Leona Cotterell Stevenson (Barbara Stanwyck) is alone at home; she is bedridden and cannot maneuver her home unassisted. Leona cannot find her husband, Henry (Burt Lancaster), who was supposed to be home to care for her. The servants are off, and Leona is annoyed. She gets on the phone, attempting to find her husband, but some wires cross; she overhears two men discussing the murder of a woman. Leona tries to get help for this "poor woman," but she soon begins to believe that the "poor woman" is herself. The story ofhow Leona and Henry became a couple in Sorry Wrong Number (1948) is told in flashback; using this technique, we learn much about the backstory of this very unhappy marriage. Based on a popular radio play, the film expands the 27 minute radio story by inserting this background information. Though the radio play was wildly successful with the marvelous Agnes Moorehead in the lead role, the studio deemed her to be too much a character actress to reprise her role. Barbara Stanwyck was justly nominated (her final competitive bid) for an Oscar for the role of Leona. She lost - again - this time to Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda. She did have other tough competition: Ingrid Bergman (Joan of Arc), Olivia de Havilland (The Snake Pit) and Irene Dunne (I Remember Mama), any of whom certainly deserved the award (and Ms. Dunne was another excellent actress who never won an Oscar, despite being nominated 5 times). That being said, Leona is a character that runs the gamut - she's tough, decisive, and authoritative in the flashback scenes; whiny, carping, and domineering as she lies in her bed. Stanwyck, craftswoman that she is, makes it all hang together - you believe the trajectory of Leona's life.
Burt Lancaster's Henry goes through a similar metamorphosis. A milquetoast at the beginning, he allows Leona to bulldoze him away from the woman he supposedly loves, (Sally Hunt as played by Ann Richards).By the time we see him in the present, the roles have begun to reverse, with Henry taking the lead in the marriage and in business (though not in a good way). In what is essentially a new part from the radio play, Lancaster crafted a character that was far different than any he had played before (TCM articles). Initially, Hal Wallis had wanted Lee Bowman for the part (who was often cast as weaker men), but Lancaster lobbied for the role and got it when Bowman proved to be unavailable. He's excellent in the part.
As Leona's father, James Cotterell, Ed
Begley portrays a power-obsessed man, who is overly protective of his daughter and demeaning to his son-in-law. At the same time, he's also a bit of a cad, far more interested in his latest girlfriend than in his
daughter's troubles. In a sea of characters who are dichotomous, his is perhaps the most contradictory part in the film. Begley makes it easy to understand how Leona has been driven to hypochondria by her father's bullying nature.
We particularly liked Ann Richards in the role of Sally Hunt Lord. She ends up being the only truly sympathetic character in the film - she loves her husband and son, but still is protective of Henry. Despite the fact that Leona literally stole Henry from Ann, she does her best to assist Leona. Born in Australia, Ms. Richards had a very short film career, appearing in 18 films (and one television show) between 1937 and 1960. She's probably best remembered as Dilly Carson in Love Letters (1945). She retired from film in 1949, to raise her three children with her husband Edmond Angelo (she would reenter the film arena to appear in Mr. Angelo's 1952 film Breakdown), and to write poetry (two volumes of her poetry were published in 1971 and 1991). She died in 2006, at the age of 88.
According to an article in the AFI Catalog, the film had a bit of trouble with the Production Code Administration (PCA) regarding Henry's plan to steal from his father-in-law's pharmaceutical company. Early versions of the script made it much more obvious that Henry was stealing and selling drugs (ergo, drug trafficking, a code no-no). The script had to be amended so that he was selling "products of all kinds," not drugs. It's a fine point, but it made the PCA happy.
Several excellent actors make brief appearances in the film. Wendell
Corey has one scene as Dr. Alexander, the man to whom Leona goes for a
"cure" to her invalidism. Leif Erickson as Detective Fred Lord, who is husband
to Sally and is also investigating Henry's nefarious activities, makes
an appearance. And as the sinister Morano, William Conrad shines in a
single scene. With his imposing presence and magnificent voice, Mr.
Conrad always makes an impression.
We highly recommend this film; if you've not yet seen it, you are in for a treat. We'll leave you with a trailer from this excellent movie.
TCM Fathom Event recently aired the magnificent Rear Window (1954), and we were quite delighted to be able to attend. Starring James Stewart as
L. B. "Jeff" Jeffries and Grace Kelly
as Lisa Carol Fremont, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and with a supporting cast to die for, this is unarguably a Hitchcock masterpiece. For those unfamiliar with the plot, here's a brief rundown of the premise. Jeff Jeffries, a highly regarded international photographer has been laid up for 5 weeks in a cast up to his hip, having broken his leg trying to get a photo of a race car in action (he got the picture). During a hot New York summer (it's the 1950s - there's no in-home air-conditioning), with one week of immobility left (stuck in a walk-up apartment he's not left since his injury), Jeff is bored, so he stares out his window, peering into the lives of his neighbors. He's got nicknames for all of them, and he imagines their life stories from his "rear window" view. Then, one hot night, as he dozes in his wheelchair, he thinks he sees a murder. Some years ago, I attended a class on Hitchcock's film. The class was taught by Donald Spoto, author of many books about Hollywood, but most especially, the author of The Art of Alfred Hitchcock. One of the points he made was that, as Jeff looks into the windows of his neighbors, what he sees are alternate versions of his own life and that of Lisa, the woman he loves (but is determined NOT to marry). He sees a pair of newlyweds, a satisfied older couple doting on a beloved dog, a couple who bicker constantly (with Raymond Burr as the husband, Lars Thorwald), a lonely middle-aged woman (Judith Evelyn
as "Miss Lonely Hearts"), a young woman surrounded by suitors, and a composer (played by Ross Bagdasarian), who can't seem to get his work noticed. Which life will Jeff get? We'll never know (hopefully not the Raymond Burr thread!), but Lisa has own ideas, and is a pretty determined lady!
I don't think there is a movie on earth that has Thelma Ritter (Stella) in it that is bad. Her very presence moves the film up a notch, in my humble opinion. Ritter's part was not in the original short story by Cornell Woolrich (neither was Grace Kelly's), and according to one of the TCM articles you'll find here, Ritter's part was enlarged after the initial script was completed to provide some humor and humanity to the part of Jeff. The film needed, according to writer John Michael Hayes, some comedy to get the audience immediately engaged with the character. He knew that Hitchcock had cast Ritter, and there is no better mouthpiece for the human condition than the phenomenal Thelma Ritter. And then there is the other lady in Jeff's life, the ever-glorious Grace Kelly. A woman of jaw-dropping beauty, Hitchcock, perhaps more than any other director, was able to make her a woman of parts - beautiful, fashionable, smart, daring, passionate. Her Lisa is unexpected - Jeff leads us to expect she is only a fashionplate - interested in clothing and nothing else. And while her entrance - twirling around the room in a dress that I would give my eye-teeth for - seems to support that, it isn't long before we realize that Jeff is an idiot - as Stella told him - Lisa is a jewel beyond price.
Seeing Rear Window in a theatre is a treat beyond compare. While it is good on a television, it's even more magnificent when you can see the framing the way Hitchcock meant it to be seen. Filmed in wide-screen and Technicolor, the movie still manages to convey the claustrophobic atmosphere that has become Jeff's life, as he goes from a boundless world, to a confined, one-room apartment. It is a film you can see again and again, and each time see something new and exciting. Grace Kelly's marvelous wardrobe was designed by Edith Head. Every one of her dresses is glorious, but I'm going to leave you with a clip that contains my personal favorite dress. Meet Lisa Carole Freemont!:
As promised, this week we viewed the 1950 Harriet Craig, in which Joan Crawford plays the title role. As with the previous film, this movie centers on a manipulative, dishonest, demanding, and snobbish woman obsessed with her home. However, this story ditches the subplots that seemed to go nowhere in the prior film. Here, the screenwriters build on the original plot by George Kelly, and add more character development. As a result, Harriet becomes a more three-dimensional person.
The film opens with Harriet preparing for a trip to visit her ailing mother. Harriet is running the small house staff (Mrs. Harold played here by Viola Roache, and Lottie, played by Ellen Corby), and her cousin Clare (K.T. Stevens) ragged. Harriet is also incensed that she cannot contact her husband, Walter (Wendell Corey). But in the next scene, much about Harriet is revealed. Her
mother is quite ill, but it is a mental illness, and a severe one. Harriet is eager to please her mother; it becomes quickly apparent that her mother is only person she really loves. We also discover that Harriet was abandoned by her father when she was 14 (after she discovered him having an affair with a co-worker). As a result, she has no trust at all for men.
This film also subtly changes the relationship between Harriet and Walter. They have been married for over four years. She does rule the roost, but there is an affection for him that we did not see in the prior film. When she returns to find the house in disorder (Walter had friends over for a poker party), she goes up to reprimand him, but looking at him asleep, a small smile creeps across her face, and she rumples his hair to wake him. And, while she does scold him for the mess (what wife wouldn't), it is kindly done. And they end up kissing in the bed. It should be noted that this Harriet uses sex to control her Walter (but it is pretty clear that she enjoys it as well!) When he wants to go out golfing, she points out that she will be upstairs in the bathtub. The look on Walter's face as he cancels his outing tells us everything we need to know. Obviously, this Harriet is FUN in the bedroom! Her actions are usually motivated by jealousy and fear. Everything is about keeping him close to home and close only to HER.
Harriet's nastiness is
especially apparent in her behavior towards the servants. Lottie (Ellen
Corby) is an especial victim of her bile. Harriet is contemptuous of
her; even giving her flowers for her room is a sign of her disregard for
the woman (Harriet dislike flowers and especially dislikes that they
came from Mrs. Frazier.)
And then there is cousin Clare. Clare is portrayed as a doormat. She takes everything Harriet dishes out, and whines about how grateful she is. When she finally realizes that Harriet has been manipulating her to keep her away from her boyfriend, Wes, Clare leave, because she hopes that Wes will now take care of her. In the end, we found Clare to be almost as unpleasant as Harriet.
Other changes in this version: Harriet's is willing to have a party in her home; but while she consents to entertain, but only the guests SHE chooses. None of Walter's friends are welcome. The
Vase, which is quickly established in both films as Harriet's pride and joy, here is described as Ming China, and therefore quite valuable; in the prior film, no such claim was made. As mentioned before, the loss of the subplots is a definite plus here, as is the addition of Walter's friend, Billy Birkmire (Allyn Joslyn). Finally, there is her attitude towards children. In both films, she dislikes children, but in this version we discover she lied to Walter about her ability to conceive. We also find out she is willing to have a child IF it will keep Walter in place.
As in the first film, we were particularly taken with the scene in which Mrs. Harold (Viola Roache) resigns. It's quiet different in many respects, but the impact is the same. Both actresses shine as they face each other down. We also very much enjoyed Lucile Watson as Celia Fenwick. Mrs. Fenwick takes an immediate liking to Walter, and has Harriet's number in about two seconds. She seems to be trying to separate Harriet and Walter. But she is funny - we realize that she is cheating at cards, and that Walter knows it!
A nod as well to Sheila O'Brien, Crawford's designer in the 1950s. She creates the gowns for the film, and they were noteworthy. Here's a suit that we found particularly beautiful. We particularily loved the delicate collar.
