Carole Lombard, Cary Grant, and Kay Francis star in “In Name Only”

In Name Only (1939) stars Carole Lombard and Cary Grant in rare dramatic form in this marital melodrama directed by John Cromwell (Since You Went Away).

Grant is Alec Walker, a man stuck in a loveless marriage with his wife Maida (Kay Francis). Maida married Alec for his money and his social position; she never loved him. One afternoon Alec runs into Julie (Lombard), a commercial artist with a young daughter named Ellen (Peggy Ann Garner). They are instantly attracted to each other, but Maida stands in the way of their happiness.

Lombard, Grant, and Francis mug for this publicity photo for In Name Only.

Although the public loved Lombard and Grant for their comedy performances, both are believable as a couple deeply in love. Will their love survive Maida’s intrigue?

One of the great melodramas of the late-1930s, In Name Only was praised by the critics. Variety said, “In the steering of the story director John Cromwell has made every situation as believable as could be accomplished in order to sustain the dramatic undercurrent, strife and the beleaguered romance which has developed. Cary Grant and Carole Lombard emerge highly impressive.” Frank Nugent of the New York Times called the film “Soap opera par excellence…blessed with a peerless cast.”

Click HERE to watch the movie at the Internet Archive.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on March 17, 2025, Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to join the discussion on Zoom.

In Name Only trivia

• Photoplay magazine named Lombard and Grant as the best movie performers for the month of October 1939.
• Katharine Hepburn was supposed to play the female lead and reunite with Grant, but due to the failure of Bringing Up Baby, Lombard was brought on board to replace her.
• The Hollywood Reporter said that Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was set to play the role of Alec.
• Lombard insisted on casting her friend Kay Francis in the role of Maida after Francis was dropped from Warner Bros.
• The home used as the location for the garden party, is the front portico of the old Selznick Studio in Culver City, where Gone with the Wind (1939) was being filmed at the same time as In Name Only.
• This was Peggy Ann Garner’s first credited role.
• In Name Only premiered in New York at the city’s famed Radio City Music Hall on August 4, 1939 where it was held over for several weeks.

Discussion questions

1. What did you think of the acting of Grant and Lombard? Were they convincing
2. Was Lombard right to insist that Kay Francis play the part of Maida? Was Francis convincing as the gold-digging wife?
3. Was the romantic triangle realistic and/or believable?
4. Charles Coburn did a rare dramatic turn as the father of Alec. What did you think of his performance?
5. Was there anything about this film that surprised you?
6. Did In Name Only remind you of any other films?

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?

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?

Betty Smith’s “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” glows on the screen

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) is an American drama directed by Elia Kazan and starring Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, James Dunn, Lloyd Nolan, Ted Donaldson, and Peggy Ann Garner as Francie. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Betty Smith.

James Dunn and Peggy Ann Garner

The film centers around an impoverished Irish-American family living in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. The film’s main focus is on 13-year-old Francie Nolan (Garner) who dreams of a life away from her drab existence and her desire to improve herself through reading all the books in her local library.

Francie’s parents Katie (McGuire) and Johnny (James Dunn) are struggling to make ends meet and raise their children. Johnny is a singing waiter who struggles with alcoholism which is a strain emotionally and financially on the family. Francie is especially affected because she loves her father dearly and yearns for a time when he won’t be “sick” anymore.

Lloyd Nolan, Joan Blondell, Ted Donaldson, Dorothy McGuire,
Peggy Ann Garner, and James Dunn

Elia Kazan (1909 – 2003) was an American director, producer, writer, and actor. He is one of the co-founders of the Actors Studio in 1947 with Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford. Kazan is also one of the most celebrated directors of the theater as well as the movies. Kazan won two Best Director Academy Awards-1947 for Gentleman’s Agreement and 1954 for On the Waterfront—as well as a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award in 1998. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was Kazan’s feature film debut as a director.

Dorothy McGuire (1916 – 2001) was an American theater and film actress. McGuire developed an interest in acting at a young age. At 13, she made her stage debut in A Kiss for Cinderella in Omaha, Nebraska, her hometown. Henry Fonda, also from Omaha, was her costar. As an adult, she achieved fame on Broadway in Claudia (1941 to 1943). In 1943, she starred in the film version with Robert Young that was a huge success. She reunited with Young for The Enchanted Cottage (1945) and replaced Gene Tierney in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945). She was nominated for Best Actress in Gentleman’s Agreement (1947). Some of her other films include Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Trial (1955), and Friendly Persuasion (1956). McGuire made several popular films for Walt Disney including Old Yeller (1957), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and Summer Magic (1963).

Joan Blondell (1906 – 1979) was an American actress who was a top movie star during the 1930s and early 1940s. Later in her career, she became a popular character actress. Some of Blondell’s early films include The Public Enemy (1931), Gold Diggers of 1933, Dames (1934), and Stand-In (1937). Later in her career, she gave notable supporting performances in The Blue Veil (1951), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971), and Grease (1978).

James Dunn (1901 – 1967) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He achieved his greatest success early in his career when he signed a contract with Fox. In 1934, Dunn co-starred with Shirley Temple in three films, the most famous of which is probably Bright Eyes. Dunn broke his contract with Fox before it expired and worked as a freelance artist without much success. Like his character Johnny in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Dunn had a drinking problem which impacted his acting career. For his role as the alcoholic father in that film, Dunn won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Peggy Ann Garner (1932 – 1984) was an American child film actress who achieved great fame during the mid-1940s. Garner entered films at age six. By age twelve, she had reached her peak playing the role of Francie Nolan in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. For her performance in that film, Garner won an Academy Juvenile Award. Garner was memorable as the title character as a young girl in Jane Eyre (1943). After her success in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Garner had starring roles in Nob Hill (1945), Junior Miss (1945), and Home Sweet Homicide (1946). Soon thereafter, Garner was relegated to a supporting player, never able to successfully transition to adult roles. In spite of the lack of film roles, Garner had success on Broadway and appeared on popular television shows including Perry Mason, Combat!, Batman, The Big Valley, and Lou Grant.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn trivia:

• 20th Century-Fox paid $55,000 dollars for the rights to Betty Smith’s novel before publication.
• Director Kazan and author Smith were classmates at Yale School of Drama.
• Alice Faye, Gene Tierney, Mary Anderson, and Jeanne Crain were all considered for the role of Katie Nolan. Tierney actually was set to play Katie but had to drop out due to pregnancy. Tierney and McGuire were best friends in real life.
• Fred MacMurray campaigned for the role of Johnny Nolan.
• Nicholas Ray is credited as dialogue director.

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

To join us on Zoom for a discussion on December 22, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click the link for details and invitation. When you RSVP you will receive an email and link to the discussion.

Questions for discussion:

1. What was your overall impression of the film?
2. Did any of you read the novel? How does the film compare?
3. Did Katie’s love for her husband get in the way of her ability to protect her family from the effects of his alcoholism?
4. Did Francie have a realistic view of her father?
5. How did you feel about the way the film concluded?

Great Films of 1939: "In Name Only" June 11 at Daystar Center

Great films of 1939: In Name Only
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
When: June 11, 2016
Time: 6:45 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald

In Name Only (1939) stars Carole Lombard and Cary Grant in rare dramatic form in this marital melodrama directed by John Cromwell (Since You Went Away).

Grant is Alec Walker, a man stuck in a loveless marriage with his wife Maida (Kay Francis). Maida married Alec for his money and his social position; she never loved him. One afternoon Alec runs into Julie (Lombard), a commercial artist with a young daughter named Ellen (Peggy Ann Garner). They are instantly attracted to each other, but Maida stands in the way of their happiness.

Carole Lombard, Cary Grant and Kay Francis mug for the camera in this
publicity photo for In Name Only

Although the public loved Lombard and Grant for their comedy performances, both are believable as a couple deeply in love. Will their love survive Maida’s intrigue?

One of the great melodramas of the late-1930s, In Name Only was praised by the critics. Variety said, “In the steering of the story director John Cromwell has made every situation as believable as could be accomplished in order to sustain the dramatic undercurrent, strife and the beleaguered romance which has developed. Cary Grant and Carole Lombard emerge highly impressive.” Frank Nugent of the New York Times called the film “Soap opera par excellence…blessed with a peerless cast.”

In Name Only premiered in New York at the city’s famed Radio City Music Hall on August 4, 1939 where it was held over for several weeks.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!

Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.

Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

"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.