The Heiress (1949) is an American drama produced and
directed by William Wyler and starring Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift,
and Ralph Richardson. The supporting cast included Miriam Hopkins, Mona
Freeman, Selena Royle, and Vanessa Brown.
The film takes place in New York City in 1849 and concerns
one Catherine Sloper (de Havilland), a shy young woman, who lives with her wealthy
father Dr. Austin Sloper (Richardson). Dr, Sloper and Catherine live in the
prestigious Washington Square neighborhood.
When Catherine is introduced to Morris Townsend (Clift) at a
ball, she is charmed by the handsome young man. Catherine falls madly in love with
Morris. He seems gracious and caring…and loving. However, Catherine’s stern
father disapproves of the relationship, concerned that Morris is only
interested in Catherine because of her wealth.
Will Catherine and Morris’s relationship thrive or die over her
father’s objections?
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| Montgomery Clift, Olivia de Havilland, and Ralph Richardson |
William Wyler (1902 - 1981) was an American
(born in Mulhouse, Alsace, then part of Germany) film director and producer. He
won the Academy Award for Best Direction three times: Mrs. Miniver (1942), The
Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Ben-Hur (1959).
Wyler was nominated 12 times for Best Director, an Academy Award history. Wyler started working in the movie business during the silent era,
eventually making a name for himself as a director in the early 1930s. He would
go on to direct Wuthering Heights (1939), The
Westerner (1940), and The Little Foxes (1941).
Actress Bette Davis received three Oscar nominations under Wyler’s direction,
winning her second Oscar for her performance in Jezebel (1938).
Other popular films directed by Wyler include The Heiress (1949), Roman
Holiday (1954), Friendly Persuasion (1956), The
Big Country (1958), and Funny Girl 1968).
Olivia de Havilland (1916 – 2020) was a
British-American actress and two-time Best Actress Academy Award winner. De
Havilland’s career spanned more than five decades. She was one of the leading
actresses of the 1940s and was the last major surviving star from Hollywood’s
Golden Age. Some of de Havilland’s classic films include The Adventures
of Robin Hood (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939), Hold
Back the Dawn (1941), To Each His Own (1946), The
Snake Pit (1948), and The Heiress (1949).
Montgomery Clift (1920 – 1966) was an American
actor. He was a four-time Academy Award nominee for Best Actor. Like Marlon
Brando and James Dean, Clift was considered one of the original method actors.
Clift got his start on the stage as a young man and starred opposite the likes
of Tallulah Bankhead, Frederic March, and Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.
Clift’s first movie role was in Howard Hawks’s Red River (1949), starring opposite John Wayne. He went on to co-star with Olivia de Havilland in
William Wyler’s The Heiress (1949). He reached superstar
status in the role of George Eastman in the George Stevens production of A
Place in the Sun (1951), starring opposite Elizabeth Taylor. Clift would
later star in Alfred Hitchcock’s I Confess (1953) and Fred
Zinnemann’s From Here to Eternity (1953). Other films followed, including Raintree County (1956), The Young Lions (1958), Lonelyhearts (1958), Suddenly,
Last Summer (1959), and Wild River (1960).
Ralph Richardson (1902 – 1983) was an English stage
and screen actor. Along with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, he dominated
the British theatre for most of the 20th century. Richardson worked
in movies in Britain and the United States throughout his long career. Some of
his famous films include The Fallen Idol (1948), The Heiress
(1949), Long Day’s Journey into Night (1962), Women of Straw
(1965), and Doctor Zhivago (1965).
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| Olivia de Haviland and Ralph Richardson |
The Heiress trivia
- After seeing The Heiress on the Broadway stage, de
Havilland approached William Wyler about directing her in a screen adaptation.
- Wyler became a fan of de Havilland’s acting talent and was
annoyed by Clift’s disdain for her performance and for Ralph Richardson’s attempt
to scene-steal through improvisation.
- Clift was so disappointed by his performance that he walked
out of the premiere.
- Basil Rathbone played Dr. Sloper on the stage and hoped to
recreate the role for the film version.
- De Havilland won her second Best Actress Academy Award for
her performance.
- Wyler originally wanted Errol Flynn to play Morris.
Click HERE to watch the film at the Internet Archive
Click HERE to learn more about the film and preview the
discussion questions. Once you RSVP, you will receive an email with a link to
the discussion on Zoom.
Discussion questions
- Many consider Olivia de Havilland’s performance as one of
the greatest of the 20th century. Do you agree?
- When do you think Catherine’s personality began to become
imbittered?
- Montgomery Clift was unhappy with his performance. What did
you think? Was he wrong to be unhappy about it?
- What did you think of Ralph Richardson’s characterization as
Dr. Sloper? Do you think he loved Catherine?
- Do you think Morris was interested in Catherine only for her
money?
- Would Catherine have been happy with Morris if they had
married?
