The Heiress

Plot synopsis:
Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Havilland) is a plain, painfully shy woman whose emotionally detached father, New York physician Austin Sloper (Ralph Richardson), makes no secret of his disappointment in her. He is terribly bitter about the loss of his charming and beautiful wife, whom he feels fate replaced with a simple and unalluring daughter. Catherine is devoted to her father, however, and too innocent to fully comprehend his mistreatment or the reasons for it. When she meets the charming Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift), she immediately is taken by the attention he lavishes upon her, attention she so desperately seeks from her father. Catherine falls madly in love with Morris and they plan to marry.
Dr. Sloper believes Morris is an idler who is courting Catherine only to get her inheritance, and his interview with Morris' sister only reinforces his suspicion. He tells the young couple his opinion of Morris and takes Catherine to Europe for an extended time, but she cannot forget her betrothed. When they return to New York, Dr. Sloper threatens to disinherit his daughter if she marries Morris. Catherine does not care and plans to elope with him but not before telling him about her father's decision. On the night they are to elope, Catherine eagerly waits at home for Morris to come and take her away, but he never arrives.
Catherine is heartbroken. A day or so later, she has a bitter argument with her father, who makes his disdain for her abundantly clear. Soon afterwards, he reveals he is dying. She tells her father she still loves Morris and challenges him to change his will if he is afraid they will waste his money after he dies. He does not alter the will and dies a short time later, leaving her his entire estate.
A few years later, Morris returns from California, having made nothing of himself but still professing his love for Catherine. He claims that he left her behind because he could not bear to see her destitute. Catherine pretends to forgive him and tells him she still wants to elope as they originally planned. He promises to come back for her that night, and she tells him she will start packing her bags.
Catherine coldly plots her revenge upon Morris. Her aunt asks her how she can be so cruel, and she responds, "I have been taught by masters." When Morris returns, Catherine calmly orders the maid to bolt the door, leaving him locked outside, shouting her name. The film fades out with Catherine silently ascending the stairs while Morris' despairing cries echo unanswered in the darkness.

Tags: revenge, atmospheric

Review:
However, even the coiffures excel in "The Heiress." De Havilland's hair looks authentic 19th century and underscores Wyler's fastidious attention to detail.With an award-winning de Havilland performance, a handsome Montgomery Clift on the brink of stardom, and an engrossing Henry James story, "The Heiress" is one of the finest films of the 1940's.
Usually, Hollywood eliminates any of the subtlety of a great author's voice (see the recent remake of "Washington Square" if you want to see a real Hollywoodization of a novel – it actually depicts a young Catherine peeing her pants in public – an inane "Animal House"-type Hollywood requirement that degrading a woman by showing her peeing is an erotic boost for any movie).
Olivia de Havilland is perfect as James' unlikely heroine, going from an awkward gawky girl eager to please her beloved father, to a simple, loving young woman who steadfastly stands by her lover, to an embittered middle-aged woman who understands that, as Henry James says, "the great facts of her career were that Morris Townsend had trifled with her affection, and that her father had broken its spring." If you liked this movie, read the novel.
Listen to James' descriptions of Catherine and her father and see if this isn't exactly what Ralph Richardson and Olivia deHavilland portrayed: "Doctor Sloper would have liked to be proud of his daughter; but there was nothing to be proud of in poor Catherine." "Love demands certain things as a right; but Catherine had no sense of her rights; she had only a consciousness of immense and unexpected favors." " 'She is so soft, so simple-minded, she would be such an easy victim!
This movie should be played in every acting class ever taught to show the brilliance of subtlety and range of expressions possible when one is conveying a character's inner emotions.Olivia De Havilland is a beautiful woman, but you believe she's an ungainly bundle of shy awkwardness in the role of Catherine Sloper.
On stage the father was played by Basil Rathbone, and in his memoirs ("In And Out Of Character"), Rathbone makes a case that Dr. Sloper (his role) was not the villain in the novel - it was Sloper who was trying to protect his naive daughter Catherine from the clutches of fortune hunting suitor Morris Townshend.
Catherine is deeply in love, but her fiancé will forever change her view of herself, of her father and of human nature as a whole.William Wyler directs Augustus and Ruth Goetz's adaptation of their own play, suggested by Henry James's "Washington Square," and it's a fine job by all.
Montgomery Clift a young and rising star, Olivia de Havilland already famous for earlier roles (including a supporting one in "Gone with the Wind"), and the terrific stage actor Ralph Richardson, who received an Oscar nomination for his role.
Combine a wonderfully told story with a masterful director (William Wyler), and add to that superb cast, and you have the formula for a masterpiece as we do here.Olivia de Havilland gives the performance of her life as Catherine Sloper, the socially awkward and homely daughter of surgeon Dr. Sloper (played by Ralph Richardson).
At the same time, there is a hint of fatherly love below the surface trying to protect his daughter from what he perceives is a fortune hunter in the suitor of Montgomery Clift's character, Morris Townsend.The photography in the film is amazing as it conveys the deep emotions in the film so adequately.
But the best aspect of this film is Olivia deHavilland's portrayal of the tragic, pitiful Catherine Sloper who, denied a life of being loved by her resentful father, falls in love with the first man who shows her kindness.
A handsome, icy film adaptation of Henry James's novel "Washington Square." Olivia de Havilland is a far cry from Melanie Wilkes as Catherine Sloper, a socially awkward ugly duckling who becomes the target of a gold digger, the dashing Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift), who loves the idea of Catherine's inheritance more than he loves her.
An inheritance her father will take away from her should she progress further with the shifty Townsend.A novel written by Henry James {Washington Square}, and a successful Broadway play by Ruth & Augustus Goetz {responsible for the film's wonderful ending}, The Heiress adapts perfectly to the big screen due to the almost peerless work from all involved in the adaptation.
Ralph Richardson plays the father brilliantly, fusing a trio of character traits with wonderful results, and William Wyler's direction is right on the money, it's no surprise to learn that de Havilland requested Wyler for the project, for she must surely have known that he was the man to bring out such a majestic two fold performance.Montgomery Clift gives a rather more safe than great performance as Townsend, perhaps at times too aware that de Havilland and Richardson were shining bright on set, Clift none the less is one of those actors who's average shows were still better than some of his so called peers best.
But one only has to view the film now to see that the off screen tensions lifted de Havilland to another acting level, well, also helped by the gifted hands of one William Wyler of course.A smashing, dramatic, and engrossing picture, The Heiress is a must see for those looking for artistic deftness, with an ending that is a fittingly memorable piece of class.
Montgomery Clift is great and Ralph Richardson gives a fantastic performance, as a father that just can't love and feel proud of his daughter.
That's why it becomes a source of frustration for Catherine that her father, Dr. Austin Sloper (Ralph Richardson) is constantly belittling her character by judging her through his vision of the ideal woman, his deceased wife, throughout the film.
While it's true that at times Montgomery Clift invokes an acting style that falls somewhere outside the time of the character, he never loses step with the scene, or with the other actors.One of the most touching scenes in the film occurs when Morris is playing a song for Catherine on the piano.
I said that for a movie about poverty but boy, does it also apply to Catherine Sloper, the fortuned yet unfortunate titular heroine of William Wyler's adaptation from the play of the same name, based on Henry James' novel "Washington Square".
If I can find any criticism at all it would be with Montgomery Clift's character, not that he is at all unconvincing but purely because he is up against the almost unbelievable achievements of Olivia de Havilland, Ralph Richardson and Miriam Hopkins all giving performances, seldom, if ever, surpassed in the history of cinema.
It's a rarely acknowledged and little understood facet of film-making, but a truly excellent performance is to some degree a collaboration between the actor and the director.In the Heiress, we see Olivia de Havilland in what is probably her finest work.
Dr Sloper and Catherine's father/daughter relationship is somewhat the core of the film and is played with brilliant passion by both Richardson and de Havilland.
Olivia de Havilland gives a stunning performance as a shy, socially awkward young woman named Catherine, who stands to gain a fortune when her father dies.
Catherine's father (well played by Ralph Richardson), a man gifted with great insight into people but a person who also has a cruel tongue, acknowledges Morris' charm and social grace, but is nevertheless suspicious.The most engaging angle to the story is the change that comes over Catherine, as the plot moves along.
The reason why his subtle, hidden handling of Augustus Goetz and Henry James's material is without the auto-pilot connection an audience often has with even enormously entertaining films, why The Heiress's every scene virtually speaks to you with passive-aggressive mystery, is because Wyler, in terms of purely emotional familiarity, the thoughts that go through his mind, the personalities with which he can relate, knows the story's themes all too well, and I can see him signing on at the helm of this ruthless work of noninvasive craftsmanship, saying under his breath, "We'll just see whose calls resound unrequited into the shadows of the New York streets.".
The Heiress - is an outstanding movie - adaptation of the play by Augustus and Ruth Goetz, based on the novel "Washington Square" by great writer, Henry James, The drama of a young, shy, sweet, open to love, rather plain in her appearance but very rich girl takes place in New York City in the mid-1880s.
Olivia de Havilland is excellent as Catherine, the heiress of the title, who fells in love with a very good looking young man Morris Townsend(Montgomery Clift in the role that had propelled him to the stardom), who may or may not be after her extraordinary wealth.
Using his trademark shadowy cinematography and decidedly murky view of 19th century America, Wyler and star Olivia de Havilland (in her most brilliant, triumphant performance) help bring to life this chilling tale of a woman scorned.It is 1849 New York, and Catherine Sloper is the only child of the fabulously wealthy Dr. Austin Sloper (Ralph Richardson) and heir to a $30,000 a year fortune.
Besides, if you had a father like Dr. Sloper and a fiancée like Morris, how do you think you would turn out?The Heiress is a reminder of a time when many movies were treated like plays, where performance mattered just as much, if not more than, box office clout.
Nominated for eight Oscars and the winner of four, including Best Actress (for Olivia de Havilland), "The Heiress" is an adaptation of the play, which was taken from a novel by Henry James.Ms. de Havilland plays the central character, Catherine Sloper--a socially awkward young woman who is immature and without artifice.
Suddenly a suitor appears--Morris Townsend played by Montgomery Clift in only his third big screen appearance--and Catherine's father fears that Morris wants her only for her fortune.All of the acting performances in this film are excellent.
William Wyler directs Olivia de Havilland and Montgomery Clift in two very excellent performances to steady a disturbingly powerful story of a plain, simple woman Catherine Sloper, who has almost no relationship with her father (Ralph Richardson in a frigid role) due to the untimely death of her mother.
The film was meticulously cast, with Ralph Richardson as Catherine's father, Miriam Hopkins as her aunt, and of course, the gorgeous Montgomery Clift as that bounder, Morris.This is a beautifully produced and directed film.
Olivia De Havilland,(Catherine Sloper),"Hush..Hush, Sweet Charlotte",'64 played a rather homely young lady who fell deeply in love with Montgomery Clift,(Morris Townsend),"Red River",'48, who managed to sweep Catherine Sloper off her feet and stole her heart strings and completely over powered her with his great charms.
I can't decide who gives the most overpowering performance, whether it's Olivia de Havilland as Catherine, or Ralph Richardson as Dr. Sloper, her unsympathetic father.
Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Miriam Hopkins and Ralph Richardson star in this perfectly executed film, directed by William Wyler, based on a play adaptation of the Henry James novel.
Olivia De Havilland would win her 2nd Oscar in 3 years for 1949's "The Heiress."In this film she sacrificed her beauty to turn in a power-house performance as a woman victimized by her father, a nasty but truthful Ralph Richardson and gold-digger suitor, Morris, played well by Montgomery Clift.
Richardson received a well deserved supporting Oscar nomination for his performance.Based on Henry James' "Washington Square," the film tells about Catherine, a plain looking woman, who is courted by Morris.
A young naive woman falls for a handsome young man who her emotionally abusive father suspects is a fortune hunter.Stars: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson.
One of the great moments is when, after Dr. Sloper tells his daughter that she is both plain and good at nothing, you see Catherine with her back turned and, cleverly using a mirror, you see the growing distance between her and her father, as the latter walks away.The screenplay, a very literary adaptation from Henry James' WASHINGTON SQUARE is, to me, one of the best ever.
That exceptional screenplay is brought to life by sublime performances by Sir Ralph Richardson (pity he didn't get the Best Supporting Actor Oscar) and de Havilland, a beautiful woman who manages to look plain for most of the film, and who, as she drops her humane qualities and becomes vindictive, becomes physically beautiful, heightening one's perception of the extent of Townsend's loss.
Clever, punchy, profound ending.Superb performances by Olivia De Havilland as Catherine, Montgomery Clift as Townsend and Ralph Richardson as Dr. Sloper.
Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Havilland) is a put-upon girl dominated by her father (Ralph Richardson), who falls in love with ne'er-do-well Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift), but discovers to her cost that Morris, like her father, simply treats her as a convenience.
But while Clift is the leading man so to speak aside from de Havilland the most memorable performance comes from Ralph Richardson in the role of Catherine's father.
...to all young actresses who want to learn about their job:watch Mrs De Havilland whose performances are close to perfection;an actress who did not think twice when it came to make herself look ugly.And the rest of the cast is admirable too:Monty Clift was perhaps the most gifted actor of his generation and sir Ralph Richardson is equally powerful as the selfish resentful father.How is it possible that there are still "critics" who despise William Wyler,maybe the best story teller of the whole American cinema?His directing is BY NO MEANS academic .Nobody films a ball like Wyler used to do:everybody remembers the fabulous scenes in "Wuthering Heights" , "the letter" and of course "Jezebel".Here he outdoes himself and his filming of these people dancing is a feast for the eye.I also love the way Wyler introduces his male lead.Besides,Clift is so subtle an actor he makes us believe he might not be a fortune-hunter.Another stroke of genius is the use of the stairs .All along the movie,Catherine goes downstairs then upstairs ,till the impressive final sequence.The cast and credits appear on a tapestry which become a picture of the street.A tapestry Catherine will be making during the whole movie too.It represents an ossified society where time stood still .Catherine on her stairs is like a squirrel in a cage.A remake ,called "Washington square" ,was made by A.
Miriam Hopkins and Montgomery Clift give tremendously adept performances as Aunt Penniman and Morris, but the film is carried to completely different heights by Olivia de Havilland and Ralph Richardson.As Catherine walks up the stairs after being abandoned by Morris, it is wholly possible for the viewer to feel the weight of her pain and the burden of her struggle.
William Wyler directed the Henry James adaptation of the short story, "Washington Square" with musical score by Aaron Copeland and starring Oliva de Havilland as Catherine Sloper, Ralph Richardson, Dr. Sloper her father, Montgomery Clift, the fortune hunter Morris Townsend, and Mirriam Hopkins, Aunt Livenia.
As a lamp's light marks her movements up the staircase through a transom window and to the intimate family bedrooms upstairs, Morris is shut out from Catherine's heart, money, and the house he'd brazenly announced to Aunt Penniman was his "home." It is a masterful scene that is one of the most chilling in film history.Oliva de Havilland won an Oscar for this performance which is matched by the exceptional performances of Ralph Richardson, Montgomery Clift and score of Aaron Copeland.
The Heiress is directed by William Wyler, is based on the novel by Henry James and stars Olivia De Havilland, Montgomery Clift and Ralph Richardson.This adaptation of Henry James novel Washington Square,is nothing less than a masterpiece.Filled with subtle but powerful performances this is a haunting story of psychological cruelty and a deeply moving love story.
Olivia De Havilland won a well deserved Oscar for her unforgettable portrayal of a jilted and emotionally broken woman.It's 1849 and in the wealthy city block Washington Square young,shy and dreadfully plain Catherine Sloper(Olivia de Havilland)is the dutiful and deeply undervalued daughter of the respected Dr.Austin Sloper(Ralph Richardson).Austin bullies her emotionally and is forever putting her down and telling her to be more like her beautiful dead mother.Because of this she is dreadfully shy and dislikes social occasions.It falls to her kindly,romantic and highly excitable aunt Lavinia Penniman(Miriam Hopkins)to try and get her married.At an engagement party for her cousin,Catherine meets the handsome Morris Townsend(Montgomery Clift)he is attentive to her and for the first time in her life she falls in love.Dr.Sloper objects to their plans for marriage on the grounds that he believes Morris to be after Catherines thirty thousand dollar fortune.After many struggles Morris abandons Catherine.Once this happens Catherine transforms into a hardened and cold woman who refuses to have anything to do with love and now feels all compliments directed towards her are false or jokes.One of the most unforgettable portrayals of the effects of psychological cruelty ever put onto either paper or film.The Heiress is an experience which once seen you'll never forget.A special mention must go to Edith Head's costumes and Aaron Copeland's Oscar winning score..
Excellent film with Olivia de Havilland giving a stunning performance as spinster and heiress Catherine Sloper (though I still think she was even better in The Snake Pit).
Ralph Richardson is also brilliant as her cold, cruel father, and Montgomery Clift...well, you shouldn't trust Morris Townsend for a second, but when he looks LIKE THAT, you can forgive him anything!
Directed by William Wyler and based on the stage play by Ruth and Augustus Goetz, which was in turn an adaptation of the Henry James novel WASHINGTON SQUARE, this is an acute character study that demonstrates that the right thing may not always be the most loving thing.De Havilland plays Catherine Sloper, the only daughter of a distinguished New York doctor (played with waspish dignity by the great Ralph Richardson).