The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing is the true story of Evelyn Nesbit (Dame Joan Collins), a beautiful showgirl caught in a love triangle with elderly architect Stanford White (Ray Milland) an... Read allThe Girl in the Red Velvet Swing is the true story of Evelyn Nesbit (Dame Joan Collins), a beautiful showgirl caught in a love triangle with elderly architect Stanford White (Ray Milland) and eccentric young millionaire Harry K. Thaw (Farley Granger).The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing is the true story of Evelyn Nesbit (Dame Joan Collins), a beautiful showgirl caught in a love triangle with elderly architect Stanford White (Ray Milland) and eccentric young millionaire Harry K. Thaw (Farley Granger).
- Robert Collier
- (as Philip Reed)
- Stage Manager
- (as Robert Simon)
- Florence Clemens
- (uncredited)
- Driver
- (uncredited)
- Man in Audience
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMarilyn Monroe was Twentieth Century Fox's original choice for the role of Evelyn Nesbit. She turned down this movie, as well as a planned remake of Wabash Avenue (1950) titled "The Girl in Pink Tights" (which was to co-star Dan Dailey and Mitzi Gaynor). As a result, she was put on suspension. The studio also ordered screen tests for Terry Moore and Debra Paget. Sheree North was then announced as her replacement for both movies until Dame Joan Collins was eventually cast as Nesbit. "The Girl in Pink Tights" project was eventually abandoned.
- GoofsIn a restaurant scene near the beginning of the film, architect Stanford White castigates a magazine editor for not including in an article about him the Boston Public Library, which he calls "the best thing I ever did." White's partner, Charles Follen McKim designed the Boston Public Library, not White.
- Quotes
Mrs. Nesbit: I've seen more tears run down the pretty faces than the plain ones.
- ConnectionsFeatured in This Is Joan Collins (2022)
- SoundtracksStéphanie - Gavotte, Op. 312
(uncredited)
Music by Alphons Czibulka
First tune played by the chamber orchestra at Louis Sherry's restaurant
Of course the Production Code limited depiction of the more lurid elements of this story, but it was largely due to Evelyn's participation as Consultant that "Red Velvet Swing" turned out as a nearly G-rated version of a very R-rated, even X-rated, story. We see Stanford White and Evelyn presented as something like star-crossed lovers-- oh, if only he'd been younger and single! Quite a fairy tale. Still, the picture makes it pretty clear that they made whoopee; watch for White's swing hanging empty, still gently swinging...
White was a dissolute roué with a taste for Young Stuff, and didn't scruple to drug the winsome Evelyn and 'have his way' with her while she was unconscious. Yuck. Nice start to a relationship. But after all, he was such a brilliant architect that such minor foibles could be overlooked, right? Milland's Nice Guy portrayal doesn't even include any attempt at a physical resemblance; the real White sported an enormous mustache. Possibly if a 'stache was tested, it may have been concluded that it made him look too much like a melodrama villain. In the 50s screen good guys were cleanshaven, no matter how historically inaccurate that might be.
As I understand it, White's hedonist lifestyle had so run down his health that at the time Thaw killed him he may have had only about six months to live. But Harry had the satisfaction of taking him down personally. We trust that it was worth the subsequent whirlwind... At least in the movie Evelyn permitted Farley Granger to play Harry Thaw as the unstable and abusive creep he was. It's rather chilling when his mother provides a tragic back story to excuse Harry's nasty nature-- but somehow it's still hard to feel much sympathy for him.
We see White trying to do the Right Thing by little Evelyn in sending her away to school. He actually did so, but not out of any noble motivation; he was getting her away from impossibly handsome John Barrymore, with whom she was having a torrid affair.
I'm giving this six stars instead of fewer, because (despite flaws) the colorful turn of the century period re-creation is enjoyable (how about those watermelon petticoats in the cakewalk? Whew!), and it can be appreciated as a 1950s period piece as well. But it's largely fictional, and as others have mentioned is clearly overdue for a new treatment, and not just a remake. Now, who should play the principals this time around?
- AnnieLola
- Sep 20, 2022
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Das Mädchen auf der Samtschaukel
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,700,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 49 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.55 : 1