Always with an eye to the main chance Olivia de Havilland had asked Paramount to purchase the rights to the stage play by Ruth and August Goetz 'suggested' by 'Washington Square' of Henry James. The character of Catherine Sloper was simply too tasty for her to resist.
The difficulties of production have been well-documented and have indeed become part of Hollywood folklore.
There were clashes of ego, temperament, technique and interpretation between de Havilland, Montgomery Clift and Ralph Richardson all of whom were superlative artistes. Director William Wyler was highly unlikely to endure such nonsense for long and miraculously juggled these disparate talents and elements to produce not just the finest Henry James adaptation of all time but a true masterpiece of American cinema. If there is a testament to Wyler's genius then this must surely be it. The icing on the cake is supplied by the superlative Oscar winning score of Aaron Copland. De Havilland's superb performance as a woman who faces the painful realisation that she is loved neither by her father nor her suitor, won her many plaudits and quite rightly so. We owe Wyler a debt of gratitude for having transformed what could have been a disaster into a glorious triumph.
26/07/2020: Farewell Olivia de Havilland. "May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest".
The difficulties of production have been well-documented and have indeed become part of Hollywood folklore.
There were clashes of ego, temperament, technique and interpretation between de Havilland, Montgomery Clift and Ralph Richardson all of whom were superlative artistes. Director William Wyler was highly unlikely to endure such nonsense for long and miraculously juggled these disparate talents and elements to produce not just the finest Henry James adaptation of all time but a true masterpiece of American cinema. If there is a testament to Wyler's genius then this must surely be it. The icing on the cake is supplied by the superlative Oscar winning score of Aaron Copland. De Havilland's superb performance as a woman who faces the painful realisation that she is loved neither by her father nor her suitor, won her many plaudits and quite rightly so. We owe Wyler a debt of gratitude for having transformed what could have been a disaster into a glorious triumph.
26/07/2020: Farewell Olivia de Havilland. "May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest".