Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles star in “Jane Eyre”: The Ultimate Gothic Romance

Jane Eyre (1943) is a gothic romance directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine. Based on the classic novel by Charlotte Bronte, the screenplay was written by John Houseman, Aldous Huxley, and Robert Stevenson. Bernard Herrmann wrote the film score.

The plot concerns Jane Eyre, an orphan educated at Lowood, a charity institution for young girls run with brutal discipline by Mr. Brocklehurst. When Jane reaches adulthood, she advertises for a job as a governess. Edward Rochester hires her through his housekeeper Mrs. Fairfax, who at first, Jane believes to be the mistress of the house. Jane enjoys her job as governess to Adele, Mr. Rochester’s ward. Despite Mr. Rochester’s sometimes-surly behavior, Jane finds herself drawn to him. As their relationship becomes love, a secret from Rochester’s past threatens to doom them both.

Jane Eyre was filmed entirely on the sound stages at 20th Century-Fox.

Robert Stevenson (1905 – 1986) was an English film director, screenwriter, and actor. Producer David O. Selznick brought him to Hollywood where he loaned out his services as a director to other studios. In Hollywood, Stevenson directed Tom Brown’s School Days (1940), Back Street (1941) starring Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan, Joan of Paris (1942) starring Michele Morgan, and Dishonored Lady starring Hedy Lamarr (1947). Stevenson also directed many episodes of top television series including Gunsmoke, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Stevenson really hit his stride when he began working for the Walt Disney Studios. At Disney, he directed Johnny Tremain (1957), Old Yeller (1957), Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959), Kidnapped (1960), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), In Search of the Castaways (1962), The Love Bug (1968), and two of my favorites, The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964) and The Monkey’s Uncle (1965). None of the above Disney classics could compare, however, to the huge success of Mary Poppins (1964) which went on to win five Oscars. Stevenson directed Hayley Mills in That Darn Cat! (1965), her last movie under contract with Disney. In 1977, Variety reported that Stevenson was “the most commercially successful director in the history of films. Stevenson became an American citizen during World War II and was in the U.S. Army Signal Corps with director Frank Capra.

Orson Welles (1915- 1985) was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, with Citizen Kane (1941) considered by many to be the greatest film of all time. Welles got his start on the stage. He formed the Mercury Theatre with John Houseman in 1937. Many of the actors from his repertory theatre starred in his first two films. Welles had a reputation for being difficult and undisciplined which contributed to his low output of films. In spite of all that, his reputation as a Hollywood genius remains untarnished.

Joan Fontaine (1917 – 2013) was a British-American actress who starred in more than 45 films during Hollywood’s “Golden Age.” After secondary roles in Gunga Din (1939) and The Women (1939), her fortunes turned with her starring role in Alfred Hitchcock’s first American film, Rebecca (1940). She was nominated for Best Actress for her role in that film but lost to Ginger Rogers. The next year, she worked with Hitchcock again in Suspicion and this time won the Best Actress Oscar, beating out her older sister Olivia de Havilland. She received a third and final nomination for The Constant Nymph (1943). Other popular Fontaine films include This Above All (1942), From This Day Forward (1946), Ivy (1947), Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), The Emperor Waltz (1948), and Ivanhoe (1952). After the late-1950s, she appeared less in films and more on stage and television. Fontaine and her sister are the only siblings to have won major acting Academy Awards.

Helen (Elizabeth Taylor) has her hair cut by Mr. Brocklehurst much to
Jane’s (Peggy Ann Garner ) dismay.

Others in the cast include Margaret O’Brien as Adele, Peggy Ann Garner as the young Jane, Agnes Moorehead as Mrs. Reed, John Sutton as Dr. Rivers, Henry Daniell as Mr. Brocklehurst, Edith Barrett as Mrs. Fairfax, and Sara Allgood as Bessie. An eleven-year-old Elizabeth Taylor plays Jane’s childhood friend at Lowood. So unknown was Taylor at this time that she didn’t receive on-screen billing. Both Taylor and Margaret O’Brien were loaned from their home studio, M-G-M to Fox for their work in Jane Eyre.

Jane Eyre trivia:

• Director Robert Stevenson was a member of the Bronte Society.
• Composer Bernard Herrmann would go onto writing an operatic version of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
• Character actress Ethel Griffies (Grace Poole) played the same character in the 1934 film version.
• Olivia de Havilland portrayed Charlotte Bronte (author of Jane Eyre) in Devotion (1946).

Click HERE to watch the film on YouTube, click the link below.

Click HERE to join us on Zoom for a discussion of the film on August  5, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to the Zoom meeting.

Questions for discussion:

1. Why do you think there have been literally dozens of film and television adaptations of Charlotte Bronte’s novel?
2. Have you seen other film adaptations of Jane Eyre? How do they compare and contrast to the 1943 version?
3. Were Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles well cast as Jane and Mr. Rochester?
4. Did anything about the film or its production surprise you?
5. Did you have a favorite character actor in the film?

Joseph Cotten searches for “The Third Man” in Postwar Vienna

The Third Man (1949) is a British film noir directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. The film’s screenplay was written by Graham Greene.

The film focuses on Holly Martins (Cotten) who travels to postwar Vienna to accept a job with his friend Harry Lime (Welles), learning that died just before his arrival. Thinking his death is suspicious, Holly stays in Vienna to investigate.

Did Harry really die in Vienna? And if he didn’t, who is buried in his grave?

 

Carol Reed (1906 – 1976) was an English film director. He directed several classic films including The Fallen Idol (1948), The Third Man (1949), and Oliver! (1968). Reed worked in a theatrical company in his teens. He eventually entered the film business in the UK where he worked his way up to the position of assistant director. He got his big break as a director with The Stars Look Down (1940) based on a novel by A. J. Cronin and starring Michael Redgrave. Other British films followed including Night Train to Munich (1940) starring Margaret Lockwood and Rex Harrison, Kipps (1941) with Redgrave again, and The Young Mr. Pitt (1942) starring Robert Donat.

Joseph Cotten (1905 - 1994) was an American film, stage, radio, and television actor. Cotten achieved fame on Broadway in the original stage productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair.  He became famous worldwide after appearing in Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). As one of the most popular leading men of the 1940s, Cotten starred in Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Gaslight (1943), Duel in the Sun (1946), and The Third Man (1949). Cotten alternated between work on stage and film into the late-1950s. Cotten also appeared on television guest-starring on The Name of the Game, Cimarron Strip, and Ironside. Cotten’s last film role was in 1981.

Alida Valli (1921 - 2006) was an Italian actress who made films in Europe and the United States. She came to America under contract to David O. Selznick who considered her another Ingrid Bergman. Introduced as “Valli” in Alfred Hitchcock’ The Paradine Case, she never lived up to the promise Selznick had for her. Her next two films The Miracle of the Bells (1948) co-starring Fred MacMurray and Frank Sinatra and Walk Softly Stranger (1950) co-starring Joseph Cotten were box office failures. The latter film was completed in 1948 but its release was held up for two years with the hope that it would capitalize on the popularity of The Third Man (1949). Valli had much greater success in Europe where she starred in films until 2002.

Trevor Howard (1913 – 1988) was an English stage, film, and television actor. He became a film star with his role in Brief Encounter (1945). This was followed by The Third Man (1949). The Clouded Yellow (1951), Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), Ryan’s Daughter (1970), Superman (1978), and Gandhi (1982). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Sons and Lovers (1960).

 

The Third Man trivia

• Orson Welles worked on the film for one week.
• Martin Scorsese wrote his major thesis while in film school and received a B+. His professor said it was just a “thriller.”
• The Vienna Police have a special force that patrols the intricate sewer system. It makes a great hiding place for criminals and drug runners.
• Carol Reed wanted James Stewart for the role of Holly Martins but David O. Selznick insisted on Joseph Cotten who was under contract to Selznick.
• Cary Grant was considered for the part of Harry Lime.

To join the discussion on July 17, 2023, at 6:30 p.m., click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on YouTube.

Discussion questions

1. This film is considered one of the top five in the mystery genre. Do you think this film earned that reputation in your eyes?
2. The camera work by Robert Krasker was considered somewhat revolutionary at the time. What is your perception of it and did it enhance the film in your estimation.
3. What did you think of the casting? Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, and Orson Welles?
4. Was there anyone in the film that you related to? Did the film have a hero?
5. How did the music contribute to the film’s success?
6. The ending is one of the most famous in film. What did you make of it? Did it surprise you?

Orson Welles pursues Rita Hayworth in “The Lady from Shanghai”

The Lady from Shanghai (1947) is a film noir directed by Orson Welles and starring Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, and Everett Sloane. Initially snubbed by the critics upon its initial release, the film has garnered a reputation for its overall production and cinematography.

Michael O’Hara (Welles) rescues a stunning blonde named Elsa Bannister (Hayworth) from three assailants in Central Park. Elsa and her attorney husband Arthur Bannister (Sloane) are sailing from New York to San Francisco by way of the Panama Canal. Out of appreciation for saving her, Elsa offers Michael a job on their yacht. Although Michael is attracted to Elsa, he is somewhat reluctant to join the crew. After some persuasion, Michael joins Elsa and Arthur on their voyage. During their journey, Elsa confides to Michael that her marriage is no good and that she is afraid of Arthur. She also expresses romantic feelings for Michael which only complicates things. 

Is Elsa telling Michael the truth? Is Arthur really out to harm her?  

Rita Hayworth (1918 - 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and producer. She was one of the biggest stars of the 1940s and was the top pin-up among GIs during World War II. Hayworth was Gilda (1946) opposite Glenn Ford. A still from this film made it to the cover of Life magazine where she was dubbed “The Love Goddess,” a title she hated. An accomplished dancer, she starred with Fred Astaire in two films: You’ll Never Get Rich (1941) and You Were Never Lovelier (1942). In 1944 she starred in Cover Girl with Gene Kelly. Other popular Hayworth films include Tonight and Every Night (1945), Down to Earth (1947), The Loves of Carmen (1948), Affair in Trinidad (1952), Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), Fire Down Below (1957), Pal Joey (1957) where she received top billing over Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak, Separate Tables (1958), and They Came to Cordura (1959). Hayworth was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which contributed to her death at age 68.

Rita Hayworth, The Lady from Shanghai herself

Orson Welles (1915- 1985) was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, with Citizen Kane considered by many to be the greatest film of all time. Welles got his start on the stage. He formed the Mercury Theatre with John Houseman in 1937. Many of the actors from his repertory theatre starred in his first two films. Welles had a reputation for being difficult and undisciplined which contributed to his low output of films. In spite of all that, his reputation as a Hollywood genius remains untarnished.

Hayworth and Welles on the set

Everett Sloane (1909 - 1965) was an American character actor who worked steadily in radio, theatre, films, and television. He had early success in the 1930s on the radio playing Bulldog Drummond’s sidekick, Denny. Due to his work in radio, he crossed paths with Orson Welles where he became part of Welles’s Mercury Theatre. Welles cast Sloane as Mr. Bernstein in Citizen Kane (1941), which he wrote and directed. Apart from movies, Sloane also guest-starred on numerous television shows including The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Sloane took his own life fearing he was going blind. He was only 55 years old.

The Lady from Shanghai trivia

• Welles needed money for a stage production he was producing so he made a deal with Columbia studio head, Harry Cohn. Cohn gave Welles $55,000 under the condition that he would write, direct, and star in a movie for Columbia for free.
• The yacht used in the film was rented from Errol Flynn. Flynn can be seen in the background of the scene filmed outside a cantina.
• Cohn held the release of the film for a year, fearing it would ruin the career of Rita Hayworth, Columbia’s biggest star.
• The pet dachshund seen in the film also belonged to Errol Flynn.
• Rita Hayworth had her hair cut short and bleached blonde which was a cause of great distress to Cohn and was considered one of the reasons the film wasn’t a success when first released.
• The famous scene in the house of mirrors was originally about 20 minutes long.
• Welles and Hayworth were married during the film’s production but were estranged.

Why watch The Lady from Shanghai

It’s written, directed, and produced by Orson Welles, which always makes for good viewing and discussion.

Rita Hayworth makes a great femme fatale and looks stunning as a blonde.

The plot, like The Big Sleep (1946), is incomprehensible, which somehow makes it more interesting.

To watch the film on YouTube, click the link below.

To join the discussion on June 21, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to the discussion on Zoom via email.

Discussion questions:

1. Considering the film was written, directed, produced, and starring Orson Welles, were you pleasantly surprised or disappointed.
2. What did you think of Rita Hayworth as a blonde? Did the look fit her character?
3. The film plot is difficult to follow; did this matter to you?
4. Did anything about the film surprise you?
5. Were the performances believable? 

Filming the carriage scene in the studio

The Leopold and Loeb case is the basis for “Compulsion”

Compulsion (1959) is an American crime drama directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Orson Welles, Diane Varsi,  Dean Stockwell, and Brandford Dillman. The film is based on a novel written by Meyer Levin, which was a fictionalized account of the Leopold and Loeb murder trial. 

Friends Judd Steiner, based on Nathan Leopold, (Stockwell), and Artie Strauss, based on Richard Loeb (Dillman) kill a boy in order to commit the perfect crime. The not-so-perfect crime finds both young men turning on each other as the evidence points to their guilt. Jonathan Wilk (Welles), a famous attorney, based on Clarence Darrow is hired to defend Judd and Artie and save them from the death penalty.

Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman

Richard Fleischer (1916 - 2006) was an American film director who worked in Hollywood for decades. He got his start at RKO studio directing short subjects and documentaries. He won an Academy Award as the producer of the documentary Design for Death (1947) which was co-written by Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss). Fleischer directed several popular films noir including Armored Car Robbery (1950) and The Narrow Margin (1952). By the mid-1950s, Fleischer was directing A pictures including 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955), and The Vikings (1958). During the late-1960s, he directed Fantastic Voyage (1966), Doctor Dolittle (1967), and The Boston Strangler (1968). Fleischer was the son of pioneering film animator Max Fleischer, the creator of Betty Boop and Popeye.

Orson Welles (1915- 1985) was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, with Citizen Kane considered by many to be the greatest film of all time. Welles got his start on the stage. He formed the Mercury Theatre with John Houseman in 1937. Many of the actors from his repertory theatre starred in his first two films. Welles had a reputation for being difficult and undisciplined which contributed to his low output of films. In spite of all that, his reputation as a Hollywood genius remains untarnished.

Diane Varsi (1938 - 1992) was an American film actress best known for her role as Allison MacKenzie in Peyton Place (1957). For her role as Allison, she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. She shared the Golden Globe Award for New Star of The Year with Sandra Dee and Carolyn Jones in 1958. Varsi had lead roles in several films but became disenchanted with Hollywood and walked out on her contract with Twentieth-Century Fox. 

Dean Stockwell (1936 - ) is an American film and television actor whose career has spanned over 70 years. Stockwell got his start as a child actor under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He graduated to adult roles on Broadway, film, and television. As a child actor, he had important roles in Anchors Aweigh (1945), The Green Years (1946), and Gentleman’s Agreement (1947). As an adult, Stockwell starred in Long Day’s Journey into Night (1962), Paris, Texas (1984), To Live and Die in L.A. (1984), Blue Velvet (1986), and Married to the Mob (1988).

Bradford Dillman (1930 - 2018) was an American actor and author. Dillman graduated from Yale University and was a United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. After the war, he studied at the Actors Studio. He made his Broadway debut playing Edmund Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey into Night in 1956. His stage success brought him to Hollywood where he was put under contract with Twentieth-Century Fox. After leaving Fox, Dillman starred mostly on television, appearing on popular series like Dr. Kildare, The Name of the Game, Wild Wild West, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Dillman was married to model and actress Suzy Parker until her death in 2003.

Compulsion trivia:

• Nathan Leopold sued 20th-Century Fox saying the film was an invasion of his privacy; the court rejected his claim.
• Orson Welles wanted to direct the film but those duties went Fleischer.
• This is the second of four film adaptations of the Leopold-Loeb murder case: Rope (1948), Swoon (1992), and Murder by Numbers (2002).
• Welles, Stockwell, and Dillman received a special three-way acting award at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.
• Diane Varsi was being groomed by Fox for major stardom so she was given billing above Stockwell and Dillman who are the major players in the film.

To watch the film on YouTube, click the link below.

To join the discussion Zoom, March 9, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to join Zoom.

Questions for discussion:

1. Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope was the first fictionalization of the Leopold-Loeb case. How do you think it compares to Compulsion?
2. What did you think of the performances of Stockwell and Dillman?
3. What do you think motivated Judd and Artie to turn to murder for amusement?
4. Did anything about the film surprise you?

Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles star in “Jane Eyre”

Jane Eyre (1943) is a gothic romance directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine. Based on the classic novel by Charlotte Bronte, the screenplay was written by John Houseman, Aldous Huxley, and Robert Stevenson. Bernard Herrmann wrote the film score.

The plot concerns Jane Eyre, an orphan educated at Lowood, a charity institution for young girls run with brutal discipline by Mr. Brocklehurst. When Jane reaches adulthood, she advertises for a job as a governess. Edward Rochester hires her through his housekeeper Mrs. Fairfax, who at first, Jane believes to be the mistress of the house. Jane enjoys her job as governess to Adele, Mr. Rochester’s ward. In spite of Mr. Rochester’s sometimes-surly behavior, Jane finds herself drawn to him. As their relationship eventually grows into love, a secret from Rochester’s past threatens to doom them both.

Jane Eyre was filmed entirely on the sound stages at 20th Century-Fox.

Robert Stevenson (1905 – 1986) was an English film director, screenwriter, and actor. Producer David O. Selznick brought him to Hollywood where he loaned out his services as a director to other studios. In Hollywood, Stevenson directed Tom Brown’s School Days (1940), Back Street (1941) starring Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan, Joan of Paris (1942) starring Michele Morgan, and Dishonored Lady starring Hedy Lamarr (1947). Stevenson also directed many episodes of top television series including Gunsmoke, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Stevenson really hit his stride when he began working for the Walt Disney Studios. At Disney, he directed Johnny Tremain (1957), Old Yeller (1957), Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959), Kidnapped (1960), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), In Search of the Castaways (1962), The Love Bug (1968), and two of my favorites, The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964) and The Monkey’s Uncle (1965). None of the above Disney classics could compare, however, to the huge success of Mary Poppins (1964) which went on to win five Oscars. Stevenson directed Hayley Mills in That Darn Cat! (1965), her last movie under contract with Disney. In 1977, Variety reported that Stevenson was “the most commercially successful director in the history of films. Stevenson became an American citizen during World War II and was in the U.S. Army Signal Corps with director Frank Capra.

Orson Welles (1915- 1985) was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, with Citizen Kane (1941) considered by many to be the greatest film of all time. Welles got his start on the stage. He formed the Mercury Theatre with John Houseman in 1937. Many of the actors from his repertory theatre starred in his first two films. Welles had a reputation for being difficult and undisciplined which contributed to his low output of films. In spite of all that, his reputation as a Hollywood genius remains untarnished.

Joan Fontaine (1917 – 2013) was a British-American actress who starred in more than 45 films during Hollywood’s “Golden Age.” After secondary roles in Gunga Din (1939) and The Women (1939), her fortunes turned with her starring role in Alfred Hitchcock’s first American film, Rebecca (1940). She was nominated for Best Actress for her role in that film but lost to Ginger Rogers. The next year, she worked with Hitchcock again in Suspicion and this time won the Best Actress Oscar, beating out her older sister Olivia de Havilland. She received a third and final nomination for The Constant Nymph (1943). Other popular Fontaine films include This Above All (1942), From This Day Forward (1946), Ivy (1947), Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), The Emperor Waltz (1948), and Ivanhoe (1952). After the late-1950s, she appeared less in films and more on stage and television. Fontaine and her sister are the only siblings to have won major acting Academy Awards.

Helen (Elizabeth Taylor) has her hair cut by Mr. Brocklehurst much to
Jane’s (Peggy Ann Garner ) dismay.

Others in the cast include Margaret O’Brien as Adele, Peggy Ann Garner as the young Jane, Agnes Moorehead as Mrs. Reed, John Sutton as Dr. Rivers, Henry Daniell as Mr. Brocklehurst, Edith Barrett as Mrs. Fairfax, and Sara Allgood as Bessie. An eleven-year-old Elizabeth Taylor plays Jane’s childhood friend at Lowood. So unknown was Taylor at this time that she didn’t receive on-screen billing. Both Taylor and Margaret O’Brien were loaned from their home studio, M-G-M to Fox for their work in Jane Eyre.

Jane Eyre trivia:

• Director Robert Stevenson was a member of the Bronte Society.
• Composer Bernard Herrmann would go onto writing an operatic version of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
• Character actress Ethel Griffies (Grace Poole) played the same character in the 1934 film version.
• Olivia de Havilland portrayed Charlotte Bronte (author of Jane Eyre) in Devotion (1946).

To watch the film on YouTube, click the link below.

To join us on Zoom for a discussion of the film on January 12, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to the Zoom meeting.

Questions for discussion:

1. Why do you think there have been literally dozens of film and television adaptations of Charlotte Bronte’s novel?
2. Have you seen other film adaptations of Jane Eyre? How do they compare and contrast to the 1943 version?
3. Were Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles well cast as Jane and Mr. Rochester?
4. Did anything about the film or its production surprise you?
5. Did you have a favorite character actor in the film?

Edward G. Robinson Pursues Nazis in “The Stranger” directed by Orson Welles

The Stranger (1946) is a film noir directed by Orson Welles, produced by Sam Spiegel, and starring Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, and Orson Welles.

The film concerns Mr. Wilson (Robinson) of the United Nations War Crimes Commission and his hunt for Nazi war criminal Franz Kindler (Welles). Kindler was careful to erase all traces of evidence that would connect him to his war crimes, but it is known that he had an affinity for clocks.

Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, and Orson Welles

In an effort to locate Kindler, Robinson releases Meinike, a former associate of Kindler’s. Robinson hopes that Meinike will lead him to Kindler. Upon Meinike’s release, he travels to Harper, a small town in Connecticut. Kindler has created a new identity and life for himself there in the person of Charles Rankin, a teacher at a prep school. He is engaged to marry Mary Longstreet, (Young) the daughter of a Supreme Court Justice.

Will Kindler escape prosecution for his war crimes or will Wilson be successful in bringing him to justice?

The Stranger has the distinction of being the only film that Welles directed that was a commercial hit. After the back-to-back box office disasters of Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), no one wanted to hire Welles to direct. In order for Welles to direct, he had to sign an agreement that he would owe the studio a substantial sum of money if he didn’t meet his obligation to bring the picture in on time and on budget. In fact, Welles brought the picture in a day ahead of schedule and under budget!

Major cast members from The Stranger at the dinner table

Excerpts of the documentary film Nazi Concentration Camps (1945) were included when Wilson’s character is explaining the crimes of Kindler and other Nazis. Director George Stevens, along with James B. Donovan, and Ray Kellogg assembled the film from footage they took during the liberation of Europe for that documentary.

Orson Welles (1915- 1985) was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, with Citizen Kane considered by many to be the greatest film of all time. Welles got his start on the stage. He formed the Mercury Theatre with John Houseman in 1937. Many of the actors from his repertory theatre starred in his first two films. Welles had a reputation for being difficult and undisciplined which contributed to his low output of films. In spite of all that, his reputation as a Hollywood genius remains untarnished.

Sam Spiegel (1901 – 1985) was an American independent film producer. Speigel won Best Picture Academy Awards for three of the most famous American films of the twentieth century: On the Waterfront (1954), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), and Lawrence of Arabia (1962). His three Oscar wins are a record for an independent producer.

Russell Metty (1906 – 1978) was an American cinematographer. He won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color for Spartacus (1960). Starting his career at RKO, Metty photographed Bringing Up Baby (1937) and Room Service (1938). Other films he photographed include Magnificent Obsession (1954), There’s Always Tomorrow (1955), Written on the Wind (1956), and All That Heaven Allows (1956) all directed by Douglas Sirk. Some of his later films include Flower Drum Song (1961), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), The Omega Man (1971), and That’s Entertainment (1974).

Edward G. Robinson (1893 – 1973) was an American actor of the stage and screen. Robinson is a true legend from Hollywood’s Golden Age where he starred in the gangster classic Little Caesar (1931), Kid Galahad (1937), Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939), The Sea Wolf (1941), Double Indemnity (1944), and Key Largo (1948). Robinson was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 1973, but he was never nominated for a competitive Oscar.

Loretta Young (1913 – 2000) was an American actress. She entered show business as a young girl working in silent films. Silent film icon Colleen Moore gave her the name Loretta (she was born Gretchen Young). With the advent of talkies, Young became a leading lady, landing a long-term contract at 20th Century-Fox. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck paired her with Tyrone Power and the two were a movie team for a time. Young tired of the parts she was getting at Fox and she decided to leave the studio and become a freelance actor, which was a risky proposition. After a slow start where she reduced her per film fee, she managed to get back on top, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1948 for The Farmer’s Daughter. When film roles dried up, Young ventured into the new medium of television, becoming one of its earliest pioneers with the anthology series The Loretta Young Show.

To watch this film on YouTube, click on the link below. Be sure to use this link because there are several versions of this film on YouTube that are of poor quality.

After you have watched the film, join us on Zoom for a discussion. Below are the links to follow.

Stephen Reginald is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Discussion of "The Stranger"

Time: Jun 2, 2020 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79106851740?pwd=cHRHSm1DVUtIckVSOVFZY2dBZjJDdz09

Meeting ID: 791 0685 1740

Password: 5Wqk1Z

Questions for discussion:

1. Noir or not? Does this film fit the film noir model as you know it?

2. What did you think of Edward G. Robinson’s performance?

3. From what you know of Orson Welles, did this feel like a Welles film?

4. Was Loretta Young’s character believable?

5. Did the ending surprise you? If yes, how did you think it would end?

"Jane Eyre": A Golden Age Classic

A recent article in The New York Times featured a story on the new film version of Jane Eyre directed by Cary Fukunaga. Charlotte Brontë’s novel, first published in 1847, has been filmed at least 18 times, according to Charles McGrath, the author of the Times piece. Brontë’s classic Gothic romance set the standard, and in many cases the rules, for romantic literature. So it isn’t hard to understand why the story of a poor orphan girl who ultimately finds love and happiness has fascinated filmmakers and filmgoers alike for generations.

Huxley, Houseman, and Stevenson
It’s interesting to note that Fukunaga grew up watching the 1943 film version directed by Robert Stevenson starring Orson Welles as Rochester and Joan Fontaine as Jane. Like Fukunaga’s version, it’s not a strict adaptation of the novel. The screenplay written by Aldous Huxley, John Houseman, and Stevenson has a literary quality that captures both the novel’s spirit and tone. That literary quality is bolstered by the extraordinary black and white cinematography by George Barnes, who framed every scene as if it were a painting.

Peggy Ann Garner, as the young Jane, takes her punishment at Lowood School

“Desperately Appealing”
Peggy Ann Garner plays the young Jane who is sent to Lowood School by her cruel Aunt Reed, played by Agnes Moorehead. Young Jane’s sad experiences at the strict boarding school are heartbreaking. Under the tyrannical leadership of schoolmaster Mr. Brocklehurst (Henry Daniell), Jane and her friend Helen (played by an unbilled Elizabeth Taylor), are exposed to many indignities. The performances in these early scenes are very affecting. Bosley Crowther in The New York Times said Garner “…is desperately appealing as the tortured child, Jane, and Henry Daniell is monstrously sadistic as her evil schoolmaster.”

Although her looks were downplayed, Joan Fontaine still made a beautiful Jane Eyre.

When Jane becomes an adult (Fontaine), she decides to make her own way in the world as a governess. When she arrives at Thornfield Hall, Jane is overwhelmed by the estate, but intrigued by her new master, Mr. Rochester (Welles). Hired as a governess for Adele Varens (Margaret O’Brien), Jane is conscientious and caring.

The studio reused old sets and props to give Jane Eyre its rich look.

Creativity on a Budget
The film shot during World War II was constrained by the budget limitations that the studio imposed on the production team. By recycling older sets and using props and furnishings on hand at Twentieth Century Fox, the producers created an atmosphere that is both lush and mysterious. The deep shadows and sharp focus give the film its unique texture; it’s the Hollywood dream factory at its creative peak.

The movie title in the opening credits was stamped on a book.

The Novel Version
Part of the appeal of the novel is the voice of the narrator, Jane. The 1943 film starts out with a shot of the first page of Jane Eyre with Fontaine’s voice-over reading of the text. Unlike the novel, where Jane is clearly the main character, Rochester is given almost equal status in the Stevenson version. As played by Welles, Brontë’s brooding hero is bigger than life; if he had been paired with a less competent actress, his characterization might have overshadowed Fontaine's Jane.  

Joan Fontaine won an Academy Award for her role in Suspicion costarring Cary Grant.

Fontaine on a Roll
Jane Eyre was Fontaine’s fourth major film role after her breakout performance in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940). An Oscar winner for another Hitchcock classic, Suspicion(1941), Fontaine’s career was flying high. Welles on the other hand was no longer the boy wonder of Hollywood. RKO suspended his contract, which almost put it out of business. Welles’s overspending on the back-to-back financial failures Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons greatly lowered his marketability in Hollywood. It’s somewhat amazing that he was offered the role of Rochester and even more amazing that he would get top billing over the more famous Fontaine, who played the title character!

Orson Welles as Mr. Rochester and Fontaine as Jane Eyre

Stevenson Was in Control of Jane Eyre
Much has been said about Welles’s influence on the film’s production, some suggesting that he was really the director. According to Fontaine's memoir, No Bed of Roses she discounted that notion. Fontaine said that slowly, but surely, Stevenson took charge of the film in spite of Welles’s attempts to run the show. Stevenson had a distinguished directorial career that goes back to the early 1930s. His films from the studio period include the 1941 version of Back Street starring Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan. He directed many major movie stars including the likes of Robert Mitchum and Ava Gardner. Stevenson really hit his stride when he signed on with Walt Disney. Stevenson’s first three films for Disney are considered classics, including Johnny Tremain and Old Yeller (both 1957) and Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959), which featured a young Sean Connery. He reached his box office and creative peak with the Oscar-winning Mary Poppins (1964). Stevenson’s output at Disney made him one of the most commercially successful directors during the 1960s and 1970s.

Director Robert Stevenson around the time Jane Eyre was being filmed

Timeless Appeal
I think the reason the Stevenson version is so successful is the way it expresses the longing and yearning of the main characters in their search for love and acceptance. Fontaine’s Jane is vulnerable, but strong; you identify with her ultimate goodness of character. Through Fontaine’s characterization her yearning becomes our yearning; we want her to find happiness. If Welles’s Rochester is a bit over-the-top, Fontaine’s more subtle performance evens things out. In spite of the overpowering Welles, it’s still Fontaine’s picture. Jane Eyre is the star and we do love Jane.

Val Lewton: The genius nobody knows

Val Lewton is credited with elevating the horror film to artistic levels during the 1940s. At RKO he set a standard few filmmakers have matched. When other horror films of the period featured creatures and monsters that didn’t exist, Lewton’s movies were populated with ordinary people. The horror did not come from monsters or demons, but from neighbors, coworkers, and those in positions of authority. And Lewton knew that nothing on screen could match the horrors conjured up inside the mind of the viewer. By combining believable characters, literate scripts, film noir-like cinematography, and clever editing, Lewton’s films drummed up more suspense and horror than all the monsters on the Universal lot combined…and that was his goal. Not only were Lewton’s films truly frightening, but they explored unusual (for the times) themes like psychosexual frustration (Cat People) and hints of lesbianism (The Seventh Victim). Alfred Hitchcock would explore these themes further in films like Spellbound, Strangers on a Train, Psycho, and Marni.

Lewton started his movie career working for David O. Selznick as a story editor. While working for Selznick, Lewton had a hand in shaping movie classics like A Tale of Two Cities (1935), A Star is Born (1937), and Rebecca (1940), among others. He’s famous for advising Selznick against buying the rights to Gone with the Wind, calling it “ponderous trash.” Lewton managed to survive that blunder, but he grew tired of working for Selznick.


In 1942, Lewton was named head of the newly formed horror unit at RKO. At the time of his hire, RKO was in financial straits because of their costly relationship with Orson Welles and the failures of Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons to connect with the public. Lewton’s task was to make horror films that: cost under $150,000 per picture, did not run more than 75 minutes, and used the lurid titles supplied to him by the studio bosses. Starting with Cat People in 1942, Lewton produced a string of successful horror films that helped keep RKO in the black. At RKO, Lewton collaborated with director Jacques Tourneur (Out of the Past, Way of a Gaucho) and gave Robert Wise (The Set Up, The Sound of Music) and Mark Robson (Champion, The Bridges at Toko-Ri) their first assignments as film directors. Although not a household name, Lewton left an indelible mark on the horror film genre and influenced numerous filmmakers, including William Friedkin, Martin Scorsese, George Romero, as well as the aforementioned Alfred Hitchcock to name a few.