an American screenwriter. Lehman was one of the founders of the Screen Writers Guild in 1933. She was also one of the founding members of the Motion Picture Relief Fund. As a screenwriter she shared an Oscar nomination with Richard Connell for Best Original Screenplay for Two Girls and a Sailor (1944).
Gene Fowler (born Eugene Devlan) was an American journalist, author and dramatist. He was a close friend of John Barrymore and W.C. Fields. A great quote by Gene Fowler: "Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead."
Ben Hecht was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist and novelist. Film historian Richard Corliss called him "the Hollywood screenwriter," someone who "personified Hollywood itself." Movie columnist Pauline Kael added that "between them, Hecht and Jules Furthman wrote most of the best American talkies." Six of his movie screenplays were nominated for Academy Awards, with two winning: Underworld (1927) and The Scoundrel (1935).
Karl W. Freund was a cinematographer and film director best known for photographing Metropolis (1927), Dracula (1931), The Good Earth (1937), Key Largo (1948), and television's I Love Lucy (1951-1957).
Charles D. Hall was a British-American art director and production designer. He was art director for many of Universal Pictures's most famous productions: The Phantom of the Opera (1925), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Invisible Man (1933), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Magnificent Obsession (1935), and the 1936 film version of Show Boat. Hall also worked on the 1929 part-talkie film version of Show Boat.
Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn) was an American film actress and singer. Dunne was nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performances in Cimarron (1931), Theodora Goes Wild (1936), The Awful Truth (1937), Love Affair (1939) and I Remember Mama (1948). According to Francis Ford Coppola's audio commentary on Bram Stoker's Dracula, Columbia used Dunne's image on the familiar logo.
John Boles was an American film actor and singer. His big break came when Radio Pictures selected him to play the leading man in their extravagant production of Rio Rita, opposite Bebe Daniels. In 1937, Boles starred alongside Barbara Stanwyck in the King Vidor classic Stella Dallas. During World War I, Boles was a U.S. spy in Germany, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
George Meeker was an American character movie and Broadway actor. Tall, handsome, wavy-haired Meeker was never in the upper echelons of Hollywood stardom; off-camera, however, he was highly regarded and much sought after—as an expert polo player.
ZaSu Pitts (born Eliza Susan Pitts) was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with the advent of sound films. The names of her father's sisters, Eliza and Susan, were purportedly the basis for the nickname "ZaSu." She later adopted the nickname professionally and legally. Pitts gave the correct pronunciation as "Zay Soo."
June Clyde (born Ina Parton) was an American actress, singer and dancer. While she had a pleasing personality and above-average dancing and singing skills, she was seldom seen to best advantage in her Hollywood films, usually playing second (or even third) fiddle.
William Bakewell, also known as Billy Bakewell, was an American actor, who achieved his greatest fame as one of the premiere juvenile performers of the late 1920s and early 1930s. In 1933, he contributed to the founding of the Screen Actors Guild, and was member 44 of the original 50. For four decades, Bakewell served on the board of Motion Picture and Television Fund.
Arletta Duncan was an American actress. She appeared in 11 films between 1931 and 1937.
Shirley Grey was an American actress. She appeared in 46 films between 1930 and 1935.
Doris Lloyd (born Hessy Doris Lloyd) was an English stage and screen actress. She appeared in over 150 films between 1925 and 1967. Her roles ranged from the sinister Russian spy Mrs. Travers in the biopic Disraeli (1929) to the meek housekeeper Mrs. Watchett in The Time Machine (1960).
Paul Weigel was a German-American actor. He appeared in 114 films between 1916 and 1945.
Jane Darwell (born Patti Woodard) was an American actress of stage, film, and television. She appeared in more than 100 motion pictures over a 50-year span. Darwell is perhaps best-remembered for her portrayal of the matriarch and leader of the Joad family in the film adaptation of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath (1940), for which she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and her role as the Bird Woman in Disney's Mary Poppins (1964).
James Donlan was an American actor. He appeared in 107 films between 1929 and 1939. His daughter was actress Yolande Donlan.
Walter Catlett was an American actor. He made a career of playing excitable, officious blowhards. Three of his most remembered roles are Morrow the Poet in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Constable Slocum in Bringing Up Baby (1938), and the Theatre Manager in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).
Robert McWade was an American stage and film actor. From 1903 to 1927, he appeared in at least 38 Broadway productions. McWade also appeared in 83 films between 1924 and 1938. His father was notable stage actor Robert McWade, Sr. and his older brother was character actor Edward McWade.
Maude Turner Gordon was an American stage and film actress. She appeared in 81 films between 1914 and 1938.
In the first film version of Back Street, which was the most faithful to the novel, the heroine was a Cincinnati minx named Ray Schmidt, whose father sold dry goods at the turn of the century. A good sport but never a bad girl, Ray kept company with traveling salesmen until one day she fell deeply in love with ambitious Walter Saxel. Walter loved her, too. But, after an agonizing mixup, he married a rich girl.
From then on it was a dog's life for Ray, who had a wonderful capacity for loyalty and love, but threw it all away on Walter. As he grew in international prominence, Ray followed him discreetly from New York to Paris. She accepted his $50 a week, lived in obscure little hotels, amused herself with china painting and brewing hot chocolate for him whenever he had time to pay her a furtive visit. Then Walter died of a stroke, and Ray was left alone, paying the ultimate price for her folly.
Back Street was considered a tad racy way back in 1932. What got everyone hot and bothered:
The main male and female characters were illicit lovers. Walter Saxel was a married man with two children and a mistress on the side. Ray Schmidt was his kept woman.
Ray asks Walter to give her a child. Obviously, their child would have been illegitimate.
When Ray is prevented from meeting Walter's mother, Ray's sister Freda is revealed to be pregnant out of wedlock.
Walter (gasp!) uses his own key to enter Ray's apartment.
The portrayal of Walter's wife as a "narrow, smug person"; and the portrayal of Walter's son as a "snob," which served to "[throw] sympathy violently to Ray's point of view."
Walter Saxel was Jewish and Ray Schmidt was not.
I ask WHY would Irene Dunne stay with John Boles? Other than good looks, he had nothing going for him. He was self-centered to the nth degree, mind-numbingly boring, and incredibly cheap. She needed to give him the gate. Gotta love this dialogue from the clip below: Ray: "You don't know how empty my life is." Walter: Rae, darling. Empty? When you have me?"
Also in the clip, Walter about has a kitten when Ray suggests they have a love child. It's no-go. Guess what? The reasons for not having a child all revolve around him. Check out Mr. Selfish.
In the 1941 version, I can understand why Margaret Sullavan would stay with Charles Boyer. There was a definite attraction there. Who wouldn't stay with Charles Boyer? It's the best adaptation of the three.
I can't be objective about Back Street '61 because watching John Gavin is one of my guilty pleasures. (Now that's a hunk of man! Makes me all hot and bothered.) The flick is worth watching for the Ross Hunter glitz alone. The clothes are great, too. Susan Hayward wearing Jean Louis.
Back Street on the Radio
"Back Street" on The Screen Guild Theater - June 21, 1943 - Charles Boyer, Martha Scott
"Back Street" on Screen Directors Playhouse - May 24, 1951 - Stars: Charles Boyer, Mercedes McCambridge - Director Robert Stevenson
Thanks to Debbie of Moon in Gemini for hosting the blogathon. Please visit Debbie's fine blog. You'll be glad you did.
Lewis "Lew" Wallace was born April 10, 1827 in Brookville, Indiana and died February 15, 1905 in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He was an American soldier, lawyer, diplomat, and author who is principally remembered for his historical novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
Wallace served in the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1847. In the Civil War he served with the Union forces and attained the rank of major general of volunteers.
In 1865 Wallace resigned from the army and returned to law practice. He held two diplomatic positions by presidential appointment. He was governor of the New Mexico Territory (1878-81), and then minister to the Ottoman Empire (1881-85).
Though Wallace also wrote poetry and a play, his literary reputation rests upon three historical novels: The Fair God (1873), a story of the Spanish conquest of Mexico; The Prince of India (1893), dealing with the Wandering Jew and the Byzantine Empire; and above all Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880), a romantic tale set in the Roman Empire during the coming of Christ. Its main character, a young Jewish patrician named Judah Ben-Hur, loses his family and freedom because of the injustice of a Roman officer but eventually triumphs through his own abilities and the intervention of Jesus.
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ was an enormous popular success. It was published by Harper and Brothers on November 12, 1880, and considered "the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century." It became a best-selling American novel, surpassing Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) in sales. Ben-Hur remained at the top of the bestseller lists until the publication of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind (1936).
It was made into a play in 1899, five films, and a television miniseries.
Ben Hur (1907 film), a one-reel silent film adaptation.
Ben-Hur (1925 film), an MGM silent film adaptation starring Ramon Novarro.
Ben-Hur (1959 film), an MGM sound film adaptation starring Charlton Heston; it won eleven Academy Awards.
Ben Hur (2003 film), an animated direct-to-video film adaptation featuring the voice of Charlton Heston.
Ben Hur (miniseries), a television miniseries that aired in 2010.
Ben-Hur (2016 film), directed by Timur Bekmambetov starring Jack Huston; it's scheduled to be released on August 19, 2016.
I'll be focusing on the 1907 one-reel, silent film version of Ben Hur in which Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, New York was used as the location for the Holy Land. At 15 minutes long, only a small portion of the story could be put on screen. The focus of the piece was the chariot race, which was filmed on a beach in New Jersey with local firemen playing the charioteers and the horses that normally pulled the fire wagons pulling the chariots.
To me, the film is a short, choppy highlights reel. It's filled with a few brief clips from the famed story by General Lew Wallace but doesn't tell a coherent story. Audiences at the time could only have enjoyed it if they were familiar with the novel.
Ben Hur (1907) was directed by Sidney Olcott and Frank O. Rose with Harry T. Morey as assistant director. The screenplay was written by Gene Gauntier. The film was produced and distributed on a reported $500 budget by the Kalem Company. It was released December 7, 1907. Herman Rottger starred as Ben Hur and William S. Hart played Messala.
Sidney Olcott was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. He was lured away from Biograph Studios by George Kleine, Samuel Long, and Frank J. Marion to work for their newly formed Kalem Company. The company was named for their initials K, L, and M.
After Olcott's success with 1907's Ben Hur, he demonstrated his creative thinking when he made Kalem Studios the first ever to travel outside the United States to film on location. He went to Ireland and made the film A Lad from Old Ireland (1910).
Gene Gauntier, born Eugenia Gauntier Liggett, was an American screenwriter and actress who was one of the pioneers of the motion picture industry. Gauntier became Kalem Company's star actress, dubbed by the studio as the "Kalem Girl," who also became their most productive screenwriter in collaboration with director Sidney Olcott on numerous film projects.
Most notably, Gauntier wrote and acted in 1912's From the Manger to the Cross. It was filmed in Palestine and was the first five-reel film. Turner Classic Movies considers it the most important silent film to deal with the life of Jesus Christ. In 1998 the film was selected for the National Film Registry of the United States Library of Congress.
Herman Rottger as Judah Ben-Hur
Herman Rottger (1881-1917) was an actor, known for Ben Hur (1907), Roughing the Cub (1913) and Love's Old Dream (1914).
William S. Hart (1864-1946) was a silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He's remembered as the foremost western star of the silent era who "imbued all of his characters with honor and integrity."
William Surrey Hart as Messala
Ben Hur (1907) is most notable as a precedent in copyright law. The movie was made without obtaining the rights to the book, the usual procedure in the industry in that era. The screenwriter, Gene Gauntier, remarked in her 1928 autobiography Blazing the Trail how the film industry at that time infringed upon everything. As a result of the production of Ben Hur, Harper and Brothers and the author's estate brought suit against Kalem Studios, the Motion Picture Patents Company, and Gauntier for copyright infringement. The United States Supreme Court ultimately ruled against the film company in 1911. Kalem Company paid Lew Wallace's estate $25,000 in damages. The Supreme Court ruling established the precedent that all motion picture production companies must first secure the film rights of any previously published work still under copyright before commissioning a screenplay based on that work.
I've been a fan of Olivia de Havilland's work for many years and have a small tribute site dedicated to her titled Olivia de Havilland ~~ One Classy Lady. From here on, I'l be referring to Olivia de Havilland as OdH.
In this piece, I'm going to focus on an OdH film that many of her fans may not have seen. Not as a Stranger (1955) is a medical drama produced and directed by Stanley Kramer. It was based on the very popular 1954 novel of the same name by Morton Thompson. Not as a Stranger is one of the first films where a human heart is seen beating during surgery.
The film featured OdH and Robert Mitchum in the lead roles, backed by a stellar supporting cast including Frank Sinatra, Gloria Grahame, Broderick Crawford, Charles Bickford, Lon Chaney, Jr., Harry Morgan, and Lee Marvin.
OdH plays the Swedish (complete with accent and blonde hair) Kristina Hedvigson Marsh, a hard-working, down-to-earth registered perioperative (surgical) nurse and oldish plain-Jane spinster.
Notice how glamorous a blonde OdH looks in the images above. The images aren't true to the character she portrays in the film. I'm sure they were publicity shots taken to sell the movie to the general public (false advertising in this case). Movie-goers don't normally rush to the box office in droves to watch nurses (except for Pam Grier in Coffy).
Also worth noting, Kristina Hedvigson Marsh (OdH) is supposed to be quite a bit older than Dr. Lucas Marsh (Robert Mitchum). OdH was born July 1, 1916 and Robert Mitchum was born August 6, 1917. They would have been 38 and 37 when the film was made in late 1954.
Another age issue causes believability problems in the film. Mitchum playing a medical student at 37 is a stretch. Worse yet, Frank Sinatra was nearly 39 when he portrayed medical student Alfred Boone. OdH playing a seasoned surgical nurse at 38 is age-appropriate and credible.
A true testament to her talent, the beautiful OdH was Oscar-nominated and won an Oscar for portraying plain women: Melanie Hamilton Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and Catherine Sloper in The Heiress.
OdH and Robert Mitchum prepared for their roles by attending eight operations and are very convincing as surgeon and surgical nurse. Broderick Crawford attended an autopsy for his autopsy scene and promptly threw up.
I have to give a nod to the fabulous Stanley Kramer. Not as a Stranger marked Kramer's directorial debut. He was an American independent film producer and director who created unconventional, socially conscious works on a variety of issues not usually addressed in mainstream Hollywood fare. The first of his notable “message” pictures was The Defiant Ones (1958). Kramer's collected body of films received many awards, including 16 Academy Awards and 80 nominations, and he was nominated nine times as either producer or director.
I'd like to call attention to Not as a Stranger's cinematographer Franz Planer. He shot over 130 movies, including Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) plus the color films The Big Country (1958) and Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Planer worked with Stanley Kramer on seven films: Champion (1949), Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), Death of a Salesman (1951), The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953), The Caine Mutiny (1954), Not as a Stranger (1955), and The Pride and the Passion (1957).
Not as a Stranger's editor Frederic Knudtson worked with Stanley Kramer eight times. Knudtson's productive association with Kramer began in 1955 and yielded his greatest work. The eight films are: Not as a Stranger (1955), The Pride and the Passion (1957), The Defiant Ones (1958), On the Beach (1959), Inherit the Wind (1960), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Pressure Point (1962), and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).
Olivia de Havilland as Kristina Hedvigson Marsh, Robert Mitchum as Dr. Lucas Marsh
Frank Sinatra as Dr. Alfred Boone, Gloria Grahame as Harriet Lang
Broderick Crawford as Dr. Aarons, Charles Bickford as Dr. David W. Runkleman
Here's a bit of star trivia for you. Odh's cousin was Sir Geoffrey de Havilland. He was a British aviation pioneer and aircraft engineer. His Mosquito has been considered the most versatile warplane ever built.
Robert Mitchum played the saxophone and wrote poetry.
Although James Van Heusen and Buddy Kaye are credited onscreen with the song "Not as a Stranger," and it was recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1955, only the instrumental version was used in the released movie. Sinatra's recording of the song was released in 1959 on his Look to Your Heart album. Listen to it below:
Gloria Grahame, unhappy with the tilt of her upper lip, often stuffed cotton along her gumline to straighten it out. This made it difficult for her to speak.
Broderick Crawford played Lennie in the play Of Mice and Men during its Broadway run (November 23, 1937 - May 1938).
Charles Bickford was mauled by a lion while filming East of Java (1935). Please read my post about him.
Myron McCormick as Dr. Clem Snider, Lon Chaney, Jr. as Job Marsh
Jesse White as Ben Cosgrove, Harry Morgan as Oley
Lee Marvin as Brundage, Virginia Christine as Bruni
Here's some more star trivia for you. Myron McCormick won a Tony Award in 1950 for his portrayal of sailor Luther Billis (the dude in the coconut bra) in South Pacific.
Lon Chaney, Jr.'s real name was Creighton Tull Chaney.
Jesse White starred in TV commercials as the Maytag repairman.
Harry Morgan played Officer Bill Gannon, Joe Friday's partner in the revived version of Dragnet (1967–1970). He also played Colonel Sherman T. Potter on TV's M*A*S*H.
Lee Marvin is interred at Arlington National Cemetery where his headstone reads: "Lee Marvin, PFC, US Marine Corps, World War II."
Virginia Christine is particularly remembered as "Mrs. Olson" (or the "Folgers Coffee Woman") in a number of television commercials for Folgers.
Medical student Lucas Marsh (Robert Mitchum) has one, burning passionate desire in life. He wants to be a doctor. Unable to fund his studies himself, he woos the warm, supportive nurse Kristina (OdH), who has the financial resources he needs for him to realize his dreams. But his strong belief that a physician should be perfect has turned him into a demanding idealist. To him, anyone who deals in human life must be infallible. So, as Lucas completes his training, marries Kristina, and moves to a small town, where Lucas works as an assistant to Dr. Runkleman (Charles Bickford), his relentless perfectionism continues to alienate the people closest to him. Then a fatal mistake forces Lucas to decide who serves the patient best; an unerring machine, or a human being doing the best job he can?
Morton Thompson died a few weeks before the publication of his novel. A Variety news item of February 3, 1954 revealed that producer Stanley Kramer made a pre-publication deal to purchase the screen rights in early December 1953 for $75,000. The novel subsequently became a bestseller.
On February 17, 1954, the Los Angeles Times reported that Stanley Kramer wanted Montgomery Clift for the role of "Lucas Marsh" and Ingrid Bergman for "Kristina Hedvigson."
According to a May 20, 1954 Hollywood Reporter news item, Kramer followed the "same book-plugging campaign used on The Caine Mutiny" by visiting book editors in large cities and making personal appearances at bookstores in order to publicize the novel and create a larger audience for the film.
According to a September 8, 1954 Hollywood Reporter news item, Dmitri Tiomkin was originally set to write and direct the film's music score but dropped out due to "conflicting commitments."
Buildings on the UCLA campus served as exteriors for the medical school. A November 5, 1954 Hollywood Reporter news item added Whitman Air Field in the San Fernando Valley as another shooting location.
On March 10, 1955, Hollywood Reporter reported that "the biggest ad, publicity and exploitation budget in United Artists' history"—at least $1,000,000—was to be spent publicizing the picture. Other Hollywood Reporter news items noted that a special five-minute trailer, featuring Kramer explaining the film's story and how the cast was selected, and showing clips of the stars' makeup tests and performances, was to be shown on television and in movie theaters.
The film's West Coast premiere, held on June 28, 1955 in Los Angeles, raised over $30,000 for the new Mt. Sinai Hospital.
Not as a Stranger received an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Recording (Watson Jones). Frank Sinatra was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor, and Charles Bickford won that year's National Board of Review award for Best Supporting Actor.
There's a scene in the film that always makes me giggle. Dr. Lucas Marsh (Mitchum) has a brief affair with sexy widow and horse breeder Harriet Lang (Gloria Grahame). Check out their symbolism-laden tryst in the horse barn! They're playin' horsey!
As an old-school, cap-wearing registered nurse, I love this photo!
She looks like a nurse.
Watch OdH's Powerful Scene in Not as a Stranger
Kris is mad as hell (and with good reason). It was high time she told off her unfeeling husband. To see what happens after the big scene, watch Not as a Stranger below.
I've always enjoyed the film, radio and television work of Olivia de Havilland. My small tribute site at meredy.com, Olivia de Havilland ~~ One Classy Lady, has been around for many years. For OTR (Old Time Radio) fans, please check out the end of the post which is dedicated to Miss de Havilland's radio performances.
I'm so glad Turner Classic Movies is celebrating her centenary and career by choosing her to be the Star of the Month for July 2016. Her films will be featured every Friday evening and early Saturday morning (EDT).
8:00 p.m. Raffles (1939) BW - 1h 12m
A suave thief (David Niven) falls in love again with his high school sweetheart (Olivia de Havilland) and finds temptation and a detective on his trail while visiting her family.
Ernest William Hornung wrote the A. J. Raffles series of short stories about a gentleman thief in late 19th-century London. John Van Druten and Sidney Howard adapted the film's screenplay from Hornung's tales.
Director: Sam Wood
Cast: David Niven, Olivia de Havilland, Dame May Whitty, Dudley Digges, Douglas Walton, E. E. Clive, Lionel Pape, Peter Godfrey, Margaret Seddon, Leyland Hodgson.
9:15 p.m. Gone with the Wind (1939) Color - 3h 58m
Epic Civil War drama focuses on the life of petulant southern belle Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh). Starting with her idyllic on a sprawling plantation, the film traces her survival through the tragic history of the South during the Civil War and Reconstruction, and her tangled love affairs with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable).
Olivia de Havilland was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Melanie Hamilton Wilkes. She lost to Hattie McDaniel for her portrayal of Mammy.
Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood
Cast: Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Hattie McDaniel, many more.
1:15 a.m. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) Color - 1h 42m
When King Richard the Lionheart is captured, his scheming brother Prince John (Claude Rains) plots to reach the throne, to the outrage of Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn), the bandit king of Sherwood Forest. Rounding up his band of men and eventually winning the support of the lovely Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland), Robin accuses Prince John of treachery and, when the escaped Richard returns covertly to England, joins forces with the king to prevent Prince John from taking the crown.
This was the third film to pair Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland (after Captain Blood and The Charge of the Light Brigade). They would ultimately star together in eight films: Four's a Crowd (1938), The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), Dodge City (1939), Santa Fe Trail (1940), and They Died with Their Boots On (1941). They also appeared in Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943). All the films are being shown on TCM in July 2016.
Directors: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette, Alan Hale, Sr., Herbert Mundin, Melville Cooper, Una O'Connor, Ian Hunter, Montagu Love, many more.
3:15 a.m. The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) Color - 1h 46m
Queen Elizabeth (Bette Davis) secretly loves the ambitious and courageous Earl of Essex (Errol Flynn), but at the same time she distrusts his desire for power, fearing he will exploit his political influence to her detriment. Though Essex's popularity soars when he returns victorious from a military campaign in Spain, Elizabeth instead chides him for prosecuting an unprofitable war. While the lovers quarrel, Sir Walter Raleigh (Vincent Price) schemes to bring about the downfall of Essex.
The original play, Maxwell Anderson's Elizabeth the Queen, was produced on Broadway in 1930 as a vehicle for Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt.
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Crisp, Alan Hale, Sr., Henry Daniell, Vincent Price, Henry Stephenson, James Stephenson, Nanette Fabray, Ralph Forbes, Robert Warwick, Leo G. Carroll.
5:15 a.m. Captain Blood (1935) BW - 1h 59m
In England in the 1600s, Dr. Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) treats the wounds of a man who had been injured in a rebellion against King James II, for which he is convicted of treason and sold into slavery in the Caribbean colony of Port Royal, Jamaica. Despite the kindnesses of his new owner, Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland), Blood and his fellow slaves escape to begin a life of high-seas piracy. But when Captain Blood crosses paths with Arabella again years later, he remembers her compassion.
The film is based on the 1922 novel Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini and features a stirring musical score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Lionel Atwill, Basil Rathbone, Ross Alexander, Guy Kibbee, Henry Stephenson, many more.
7:30 a.m. Anthony Adverse (1936) BW - 2h 21m
Based on the novel by Hervey Allen, this expansive drama follows the many adventures of the eponymous hero (Fredric March). Abandoned at a convent by the heartless Don Luis (Claude Rains), Anthony is later mentored by his kind grandfather, John Bonnyfeather (Edmund Gwenn), and falls for the beautiful Angela Giuseppe (Olivia de Havilland). When circumstances separate Anthony and Angela and he embarks on a long journey, he must find his way back to her, no matter what the cost.
The film won four Academy Awards. Gale Sondergaard won the first Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Gaetano Gaudio won for Best Cinematography and Ralph Dawson for Best Film Editing. Best Music (Scoring) was won by the Warner Bros. Studio Music Department, Leo Forbstein, head of department (Score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold).
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Cast: Fredric March, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Woods, Anita Louise, Edmund Gwenn, Claude Rains, Louis Hayward, Gale Sondergaard, Akim Tamiroff, Ralph Morgan, Henry O'Neill, Pedro de Cordoba, Alma Lloyd.
10:00 a.m. The Irish in Us (1935) BW - 1h 24m
Like any brothers, Danny (James Cagney) and Pat (Pat O'Brien) have had their share of differences. But the sibling rivalry gets pumped up to the next level when lovely Lucille (Olivia de Havilland) comes between them. Pat, a police officer, is planning on marrying Lucille, but only if he can trust Danny to take over the financial support of their mother. But when Danny instead risks it all to be a boxing promoter, and starts romancing Pat's girl, the gloves finally come off.
A modern source notes that publicity for this film focused on the fact that James Cagney did his own boxing.
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Cast: James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Olivia de Havilland, Frank McHugh, Allen Jenkins, Mary Gordon, J. Farrell MacDonald, Thomas E. Jackson.
11:30 a.m. Alibi Ike (1935) BW - 1h 12m
With his job on the line, Chicago Cubs manager Cap (William Frawley) needs to turn around his lackluster team fast—especially since nothing less than the pennant will keep him employed. Fortunately for Cap, rookie pitcher Frank "Ike" Farrell (Joe E. Brown) has just the talent to pull up the fledgling team. However, Ike always has an excuse or a lie handy for every problem—and the real trouble comes when a group of gamblers look to fix the Cubs' games, and Ike is their main target.
Popular major league baseball players make cameo appearances, including Guy Cantrell, Dick Cox, Cedric Durst, Mike Gazella, Wally Hood, Don Hurst, Smead Jolley, Lou Koupal, Bob Meusel, Wally Rehg, and Jim Thorpe.
Director: Ray Enright
Cast: Joe E. Brown, Olivia de Havilland, William Frawley, Ruth Donnelly, Roscoe Karns, Eddie Shubert, Paul Harvey, Joe King, G. Pat Collins, Spencer Charters, Gene Morgan.
The screenplay by Howard Koch was based on the 1942 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by Ellen Glasgow.
Director: John Huston
Cast: Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, George Brent, Dennis Morgan, Frank Craven, Billie Burke, Charles Coburn, Ernest Anderson, Hattie McDaniel, Lee Patrick, Mary Servoss, Charlotte Fitzroy, William B. Davidson, Edward Fielding, John Hamilton, William Forrest.
9:45 p.m. They Died with Their Boots On (1941) BW - 2h 20m
George Armstrong Custer (Errol Flynn) is a rebellious but ambitious soldier, eager to join the Civil War. During the war, Custer has numerous successes to his credit, even though he disobeys orders. After the war concludes, he marries Libby Bacon (Olivia de Havilland) and is assigned to the Dakota Territory. Custer negotiates honestly with the Sioux on land, but due to corruption from others, a battle with Sitting Bull's forces occurs at Little Big Horn.
Louis Zamperini, Olympic athlete and subject of Unbroken, was an extra in this film just before being drafted into the United States Armed Forces during World War II.
Director: Raoul Walsh
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Arthur Kennedy, Charley Grapewin, Gene Lockhart, Anthony Quinn, George P. Huntley, Jr., Stanley Ridges, John Litel, Walter Hampden, Sydney Greenstreet, Regis Toomey, Hattie McDaniel, Minor Watson, Joseph Crehan.
12:15 a.m. Santa Fe Trail (1940) BW - 1h 50m
After graduating from West Point, James Ewell Brown (J. E. B. - Jeb) Stuart (Errol Flynn) and George Custer (Ronald Reagan) are both stationed to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Once there, they find that the violent abolitionist John Brown (Raymond Massey) has laid waste to the state, killing anyone who gets in the way of his anti-slavery crusade. While the duo must work together to battle the murderous revolutionary, they also come to blows over their competing love for Kit Carson Holliday (Olivia de Havilland).
The film entered the public domain in 1968 when the copyright wasn't renewed by then-owner United Artists Television.
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Raymond Massey, Ronald Reagan, Alan Hale, William Lundigan, Van Heflin, Gene Reynolds, Henry O'Neill, Guinn Williams, Alan Baxter, Moroni Olsen, Erville Alderson.
2:15 a.m. Dodge City (1939) Color - 1h 44m
In 1872, Dodge City, Kansas is the epicenter of cattle drives and lawlessness. Run by Jeff Surrett (Bruce Cabot), Dodge City isn't safe for anyone or anything. When Wade Hatton (Errol Flynn) arrives for a cattle drive, he's moved by the violent death of a young boy to take up the post of sheriff and take back the town from Surrett and his cohorts. But first he must contend with the rowdy townsfolk who, having been so long without law, desire to take the law into their own hands.
Filmed in early Technicolor, it was one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Ann Sheridan, Bruce Cabot, Alan Hale, Victor Jory, Frank McHugh, John Litel, Henry Travers, Henry O'Neill, William Lundigan, Guinn Williams, Bobs Watson, Gloria Holden, Douglas Fowley, Ward Bond, Clem Bevans.
4:15 a.m. The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) BW - 1h 55m
For the filming of the climactic charge, 125 horses were trip-wired. Of those, 25 were killed outright or had to be put down afterward. Some sources claim the figure is higher. Errol Flynn, an accomplished horseman, was outraged. The numerous animal deaths forced Congress to look at animal abuse in film for the first time. Flynn later asserted in his autobiography that it was he who complained to the ASPCA.
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Patric Knowles, Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, David Niven, C. Henry Gordon, George P. Huntley, Jr., Robert Barrat, Spring Byington, E. E. Clive, J. Carrol Naish.
6:15 a.m. It's Love I'm After (1937) BW - 1h 30m
Despite constant bickering on and off stage, Shakespearean actors Basil Underwood (Leslie Howard) and Joyce Arden (Bette Davis) intend to marry after their closing performance in Romeo and Juliet. But following the show, debutante Marcia West (Olivia de Havilland), smitten by Basil's interpretation of Romeo, visits backstage to declare him the perfect man for her. Basil is initially flattered by her attentions, which enrages Joyce—until they both find Marcia more than they can handle.
The screenplay allows Leslie Howard to draw on his classical background by having his character quote lines from Macbeth, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, and Romeo and Juliet.
Director: Archie Mayo
Cast: Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Eric Blore, Patric Knowles, George Barbier, Spring Byington, Bonita Granville, Valerie Bergere, E. E. Clive, Irving Bacon.
The film is based on the play Ladies and Gentlemen by Ernest Vajda.
Director: James Whale
Cast: Brian Aherne, Olivia de Havilland, Edward Everett Horton, Melville Cooper, Lionel Atwill, Luis Alberni, Lana Turner (bit part), Marie Wilson.
9:45 a.m. Call It a Day (1937) BW - 1h 30m
An actress, a bachelor and an artist flirt with an Englishman (Ian Hunter), his wife (Frieda Inescort) and their daughter (Olivia de Havilland).
The film is based on the 1935 play Call It a Day by Dodie Smith, known best for her novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians (1956).
Director: Archie Mayo
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Ian Hunter, Anita Louise, Alice Brady, Roland Young, Frieda Inescort, Bonita Granville, Peggy Wood, Marcia Ralston, Walter Woolf King, Peter Willes, Una O'Connor, Beryl Mercer.
8:00 p.m. The Snake Pit (1948) BW - 1h 48m
In this psychological drama, Virginia Cunningham (Olivia de Havilland) is confused upon finding herself in a mental hospital, with no memory of her arrival at the institution. Tormented by delusions and unable to even recognize her husband, Robert (Mark Stevens), she is treated by Dr. Mark Kik (Leo Genn), who is determined to get to the root of her mental illness. As her treatment progresses, flashbacks depict events in Virginia's life that may have contributed to her instability.
Olivia de Havilland was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Jane Wyman won for Johnny Belinda.
The film led to changes in the conditions of mental institutions in the United States. In 1949, Herb Stein of Daily Variety wrote "Wisconsin is the seventh state to institute reforms in its mental hospitals as a result of The Snake Pit.
Director: Anatole Litvak
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Glenn Langan, Helen Craig, Leif Erickson, Beulah Bondi, Lee Patrick, Howard Freeman, Natalie Schafer, Ruth Donnelly, Katherine Locke, Celia Lovsky, Frank Conroy, Minna Gombell, Betsy Blair.
10:00 p.m. The Heiress (1949) BW - 1h 56m
Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Havilland), a young woman who stands to inherit her father's large fortune, falls in love when she meets Morris (Montgomery Clift), who gives her the love and affection her father doesn't, and which she desperately needs. Catherine's father (Ralph Richardson), believing Morris is only after the money, tells Catherine she will be disinherited if she marries him. Morris' true intentions are put to the test when he finds out about the amended will.
After seeing The Heiress on Broadway, Olivia de Havilland approached William Wyler about directing her in a screen adaptation of the play. She won her second Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Catherine.
The film was written by Augustus and Ruth Goetz, adapted from their 1947 play The Heiress. The play was suggested by the 1880 novel Washington Square by Henry James.
The Broadway cast: Wendy Hiller as Catherine Sloper, Basil Rathbone as Dr. Austin Sloper, Peter Cookson as Morris Townsend, and Patricia Collinge as Lavinia Penniman.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins, Vanessa Brown, Betty Linley, Ray Collins, Mona Freeman, Selena Royle, Paul Lees, Harry Antrim, Russ Conway, David Thursby.
12:15 a.m. To Each His Own (1946) BW - 2h 2m
During a night watch in London, middle-aged American Jody Norris (Olivia de Havilland) meets the brisk but kind Lord Desham (Roland Culver). Later, Jody recalls her youth when she fell in love with a pilot and bore his illegitimate child after his death in the war. Jody tried to arrange to adopt her own child, but the boy ended up with her best friend, and Jody's efforts to regain custody were fruitless. Years later, when Jody's son arrives in London as an American pilot, Desham provides help.
This was Olivia de Havilland's first film role in three years. She was suspended by Warner Brothers when she filed suit against the studio on August 23, 1943, and was officially fired by the studio after she won her suit by unanimous decision on December 8, 1944. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Josephine "Jody" Norris.
Director: Mitchell Leisen
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Mary Anderson, Roland Culver, John Lund, Phillip Terry, Bill Goodwin, Virginia Welles, Victoria Horne, Griff Barnett.
2:30 a.m. Devotion (1946) BW - 1h 47m
As sisters Emily (Ida Lupino), Charlotte (Olivia de Havilland) and Anne Brontë (Nancy Coleman) all work on their novels, they each face their own series of tragedies. Both Charlotte and Anne fall in love with handsome Arthur Nicholls (Paul Henreid), and Emily struggles to keep their troubled brother, Branwell (Arthur Kennedy), away from the bottle so he can focus on his painting. While happiness eludes them, all three sisters use their personal heartache as inspiration for their writing.
Devotion was filmed between November 11, 1942 and mid-February 1943, but its screening was delayed until April 5, 1946 at the Strand Theater in Manhattan, due to a lawsuit by Olivia de Havilland against Warner Brothers. De Havilland successfully sued her studio to terminate her contract without providing the studio an extra six months to make up for her time on suspension. It proved a landmark case for the industry.
Director: Curtis Bernhardt
Cast: Ida Lupino, Paul Henreid, Olivia de Havilland, Sydney Greenstreet, Nancy Coleman, Arthur Kennedy, Dame May Whitty, Victor Francen, Montagu Love, Ethel Griffies, Edmund Breon, Odette Myrtil, Doris Lloyd, Marie De Becker, Eily Malyon.
4:30 a.m. Wings of the Navy (1939) BW - 1h 29m
Two brothers (George Brent, John Payne) train as Navy pilots, go to Honolulu and romance the same girl (Olivia de Havilland).
Wings of the Navy was filmed on location at the Naval Air Station on North Island in San Diego, California, and the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida and was dedicated to the U.S. Naval Aviation Service.
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Cast: George Brent, Olivia de Havilland, John Payne, Frank McHugh, John Litel, Victor Jory, Henry O'Neill, John Ridgely, Regis Toomey, Jonathan Hale, Pierre Watkin.
6:15 a.m. Hard to Get (1938) BW - 1h 22m
Maggie Richards (Olivia de Havilland) is a spoiled brat who, having forgotten her purse, thinks she can buy gas simply by mentioning her wealthy father (Charles Winninger). But gas station employee Bill Davis (Dick Powell) isn't having it, and makes her work to pay off her debt at the pump. Determined to get revenge, Maggie deceives Bill into thinking that her father might help finance Bill's dream of building a motel, knowing full well that he will get thrown out on his ear.
"You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" (Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer) played during the opening and closing credits, sung by Dick Powell.
"Sonny Boy" (Ray Henderson, Buddy G. DeSylva, and Lew Brown) played by the band at Atwater's and sung by Dick Powell in blackface. (I detest blackface performances.)
Director: Ray Enright
Cast: Dick Powell, Olivia de Havilland, Charles Winninger, Allen Jenkins, Bonita Granville, Melville Cooper, Isabel Jeans, Grady Sutton, Thurston Hall, John Ridgely, Penny Singleton, Granville Bates, Jack Mower.
7:45 a.m. Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) Color - 1h 34m
Mining expert Jared Whitney (George Brent) is courting Serena (Olivia de Havilland), but her father, farmer Col. Ferris (Claude Rains), views Jared as a symbol of the new mining techniques that damage the land and disapproves of him. As Jared goes to work for a devious mining company run by rival members of the Ferris family, Serena begins to sour on him. But when Jared learns that his employer's recklessness led to a man's death, he sees why the elder Ferris resists some new mining companies.
The film is lifted out of the ordinary by its early use of the newly perfected 3-strip Technicolor process, its big-budget director and cast, and its musical score by Max Steiner.
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: George Brent, Olivia de Havilland, Claude Rains, Margaret Lindsay, John Litel, Marcia Ralston, Barton MacLane, Tim Holt, Sidney Toler, Henry O'Neill, Willie Best, Robert McWade, George Hayes, Russell Simpson, Harry Davenport, Clarence Kolb, Moroni Olsen, Walter Rodgers.
In this classic screen adaptation of Shakespeare's fantastical play, the royal wedding plans of Theseus, the duke of Athens (Ian Hunter) and Hippolyta overlap with the antics of forest fairies, led by Oberon and Titania, and a ragtag troupe of actors. Meanwhile, young lovers, including Lysander (Dick Powell) and Hermia (Olivia de Havilland), deceive each other in amusing ways, and magic adds a mischievous element to this enchanted romantic comedy.
Olivia de Havilland originally played the role of Hermia in Max Reinhardt's Hollywood Bowl stage production of the play. Although the cast of the stage play was mostly replaced by Warner Brothers contract players, de Havilland and Mickey Rooney were chosen to reprise their original roles.
Directors: Max Reinhardt, William Dieterle
Cast: Ian Hunter, Verree Teasdale, Hobart Cavanaugh, Dick Powell, Ross Alexander, Olivia de Havilland, Jean Muir, Grant Mitchell, Frank McHugh, Dewey Robinson, James Cagney, Joe E. Brown, Hugh Herbert, Otis Harlan, Arthur Treacher, Victor Jory, Anita Louise, Nini Theilade, Mickey Rooney, Katherine Frey, Helen Westcott, Fred Sale, Billy Barty.
8:00 p.m. My Cousin Rachel (1952) BW - 1h 38m
When Philip Ashley's (Richard Burton) wealthy cousin, Ambrose (John Sutton), dies suddenly, his suspicions drift to Ambrose's new and icy wife, Rachel (Olivia de Havilland), who stands to benefit greatly from his cousin's death. When Ashley is introduced to Rachel at Ambrose's funeral, however, his fears are immediately laid to rest: how could such a beautiful young woman possibly be a murderer? But when the estate is left to Ashley, he begins to fear for his life.
The film received four Academy Award nominations: Best Art Direction, Black and White (Lyle Wheeler, John DeCuir, Walter M. Scott), Best Cinematography, Black and White (Joseph LaShelle), Best Costume Design, Black and White (Charles LeMaire, Dorothy Jeakins), Best Supporting Actor (Richard Burton).
Richard Burton won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male. Olivia de Havilland was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
Director: Henry Koster
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Richard Burton, Audrey Dalton, Ronald Squire, George Dolenz, John Sutton, Tudor Owen, J. M. Kerrigan, Margaret Brewster, Alma Lawton, Ola Lorraine, Kathleen Mason, Earl Robie, Argentina Brunetti, Mario Siletti.
9:45 p.m. The Proud Rebel (1958) Color - 1h 43m
Confederate veteran John Chandler (Alan Ladd) returns from defeat in war to find his home razed, his wife dead and his young son, David (David Ladd), traumatized and rendered mute. Desperate to cure the boy, Chandler takes David to a small town in Illinois where he hopes to find a doctor. But, soon after the pair arrives, Chandler finds himself framed for assault—and forced to choose between serving hard time and working for struggling local farmer Linnett Moore (Olivia de Havilland).
The film was based on a 1947 short story by James Edward Grant. Grant famously collaborated with John Wayne on twelve projects.
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Alan Ladd, Olivia de Havilland, Dean Jagger, David Ladd, Cecil Kellaway, Harry Dean Stanton, Tom Pittman, Henry Hull, Eli Mintz, John Carradine, James Westerfield, Percy Helton, Dan White, Mary Wickes, King as Lance, David's dog.
11:45 p.m. The Ambassador's Daughter (1956) Color - 1h 43m
Senator Cartwright (Adolphe Menjou) and his wife (Myrna Loy) arrive in Paris as the guests of Ambassador Fiske (Edward Arnold). Cartwright has a plan to restrict the city from American soldiers on leave due to their boorish behavior. Fiske's daughter, Joan (Olivia de Havilland), tries to prove that Cartwright is wrong about the soldiers by going on a date with one named Danny (John Forsythe). Although Joan does not reveal her plan, Danny acts like a gentleman, and she starts to fall for him.
Christian Dior was the film's costume designer. It was prominent character actor Minor Watson's last film.
Director: Norman Krasna
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, John Forsythe, Myrna Loy, Adolphe Menjou, Tommy Noonan, Francis Lederer, Edward Arnold, Minor Watson.
1:45 a.m. Hold Back the Dawn (1941) BW - 1h 56m
Impressionable teacher Emmy (Olivia de Havilland) is swept off her feet when she meets Georges (Charles Boyer) in a Mexican border town. Unaware that Georges is a gigolo looking for a woman who will unwittingly help him get a green card, Emmy marries him after only a few days. While carrying out the charade, Georges begins to fall for Emmy, angering his girlfriend, Anita (Paulette Goddard). As his scheme is jeopardized, Georges learns keeping Emmy may be more important than his green card.
The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Olivia de Havilland), Best Adapted Screenplay (Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder), Best Art Direction, Black and White (Hans Dreier, Robert Usher, Sam Comer), Best Cinematography, Black and White (Leo Tover), and Best Score of a Dramatic Picture (Victor Young).
Public attention was focused on the Best Actress race between sibling rivals Joan Fontaine in Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion and Olivia de Havilland for Hold Back the Dawn. Fontaine’s victory was the only time an actress won for a performance in an Alfred Hitchcock film.
Director: Mitchell Leisen
Cast: Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland, Paulette Goddard, Victor Francen, Walter Abel, Curt Bois, Rosemary DeCamp, Eric Feldary, Nestor Paiva, Eva Puig, Micheline Cheirel, Madeleine LeBeau, Billy Lee, Mikhail Rasumny, Charles Arnt, Arthur Loft, Mitchell Leisen, Kitty Kelly.
4:00 a.m. The Strawberry Blonde (1941) BW - 1h 37m
At the turn of the century, dentist Biff Grimes (James Cagney) recalls his association with politician Hugo Barnstead (Jack Carson). The men meet over their romantic rivalry for striking strawberry blonde Virginia Brush (Rita Hayworth). Despite Biff's efforts, Virginia pushes her friend, nurse and women's rights advocate Amy Lind (Olivia de Havilland), on him and elopes with Hugo. After Biff and Amy fall in love, Biff join Hugo's firm, only to learn that his rival is still a double dealer.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture and features songs such as "The Band Played On," "Bill Bailey," "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie," and "Love Me and the World Is Mine."
Director: Raoul Walsh
Cast: James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Rita Hayworth, Alan Hale, Jack Carson, George Tobias, Una O'Connor, George Reeves, Lucile Fairbanks.
6:00 a.m. My Love Came Back (1940) BW - 1h 25m
A New York student violinist (Olivia de Havilland) falls in love with her anonymous benefactor's (Charles Winninger) business manager (Jeffrey Lynn).
The film is notable for Heinz Eric Roemheld's musical direction and Ray Heindorf's unique swing orchestral arrangements of classical pieces.
Director: Curtis Bernhardt
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie Albert, Jane Wyman, Charles Winninger, Spring Byington, Grant Mitchell, William T. Orr, Ann Gillis, S. Z. Sakall, Charles Trowbridge, Mabel Taliaferro, William B. Davidson, Nanette Vallon, Sidney Bracey.
Dr. Schlenna (S.Z. Sakall) and Farnsworth (Edward Everett Horton) are attempting to put together a wartime charity show with an ensemble of stars, but must indulge the hubris of singer Eddie Cantor (Eddie Cantor) in order to gain the participation of Dinah Shore (Dinah Shore). Meanwhile, Eddie Cantor look-alike Joe Simpson (also Cantor) drives a tour bus, taking tourists to various Hollywood locations. When the producers discover his singing talents, he offers them a solution to their problems.
The stars donated their salaries to the Hollywood Canteen, which was founded by John Garfield and Bette Davis, who appear in the film.
Director: David Butler
Cast: Eddie Cantor, Joan Leslie, Dennis Morgan, Edward Everett Horton, S.Z. Sakall.
Cameo appearances: Humphrey Bogart, Jack Carson, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Ruth Donnelly, Errol Flynn, John Garfield, Alan Hale, Sr., Mark Hellinger, Noble Johnson, Ida Lupino, Mike Mazurki, Hattie McDaniel, Ann Sheridan, Alexis Smith, Madame Sul-Te-Wan, George Tobias, Doodles Weaver, Don Wilson, Spike Jones and His City Slickers.
9:45 a.m. Four's a Crowd (1938) BW - 1h 32m
Reporter Jean Christy (Rosalind Russell) convinces publicity man Bob Lansford (Errol Flynn) to buy the failing paper she writes for from owner Pat Buckley (Patric Knowles). Initially reluctant, Bob agrees to Jean's plan when he learns Pat is engaged to Lorri Dillingwell (Olivia de Havilland), whose wealthy grandfather he hopes to snag as a client. Bob soon runs a critical story on Lorri's grandfather in a scheme to later "save" the man, making Jean wonder if she did the right thing.
The fourth film pairing of Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Warner Brothers borrowed Rosalind Russell from M-G-M for the film.
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Rosalind Russell, Patric Knowles, Walter Connolly, Hugh Herbert, Melville Cooper, Franklin Pangborn, Herman Bing, Margaret Hamilton, Joseph Crehan, Joe Cunningham, Gloria Blondell, Carole Landis.
8:00 p.m. The Fifth Musketeer (1979) Color - 1h 43m
A somewhat older D'Artagnan and company help Louis XIV's twin (Beau Bridges) swashbuckle his way to the throne.
Olivia de Havilland makes a cameo appearance as the Queen Mother. This was de Havilland's final theatrical film.
Scientist Dr. Bradford Crane (Michael Caine) and General Thaddeus Slater (Richard Widmark) join forces to fight an almost invisible enemy threatening America; killer bees that have deadly venom and attack without reason. Disaster movie-master Irwin Allen's film contains spectacular special effects, including a train crash caused by the eponymous swarm.
The film was a notorious box office bomb upon its release in 1978, barely making it two weeks in theaters.
Believe it or not, it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design (Paul Zastupnevich).
The Swarm was Fred MacMurray's final film. Wonder why?
The movie is notable for a "Scream Moan" by veteran actress Olivia de Havilland who screams a moan when she sees dead children outside her window. Watch below:
12:15 a.m. Light in the Piazza (1962) Color - 1h 42m
Meg Johnson (Olivia de Havilland) is very protective of her daughter, Clara (Yvette Mimieux), a gorgeous young woman who suffers from a mental disability. While on vacation in Italy, Clara meets the dashing Fabrizio Naccarelli (George Hamilton), who is immediately smitten with her and doesn't initially grasp the extent of her developmental handicap. Though Meg is wary of letting Clara fall into a romance with Fabrizio, she realizes that he may be able to give the girl a better life.
The film is notable for its extensive location shooting in Florence and Rome by the award-winning cinematographer Otto Heller.
Director: Guy Green
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Rossano Brazzi, Yvette Mimieux, George Hamilton, Nancy Nevinson, Isabel Dean, Moultrie Kelsall, Barry Sullivan.
2:15 a.m. Libel (1959) BW - 1h 40m
An English nobleman's (Dirk Bogarde) wife (Olivia de Havilland) has him sue a Canadian (Paul Massie) who has called him an impostor.
The film's screenplay was written by Anatole de Grunwald and Karl Tunberg from a 1935 play of the same name by Edward Wooll.
Director: Anthony Asquith
Cast: Dirk Bogarde, Olivia de Havilland, Paul Massie, Robert Morley, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Anthony Dawson, Richard Wattis, Martin Miller, Richard Dimbleby.
4:00 a.m. The Male Animal (1942) BW - 1h 41m
On the weekend of the big football game at a large Midwestern university, English professor Tommy Turner (Henry Fonda) unexpectedly gets embroiled in a free-speech controversy. When a trustee (Eugene Pallette) learns that Tommy intends to read a letter by convicted anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti in class, he threatens the professor's job. Meanwhile, Tommy's unhappy wife (Olivia de Havilland) is wooed by her visiting college boyfriend, ex-football star Joe Ferguson (Jack Carson).
The film was based on a hit 1940 Broadway play of the same name written by James Thurber and Elliott Nugent. The screenplay was written by Stephen Morehouse Avery, Julius J. Epstein, and Philip G. Epstein, based on Thurber and Nugent's play. The film was also directed by Elliott Nugent.
Cast: Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland, Joan Leslie, Jack Carson, Eugene Pallette, Herbert Anderson, Hattie McDaniel, Ivan Simpson, Don DeFore, Jean Ames, Minna Phillips, Regina Wallace, Frank Mayo, William B. Davidson, Bobby Barnes.
6:00 a.m. Government Girl (1943) BW - 1h 34m
At the height of World War II, auto engineer Ed Browne (Sonny Tufts) is called to Washington, D.C. from Detroit to head a new experimental aircraft project. A screwball misunderstanding at his hotel introduces him to brassy Smokey Allard (Olivia de Havilland), who turns out to be his new secretary. Despite her engagement to scheming Senate aide Dana McGuire (Jess Barker), Smokey and Ed fall for each other against a backdrop of corporate intrigue and wartime espionage.
Leading lady Olivia de Havilland absolutely hated the role. She had not wanted to do the picture in the first place, but was forced into it by an arrangement whereby Warner Bros. loaned her services to David O. Selznick, who turned her over to RKO.
Director: Dudley Nichols
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Sonny Tufts, Anne Shirley, Jess Barker, James Dunn, Paul Stewart, Agnes Moorehead, Harry Davenport, Una O'Connor, Sig Ruman.
7:45 a.m. Princess O'Rourke (1943) BW - 1h 34m
Princess Maria (Olivia de Havilland) and her uncle (Charles Coburn) are in Washington, D.C., where it is hoped she will meet a suitable man to marry. After a number of misfires on the romance front, Maria flies to San Francisco, sedating herself beforehand to combat her fear of flying. Still asleep when the plane sets down, Maria is taken in by the pilot, Eddie (Robert Cummings). When Maria wakes up and meets Edward, sparks fly—but her royal lineage could complicate matters.
Although conceived as a vehicle for de Havilland, Princess O'Rourke turned out to be a troubled project that led to the de Havilland Law, that changed the status of contracts in the U.S. film industry. Filmed in 1942, the release was held up for one year due to legal issues that resulted from the production.
Director: Norman Krasna
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummings, Charles Coburn, Jack Carson, Jane Wyman, Harry Davenport, Gladys Cooper, Minor Watson, Nan Wynn, Curt Bois, Julie Bishop, Ray Walker.
Olivia de Havilland on the Radio
Academy Award (Theater)
"Hold Back the Dawn" - July 31, 1946 - Olivia de Havilland, Jean Pierre Aumont
"Cheers for Miss Bishop" - November 6, 1946 - Olivia de Havilland
Lux Radio Theatre
"Saturday's Children" - October 26, 1936 - Robert Taylor, Olivia de Havilland
"Captain Blood" - February 22, 1937 - Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Donald Crisp, Henry Stephenson, Herbert Marshall
"Under Two Flags" - May 24, 1937 - Herbert Marshall, Olivia de Havilland, Lupe Velez, Lionel Atwill
"Green Light" - January 31, 1938 - Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, C. Aubrey Smith
"The Scarlet Pimpernel" - December 12, 1938 - Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland
"Vigil in the Night" - May 27, 1940 - Olivia de Havilland, Herbert Marshall
"Wings of the Navy" - October 7, 1940 - George Brent, Olivia de Havilland, John Payne
"Appointment for Love" - May 1, 1944 - Olivia de Havilland, Paul Lukas
"Suspicion" - September 18, 1944 - William Powell, Olivia de Havilland
"Tender Comrade" - January 22, 1945 - Olivia de Havilland, June Duprez, Dennis O'Keefe
"Guest Wife" - December 10, 1945 - Olivia de Havilland, Don Ameche, Dick Foran
"And Now Tomorrow" - June 10, 1946 - Olivia de Havilland, John Lund
"Cluny Brown" - January 27, 1947 - Olivia de Havilland, Charles Boyer
"The Snake Pit" - April 10, 1950 - Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn
"The Corn Is Green" - June 12, 1950 - Olivia de Havilland, Richard Basehart
"The Heiress" - September 11, 1950 - Olivia de Havilland, Louis Calhern, Van Heflin
"My Cousin Rachel" - September 7, 1953 - Olivia de Havilland, Ron Randell
Screen Directors Playhouse
"The Dark Mirror" - March 31, 1950 - Star: Olivia de Havilland Director: Robert Siodmak
The Screen Guild Theater
"Three Days March" - February 12, 1939 - Olivia de Havilland, William Bakewell, Clarence Derwent, Akim Tamiroff, Spencer Tracy
"Next Time We Live" - February 18, 1940 - James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Jeffrey Lynn
"My Love Came Back" - March 16, 1941 - Olivia de Havilland, Robert Young, Charles Winninger
"The Strawberry Blonde" - October 5, 1941 - James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Jack Carson
"The Male Animal" - December 28, 1942 - Olivia de Havilland, Joel McCrea, Jack Carson
"Remember the Day" - November 15, 1943 - Olivia de Havilland, Walter Pidgeon
"The Cowboy and the Lady" - April 29, 1946 - Olivia de Havilland, Gregory Peck, Patsy Moran
"Kitty Foyle" - March 3, 1947 - Olivia de Havilland, Henry Fonda, William Lundigan
Suspense
"Voyage Through Darkness" - September 7, 1944 - Olivia de Havilland, Reginald Gardner
