Based on the novel by Edna Farber, Giant is the story of a ranching family in Texas who endure changing times to protect their land while dealing with an ambitious ranch hand who strikes it rich with oil. Directed by George Stevens and screenplay by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat, the film is a sprawling tale of the life of a family who endure many different things including social, racial, and personal issues that would shape their fortune. Starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Carroll Baker, Jane Withers, Chill Wills, Mercedes McCambridge, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo, Rod Taylor, Elsa Cardenas, and Earl Holliman. Giant is a grand yet evocative film from George Stevens.
The film follows the life a family of ranchers in Texas from the early 1920s to the mid-1950s where a rancher marries a woman from Maryland and brings her home where she copes with her new life and her own ideals while they both deal with an ambitious ranch hand who inherits land that is filled with oil. It’s a film that is about not just ambition but also the definition of success and how a rancher is trying to maintain his own ideas and morals for many years as he also contend with changing times and fortunes. The film’s screenplay by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat is definitely sprawling in terms of the way the times are set as it begins around the early 20th Century in Maryland where Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) goes to the state to buy a new horse. He ends up returning to Texas with a new wife in Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor) who falls for Bick in their initial meeting as she adjust to her new environment as well as try to fit in with the new world.
The script does have a simple three-act structure as the first act is about Leslie in her new environment where she has to contend with Bick’s sister Luz (Mercedes McCambridge), the way things are in Texas as well as the role of women, and the racial divide between the rich, white ranchers and the poor Mexican-Americans who live near by in near-poverty. The second act is about the growth of Bick and Leslie’s family but also what Bick’s former ranch hand in Jett Rink (James Dean) would discover from land he inherits from Luz as he would become rich and later overwhelm the Benedicts with his oil empire. It’s around the same time that Bick’s morals and his ideas of what he wants would come to ahead in changes as his son Jordan II (Dennis Hopper) doesn’t want to take over the family business. The third act is about the decisions that Bick and Leslie’s children would take such as daughters Judy (Fran Bennett) and the youngest in Luz II (Carroll Baker) would take but also tragedy relating to the family and the decision Jordan II would make in marrying a Mexican-American in Juana (Elsa Cardenas).
George Stevens’ direction is definitely vast in not just the setting of the locations in Marfa, Texas but also for the length of the story that spans nearly four decades. With the scenes in Maryland shot in Virginia, the house interiors and the airport/parade scenes near Burbank, California, the film explores a world that starts off as simple with old ideas and old morals as they work no matter how imperfect they are. Stevens’ usage of wide shots are gorgeous in capturing vast depth of field that is the Benedict land with its horde of cattle which represents this old kind of empire that was the source of income for Texas. There is an intimacy in some of the close-ups and medium shots but also in how Leslie would encounter the new world she’s in as it’s very different the quaint and more colorful world of Maryland. There are moments that would foreshadow certain things including moments of tragedy and sadness but also little things that Leslie does that would shape the fortunes of the less fortunate as it showcases her grace. It is in sharp contrast to the old order that Bick stands for where he doesn’t want Leslie to be involved in conversations he’s having with other men including Uncle Bawley (Chill Wills) who adores Leslie.
The moments of foreshadowing would be prevalent towards its second act once Bick and Leslie become parents as they cope with the fact that Bick’s ideas and plans for his children don’t go as planned. Adding to the trouble is Jett and his emerging oil empire where it play into this sense of change that Bick has trouble adjusting to but also refusing to have Jett drill oil in his land. Stevens’ direction would play into these changes as the scenes of the oil wells and emergence of modern transport play into the falling fortunes of Bick and his reluctance to be part of the oil industry just to survive. Yet, it would all climax in an event that would celebrate Jett’s success as Stevens gives it a grand presentation that is quite large but there’s something about it that is off. Especially as it relates to Jett and what he’s achieved but there’s a sadness to it. Notably as it would also involve something that Bick is forced to see and come to terms with in who he is and be forced to accept. Overall, Stevens creates a riveting and enthralling film about the life of a rancher, his wife, and a ranch hand through many years in Texas.
Cinematographer William C. Mellor does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography in capturing the yellow and sunny desert look of the locations around the Benedict ranch and some of the locations in Texas well as some unique lighting in the interior scenes including the climatic scenes at the Jett hotel. Editors Phil Anderson, Fred Bohanan, and William Hornbeck do excellent work with the editing as its usage of transitional dissolves and fade-outs help play into structure of the film as well as rhythmic cuts to help intensify some of the dramatic moments. Production designer Boris Levin and set decorator Ralph S. Hurst do amazing work with the design of the Benedict home and its interiors as well as the design of the shantytowns that Benedict‘s Mexican workers live in and the hotel that Jett would open including its lavish dining hall. Costume designers Moss Mabry and Marjorie Best do fantastic work with the costumes with the design of the clothes the men wear as well as the dresses with Mabry designing the many clothes that Leslie would wear.
Makeup supervisor Gordon Bau does some fine work with some of the aging makeup in some of the characters though the way Jett looks when he‘s older is just bad as is some of the look of the Mexicans where it looks ridiculously bad. Special visual effects by Jack Cosgrove does some fine work with the minimal visual effects which are just some rear projection shots for a few scenes in the film. The sound work of Earl Crain Sr. is superb for the way some of the parties are held including some of the quieter moments at the Benedict home and the scenes during the work at the ranch and in the oil wells. The film’s music by Dimitri Timokin is wonderful for its soaring orchestral score that play into the drama with some elements of country-western music to play into the world of Texas that also include some traditional songs.
The casting by Hoyt Bowers is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Mickey Simpson as a racist diner owner, Noreen Nash as a film star, Paul Fix and Judith Evelyn as Leslie’s parents, Carolyn Craig as Leslie’s sister Lacy, Rod Taylor as Leslie’s then-beau Sir David Karfey, Maurice Jara as Dr. Guerra, Charles Watts as family friend Judge Whiteside, Earl Holliman as Judy’s husband Bob who wants a life of his own like his wife, and Sal Mineo as Angel Obregon II as a ranch hand son who is a childhood friend of the Benedict children as well as someone that Leslie is fond of as she helped him get better when he was a baby. Elsa Cardenas is wonderful as Jordy’s wife Juana who is a Mexican-American that Jordy loves as Bick would eventually become fond of late in the film. Jane Withers and Robert Nichols are terrific as Bick’s neighbors in Vashti and Pinky, respectively, as family friends who help the Benedicts cope with changes as well as try to maintain some old ideas.
Chill Wills is fantastic as Uncle Bawley as Bick’s uncle who is the family advisor as well as someone that is willing to hear what Leslie thinks as well as display a tenderness that isn’t seen very often. Fran Bennett is superb as Bick and Leslie’s eldest daughter Judy as a woman who is determined to find her own life as well as go for something that is more down-home rather than what Leslie wants from her. Mercedes McCambridge is brilliant as Bick’s sister Luz as a headstrong woman who finds herself butting heads with Leslie on who should run the house while being the business manager who is fond of Jett. Carroll Baker is excellent as Luz II as the youngest daughter of Bick and Leslie who is a typical young woman that would have a crush on Jett as she becomes confused in her loyalty towards her family. Dennis Hopper is amazing as Jordan “Jordy” Benedict II as Bick and Leslie’s son who is trying to find his own path as a doctor as well as marry a Mexican-American where he faces some prejudice as he tries to stand up for himself and defend his wife’s honor against Jett.
In his final performance, James Dean is incredible as Jett Rink as a ranch hand who would inherit land from Luz that would prove to be prosperous with his discovery of oil where Dean explores someone that was to make something of himself but there’s an emptiness that is quite sad as it show the fallacy of success. Rock Hudson is great as Jordan “Bick” Benedict II as a rancher that meets and falls for a woman from Maryland as he brings her home to Texas where he tries to show her the world that he lives in as he copes with changes of ideals and other things as well as his own immorality that he’s been carrying for so many years. Finally, there’s Elizabeth Taylor in a phenomenal performance as Leslie Benedict as Bick’s new wife who is trying to adjust to her new surroundings while maintaining her own sense of being in a world where women don’t have much say in things as it is Taylor that has this sense of command and grace into her performance while having great rapport with both Hudson and Dean.
Giant is a sensational film from George Stevens. Featuring a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, a soaring music score, and a captivating story of changing times, ambition, and ideals. It’s a film that definitely lives up to its definition of the epic while also containing a few flaws. In the end, Giant is an incredible film from George Stevens.
George Stevens Films: (The Cohens and the Kellys in Trouble) - (Kentucky Kernals) - (Bachelor Bait) - (Laddie) - (The Nitwits) - (Alice Adams) - (Annie Oakley) - Swing Time - (Quality Street) - (A Damsel in Distress (1937 film)) - (Vivacious Lady) - (Gunga Din) - (Vigil in the Night) - (Penny Serenade) - (Woman of the Year) - (The Talk of the Town (1942 film)) - (The More the Merrier) - (That Justice Be Done) - (On Our Merry Way) - (I Remember Mama) - A Place in the Sun - (Something to Live For) - Shane - (The Diary of Anne Frank) - (The Greatest Story Ever Told) - (The Only Game in Town)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel by Robert Wilder, Written on the Wind is the story of a woman who marries into an oil family as she would fall for her husband’s best friend. Directed by Douglas Sirk and screenplay by George Zuckerman, the film is an exploration of a woman who becomes part of a very dysfunctional and decadent family as she tries to make sense of the family she‘s married to while dealing with her feelings for husband‘s best friend. Starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone. Written on the Wind is a sensational yet wild film from Douglas Sirk.
Based on a real life incident involving the tobacco heir Zachary Smith Reynolds and torch singer Libby Holman, the film is an exploration into the chaotic world of a Texan oil family whose adult children are spoiled and troubled as they besmirch the reputation of the family as an heir’s wife and his best friend are caught in the middle. Much of which play into an heir trying to find happiness in his life as he meets an executive secretary in New York City as he woos her into marrying him. Though it seems to be a major change and a step into maturity for Kyle Hadley (Robert Stack) as he would introduce his new wife Lucy Moore (Lauren Bacall) to his father Jasper (Robert Keith). Trouble would brew due to the presence of Kyle’s younger sister Marylee (Dorothy Malone) who has gained a reputation for being a nymphomaniac as she also wants longtime childhood friend Mitch Wayne (Rock Hudson) who secretly has feelings for Lucy.
George Zuckerman’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the desires of what Kyle and Marylee Hadley want in their very lavish but often empty lives. The script also explores Lucy and Mitch being in the middle of this chaotic world where Lucy was reluctant to be wooed by Kyle yet finds him fascinating as he was very honest about his alcoholism and such. While Mitch would watch Kyle be with Lucy as he would suck it up and accept it, he becomes overwhelmed by Kyle and Marylee as he wants to leave the entire world of the Hadleys though he still has some loyalty to Japser. While he knows about Kyle’s alcoholism and does pity him, Lucy has no clue on how severe it is as she and Kyle try to start a family only for things to not go as quickly as Kyle wanted. Adding to Kyle’s already fragile state is Marylee whose desire to want Mitch would have her be manipulative to Kyle over the idea that Mitch and Lucy are having an affair which isn’t true. It would add to the heightened sense of drama that would play out as it would be very sensational but also lurid considering the kind of behavior that Marylee has.
Douglas Sirk’s direction is very stylish as well as being a bit over-the-top of times since it does play into his sensibilities on melodrama. While he keeps much of it restrained and somber early on though the film begins with Kyle driving very fast to his home as a gunshot is then heard. It then flashes back to something less dramatic when Kyle meets Lucy for the first time where he’s about to have lunch with Mitch as it starts off as this very straightforward romance with some very lovely compositions in its use of medium shots and close-ups along with a few low angle shots. The film becomes more stylized in its compositions once the film is set in Texas where Sirk adds something that is very dark once Marylee comes into the picture as she is this firecracker that likes to push buttons. While she may have some air of innocence over what she wants to have with Mitch, there is that layer of darkness about her that does drive the film. Especially where it would have this soaring and sensational idea of drama where it is very strange at times but also offbeat considering how over-the-top it can be. Overall, Sirk crafts a very mesmerizing yet visceral film about two people caught up in the world of a very dysfunctional family.
Cinematographer Russell Metty does phenomenal work with the film‘s very rich and colorful Technicolor-based cinematography with its stylish approach to lighting for some of its nighttime interior scenes as well as the way some of the locations in Texas plus the old river that Kyle, Mitch, and Marylee used to play at. Editor Russell J. Schoengarth does excellent work with the editing as it‘s straightforward in terms of its cutting strategies while playing to the film‘s unique rhythm for its melodramatic moments. Art directors Alexander Golitzen and Robert Clatworthy, with set decorators Russell A. Gausman and Julia Heron, do fantastic work with the design of Hadley mansion as well as the bar that Kyle likes to go as well as the posh hotel suites in Miami where Kyle hoped to woo Lucy at.
Costume designer Bill Thomas does amazing work with the design of the gowns that Marylee and Lucy wears as the former is very lavish and provocative while the latter is more classy as it both plays to their personalities. The sound work of Leslie I. Carey and Robert Pritchard is terrific for the way the Hadleys‘ cars sound when they‘re speeding to the atmosphere of the parties they old. The film’s music by Frank Skinner is brilliant for its soaring and lush orchestral-based music as it plays to the melodrama while there‘s some jazz-based themes that play into the world of Marylee while music supervisor Joseph Gershenson brings in some jazz-based pieces into the music soundtrack plus a ballad written by Victor Young and Sammy Cahn that opens the film.
The film’s superb cast includes some notable small roles from Robert J. Wilkes as the bartender at the bar that Kyle likes to drink at, Harry Shannon as Mitch’s father, John Larch as one of Marylee’s lovers, Roy Glenn and Maidie Norman as the house servants of the Hadley home, and Edward Platt as the longtime family doctor who examines Lucy as he becomes concerned if Kyle is the real problem. Robert Keith is excellent as Marylee and Kyle’s father Jasper as an oil man who treats Mitch like a son as he watches the behavior of his children with great despair as he questions about his failings as a father. Dorothy Malone is amazing as the very lurid and slimy Marylee Hadley as this nymphomaniac who likes to cause trouble while wanting to pursue Mitch in every way she can.
Robert Stack is brilliant as the troubled Kyle Hadley as a playboy who wants to have the good things in life when he meets Lucy only to succumb to his own insecurities and alcoholism as he loses sight of everything as well as his friendship to Mitch. Lauren Bacall is incredible as Lucy Moore as this woman who is wooed by Kyle as she is baffled yet charmed by his personality only to deal with his alcoholism and insecurities as she wonders if she made the right decision as she starts to have feelings for Mitch. Finally, there’s Rock Hudson in a glorious performance as Mitch Wayne as this simple yet kind man who devotes his loyalty to Jasper Hadley while trying to deal with Kyle’s alcoholism as well as his own feelings for Lucy as it’s a role that has Hudson be tough but also be grounded as someone who had seen a lot and knows what is important as it’s one of Hudson’s finest performances.
Written on the Wind is a spectacular film from Douglas Sirk that is highlighted by the performances of Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone. Along with the beautiful cinematography of Russell Metty and Frank Skinner’s lush score, it’s a film that is quite touching but also very intense in terms of its melodrama while not being afraid of being dark and be critical about rich American families. In the end, Written on the Wind is a remarkable film from Douglas Sirk.
Douglas Sirk Films: (t Was een April) - (The Court Concert) - (To New Shores) - (La Habanera) - (Boefje) - (Hitler’s Madman) - (Summer Storm) - (A Scandal in Paris) - (Lured) - (Sleep My Love) - Shockproof - (Thunder on the Hill) - (No Room for the Groom) - (Has Anybody Seen My Gal?) - (Meet Me at the Fair) - (Take Me to Town) - (All I Desire) - (Taza, Son of Cochise) - Magnificent Obsession (1954 film) - (Sign of the Pagan) - (Captain Lightfoot) - All That Heaven Allows - There's Always Tomorrow (1956 film) - (Never Say Goodbye) - (Battle Hymn) - (Interlude) - (The Tarnished Angels) - (A Time to Love and A Time to Die) - Imitation of Life
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the book by Lloyd C. Douglas, Magnificent Obsession is the story of a playboy who pretends to be a doctor to help a widow he had recently hurt. Directed by Douglas Sirk and screenplay by Robert Blees and Wells Root from screen story by Root, Sarah Y. Mason, Victor Heerman, and Finley Peter Dunne, the film is a melodramatic take on an unlikely relationship between a spoiled playboy and a troubled widow. Starring Rock Hudson, Jane Wyman, Barbara Rush, Agnes Moorehead, and Otto Kruger. Magnificent Obsession is an extraordinarily rich film from Douglas Sirk.
The film is a simple story about redemption in the form of a playboy whose boating accident led to the death of a renowned doctor and later cause trouble for the doctor’s widow. At the same time, it’s about this rich playboy wanting to make a change for himself and atone for all of the sins he created. Especially to this woman who lost so much as she becomes lost following her husband’s death. The film’s screenplay does show what kind of man Bob Merrick (Rock Hudson) is at the beginning as he is this careless playboy who likes to ride fast cars, drive fast boats, and do all sorts of things without a care in the world as he would use money to fix things. When he is injured in an accident and was unconscious, he was revived by a resuscitating machine that belonged to a doctor as he suddenly died. When Merrick learns about what happened and the disdain he had been treated by the people at the hospital, he becomes haunted by his actions as he tries to apologize to the widow Helen Phillips (Jane Wyman) only to cause more trouble.
The first act is about Merrick forcing to see himself for what he really is and the things he had squandered as he was once a gifted medical student who gave up his chance to become a doctor in favor of throwing away the inheritance he gained from his father. The second act is about Merrick trying to atone for his sins by pretending to be another man to the already blind Helen in the hopes that he can help her and not suffer as much. Still, he gains the suspicions of her stepdaughter Jane (Barbara Rush) and longtime nurse Nancy (Agnes Moorehead). Yet, Merrick is encouraged by Helen’s longtime friend Randolph (Otto Kruger) who would guide Merrick into the ideas of philanthropy that Helen’s husband was all about. Merrick, under an alias, would do whatever to help Helen and gain the trust of those he hurt yet things become complicated as it becomes clear that Merrick still needed to find his own path in life as it would eventually play into his journey for redemption.
Douglas Sirk’s direction is truly intoxicating in the way he creates this film that explores the world of a man obsess with trying to right the wrongs that he created but also present it with a high degree of style. Much of it involves some unique compositions in the medium shots and close-ups along with a few wide shots. Sirk isn’t afraid for creating this heightened sense of drama since there is a lot that goes on where many who are close to Helen and her husband have a huge distrust towards Merrick since he already has a notorious reputation. Sirk takes his time for Merrick and Phillips to develop into something much more as does the supporting characters as it would play into the drama. Particularly as Sirk would add more stakes to the drama for its third act once it becomes clear that, despite Merrick’s efforts to be there for Phillips, it wouldn’t be enough as she becomes burdened by her blindness. Sirk however, would find ways to create something that does play to the aesthetics of a melodrama but not be afraid to take a few risks and be unafraid to delve into schmaltz. Overall, Sirk crafts a very genuine and exhilarating film about a man trying to find redemption in helping a widow.
Cinematographer Russell Metty does amazing work with the film‘s rich and colorful Technicolor-based cinematography from the beauty of the locations in Lake Tahoe to some of the array of lighting schemes and sceneries created in some of its interior and nighttime exterior scenes. Editor Milton Carruth does nice work with the editing with a few aspects of style in its dissolves and fade-outs while maintaining something much straightforward through its transitions and rhythmic cuts. Art directors Bernard Herzbrun and Emrich Nicholson, with set decorators Russell A. Gausman and Ruby R. Levitt, do fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the Swiss hotels and sets created during Helen‘s trip to the country for possible eye surgery to the look of the homes that the characters live in.
Costume designers Bill Thomas does excellent work with the design of the gowns and dresses many of the female characters wear as it plays to the film‘s evocative look. The sound work of Leslie I. Carey and Corson Jowett is terrific for the way the boat engine sounded early in the film to some of the more sparse moments when Helen is alone in her room. The film’s music by Frank Skinner is truly phenomenal for its lush and evocative orchestral score that swells with its soaring string arrangements to play into the melodrama as it also includes some choir arrangements that just adds more punch to the tone of the film.
The film’s marvelous cast includes some notable small roles from Richard H. Cutting as the Phillips’ associate physician Dr. Dodge, Sara Shane as Merrick’s girlfriend in the beginning of the film, Paul Cavanaugh as Merrick’s former mentor Dr. Giraud, and Gregg Palmer as Joyce’s fiance Tom who helps handle the Phillips family business. Barbara Rush is terrific as Helen’s stepdaughter Joyce who is aware of Merrick’s reputation and is suspicious of his helpful intentions only to realize how much he cares for Helen and wants to do right. Agnes Moorehead is wonderful as the Phillips longtime family nurse who is also suspicious of Merrick’s intentions while keeping an eye on Helen as well as being the close friend that she has. Otto Kruger is excellent as Randolf as this painter who is a longtime friend of the Phillips family who realizes what kind of man Merrick really is as he helps guide him into finding redemption.
Finally, there’s the duo of Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson is truly magnificent performances in their respective roles as Helen Phillips and Bob Merrick. Wyman exudes a sense of beauty and anguish to her role as a woman that just lost her husband as she tries to make sense of the tragedy that she endures while clinging to some idea of hope. Hudson brings this swagger to his role early in the film only to be grounded with a sense of humility and sensitivity that would allow Merrick to find redemption. Wyman and Hudson radiate with chemistry from the way Wyman tries to dismiss him to the growing sense of warmth they would have for each other.
Magnificent Obsession is a phenomenal film from Douglas Sirk that is highlighted by the splendid performances of Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman. It’s a film that explores not just a man trying to redeem himself in helping a widow but also a film where an unlikely love story emerges despite all of the complications that emerges. In the end, Magnificent Obsession is a sensational film from Douglas Sirk.
Douglas Sirk Films: (t Was een April) - (The Court Concert) - (To New Shores) - (La Habanera) - (Boefje) - (Hitler’s Madman) - (Summer Storm) - (A Scandal in Paris) - (Lured) - (Sleep My Love) - Shockproof - (Thunder on the Hill) - (No Room for the Groom) - (Has Anybody Seen My Gal?) - (Meet Me at the Fair) - (Take Me to Town) - (All I Desire) - (Taza, Son of Cochise) - (Sign of the Pagan) - (Captain Lightfoot) - All That Heaven Allows - There’s Always Tomorrow (1956 film) - (Never Say Goodbye) - Written on the Wind - (Battle Hymn) - (Interlude) - (The Tarnished Angels) - (A Time to Love and A Time to Die) - Imitation of Life (1959 film)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Douglas Sirk and screenplay by Peg Fenwick from a story by Edna L. Lee and Harry Lee, All That Heaven Allows is the story of a widow who falls for a gardener as their love affair would cause trouble among her friends in their suburban society as well as her adult children. The film is an exploration into conformity and class structure as a woman finds joy in a simple gardener. Starring Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead, Conrad Nagel, and Virginia Grey. All That Heaven Allows is an intoxicatingly rich and exhilarating melodrama from Douglas Sirk.
The film is an exploration into a love affair between a widow and a gardener as the latter is 15 years younger than her as their relationship starts to raise questions among her friends in suburban society. It’s a film that plays into the world where this woman is being judged by friends from her social circle as well as her adult children for being in love with this very kind and eloquent gardener who has no interest in conforming into any kind of society. It’s all part of this unique melodrama that explores not just a world where this woman is trying to find happiness. It’s a film where the world that she lives in seems stuck into their idea of traditional values unaware that things are starting to change.
Peg Fenwick’s screenplay does great work in not just creating intricate themes about conformity, class, and ageism but set it in a world where values are prevalent in this New England suburb where there are rules and people know each other. Upon meeting this gardener named Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson), Cary Scott (Jane Wyman) is intrigued by what Kirby offers as he is a very different man that prefers to live a simple world where he patiently takes care of trees and plants in his home. At the same time, he surrounds himself with friends who have no need for materialistic things as they prefer something less complicated and not give in towards the pressure of society. Cary’s infatuation with Ron has gained her the ire of her adult-children who are upset that their mother is considering marrying a man younger than her. Cary’s friends are upset not just because of the fact that Ron is younger but also for the fact that he’s a simple gardener. It would create a lot of conflict in Cary over what she wants but also what people want from her.
Douglas Sirk’s direction is truly enchanting not just for the visuals that he creates but also in the ravishing compositions he portrays the two worlds that Cary and Ron live in. The world that Cary lives is quite beautiful as Sirk brings a lot of unique imagery to locations such as the streets and shops while there’s a sense of artificiality in the parties she goes to as they’re very lavish. In the world that Ron lives in, it’s much more quaint and livelier as the party Cary attends that is filled with Ron’s friends might be a bit crowded but there’s a lot of joy as people dance as opposed to the people in Cary’s world where they just drink and gossip. When Cary introduces Ron to her children and her friends, he does his best to present himself while wanting to be himself yet her children are aghast over how young he is while her friends are surprised by his behavior when Cary is being harassed by a party guest. The third act has Cary not only deal with her unhappiness but also what is happening for her children that would eventually prompt her to make her own decisions. Overall, Sirk crafts a very lush yet powerful drama about a widow who deals with the judgment of others over her new love life.
Cinematographer Russell Metty does magnificent work with the film‘s very rich and colorful cinematography with its gorgeous use of Technicolor from the exteriors with its use of blue for some its nighttime scenes to the way he lights the interiors as it‘s definitely one of the film‘s major technical achievements. Editor Frank Gross does excellent work with the editing in the use of matching dissolves as well as the use of fade-outs and other sort of seamless cuts as it helps play to the film‘s melodramatic tone. Art directors Alexander Golitzen and Eric Orbom, along with set decorators Russell A. Gausman and Julia Heron, do brilliant work with the set pieces from a few background sets for some of its exteriors outside of Ron‘s wheel mill home as well as the intricate attention to detail in the way Cary‘s house look as well as the other places she goes to.
The gown designs by Bill Thomas is fantastic for the look of the gowns that many of the women wear as it adds to the film‘s mesmerizing look. The sound work of Leslie I. Carey and Joe Lapis is terrific for some of the minimal sound effects as well as the way things sound on location. The film’s music by Frank Skinner is amazing for its very serene orchestral score that includes some very heavy themes to play into its melodrama while music supervisor Joseph Gershenson brings in a couple of classical pieces by Brahms and Listz as well as a traditional Christmas song to play into the drama of Cary longing for Ron.
The film’s superb cast includes some notable small roles from Donald Curtis as Howard who often harasses Cary into kissing him at parties, Merry Anders as Alida’s cousin Mary Ann whom Cary thinks is Ron’s girlfriend, Jacqueline De Wit as the very gossip socialite Mona, Nestor Paiva as a friend of Ron in Manuel, and Conrad Vagel in a terrific performance as Cary’s date Harvey who accompanies her to the film’s first party. Hayden Rorke is wonderful as Dr. Dan Hennessy who examines Cary late in the film as she comes to him over headaches while Charles Drake is excellent as Ron’s friend Mick who gave up a life of ambition for something more simpler. Virginia Grey is brilliant as Mick’s wife Alida who reveals to Cary a lot about Ron and his ideals as well as being key to Cary wanting to be with Ron in its third act.
William Reynolds and Gloria Talbott are amazing in their respective roles as Ned and Kay Scott as two of Cary’s adult children who oppose her union with Ron with Reynolds being the more outspoken Ned while Talbott is the more open but wary Kay. Agnes Moorehead is fantastic as Cary’s best friend Sara who questions what Cary is doing though she thinks that Ron is a nice guy but often worries about Cary’s social status. Finally, there’s Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman in truly outstanding performances in their respective roles as Ron Kirby and Cary Scott. Hudson exudes a sensitive masculinity into his role as a very kind-hearted man who represents the absolute individual that doesn’t care what people thinks as he loves Cary. Wyman brings a sense of grace into her role as the widow Cary who is reluctant to attend social parties as she seeks to find happiness while dealing with the judgment she receives from family and friends. Hudson and Wyman have great chemistry together in the way they deal with the judgment of other people and how they spend time together.
All That Heaven Allows is a phenomenal film form Douglas Sirk that features exemplarily rich performances from Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman. The film is truly one of the finest melodramas ever created as well as great introduction to anyone new to Sirk. Especially as it’s a film that has a lot of beauty and captivating themes that explores the need to fit in against the ideas of individuality. In the end, All That Heaven Allows is a tremendously ravishing film from Douglas Sirk.
Douglas Sirk Films: (t Was een April) - (The Court Concert) - (To New Shores) - (La Habanera) - (Boefje) - (Hitler’s Madman) - (Summer Storm) - (A Scandal in Paris) - (Lured) - (Sleep My Love) - Shockproof - (Thunder on the Hill) - (No Room for the Groom) - (Has Anybody Seen My Gal?) - (Meet Me at the Fair) - (Take Me to Town) - (All I Desire) - (Taza, Son of Cochise) - Magnificent Obsession (1954 film) - (Sign of the Pagan) - (Captain Lightfoot) - There’s Always Tomorrow (1956 film) - (Never Say Goodbye) - Written on the Wind - (Battle Hymn) - (Interlude) - (The Tarnished Angels) - (A Time to Love and A Time to Die) - Imitation of Life (1959 film)
© thevoid99 2014
