A naive young woman falls for a handsome young man her emotionally abusive father suspects is only a fortune hunter.A naive young woman falls for a handsome young man her emotionally abusive father suspects is only a fortune hunter.A naive young woman falls for a handsome young man her emotionally abusive father suspects is only a fortune hunter.
- Won 4 Oscars
- 9 wins & 8 nominations total
Mary Bayless
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
Nan Boardman
- French Maid
- (uncredited)
Jack Chefe
- French Waiter
- (uncredited)
Marcel De la Brosse
- French Porter
- (uncredited)
Ray De Ravenne
- French Waiter
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector William Wyler shot 37 takes of Olivia de Havilland carrying her suitcases up the stairs. Only after the final shoot, whereupon she briefly stopped on the second flight of stairs and leaned on the handrail for a couple of seconds, did Wyler declare that this was the take he wanted to print.
- GoofsThis story takes place at the end of the 1840s, but none of the men wear the cravats--material bound around the neck and tied in either the front or back--that were fashionable in that period; instead they wear neckties and bow ties, which did not come into fashion until the late 1850s.
- Quotes
Aunt Penniman: Can you be so cruel?
Catherine Sloper: Yes, I can be very cruel. I have been taught by masters.
Featured review
A fine adaptation of an excellent play, with a subtle and precise view of human nature worthy of Henry James
Catherine (Olivia de Havilland) is a thoroughly ordinary girl with one thing commend her—her money. That's the view of her father (Ralph Richardson), who believes he is cruel only to be kind. He takes a dim view of the handsome and charming man (Montgomery Clift) who courts her. Surely this idler's only possible motive for proposing marriage is to get her money. Catherine's aunt (Miriam Hopkins) may agree, but believes the two should marry anyway. 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. We rarely see such a subtle and precise view of people, presented in a way that allows us to draw our own conclusions about them. Is the father villainous and cruel? Is the fiancé a fortune hunter? Do we approve or disapprove of Catherine's decisions throughout the film? We're not told what to think.
De Havilland is fine at conveying the various shades of her many-faceted character. Richardson is excellent, making the most of his mellifluous voice and superb manners. Clift is good, though his diction is lazier than that of his co-stars'. I find Clift smug and unappealing, which doesn't detract from this particular character. Miriam Hopkins, a former leading lady, aged into character parts, gives a performance rich in detail and humor. Highly recommended.
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. We rarely see such a subtle and precise view of people, presented in a way that allows us to draw our own conclusions about them. Is the father villainous and cruel? Is the fiancé a fortune hunter? Do we approve or disapprove of Catherine's decisions throughout the film? We're not told what to think.
De Havilland is fine at conveying the various shades of her many-faceted character. Richardson is excellent, making the most of his mellifluous voice and superb manners. Clift is good, though his diction is lazier than that of his co-stars'. I find Clift smug and unappealing, which doesn't detract from this particular character. Miriam Hopkins, a former leading lady, aged into character parts, gives a performance rich in detail and humor. Highly recommended.
helpful•251
- J. Spurlin
- Feb 16, 2007
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $2,600,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $158
- Runtime1 hour 55 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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