The Horse's Head

#543) Porky in Wackyland (1938)

OR “Much A Dodo About Nothing”

Directed by Robert Clampett

Written by Warren Foster

Class of 2000

The Plot: Porky Pig (voiced by Mel Blanc) travels to “Darkest Africa” to hunt the elusive Dodo bird (also voiced by Mel Blanc). Porky arrives in Wackyland, which is filled with all kinds of surreal cartoon creations. The Dodo bird finally appears, but it turns out capturing him is more challenging (and more absurd) than Porky expected.

Why It Matters: The only superlative in the NFR write-up comes not from the Registry itself, but rather Leonard Maltin, who calls the film an “eye-popping tribute to the unlimited horizons of the animated cartoon.”

But Does It Really?: Oh sure. At a time when Disney had the market cornered on groundbreaking, realistic animation, shorts like “Porky in Wackyland” are a good reminder that cartoons shouldn’t always obey real-world physics and logic. Plus, I’m always surprised how few Looney Tunes and/or Merrie Melodies shorts are on the NFR (Bugs, Daffy, and Porky have one starring role apiece). A yes for “Porky in Wackyland”, and hopefully some more classic Warner Bros. animation on this list.

Everybody Gets One: “Porky in Wackyland” is the only NFR appearance for three of the most influential figures in Looney Tunes history. “Wackyland” was writer Warren Foster’s first Looney Tunes script, and he wrote 170 more over the next 20 years. Producer Leon Schlesinger was responsible for bringing such luminaries as Mel Blanc, Tex Avery, and Chuck Jones on board to Looney Tunes, and his hands-off approach to producing allowed his animators free reign over their creations. Director Bob Clampett spent 15 years with Looney Tunes, helping create Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and Tweety, among other characters.

Wow, That’s Dated: Mainly the idea of a cartoon character’s comic schtick being a stutter. Other than that, paperboys, as well as a reference to the Sinclair Lewis novel “It Can’t Happen Here“. Is Wackyland in danger of becoming a dictatorship?

Seriously, Oscars?: No Oscar nomination for “Porky in Wackyland”; the Animated Short category was still dominated by Walt Disney in 1938 (the winner was his “Ferdinand the Bull“). Although Porky Pig never won the Oscar outright, he received his first nomination with 1944’s “Swooner Crooner“.

Other notes 

• Predating Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck by a few years, Porky Pig was the first breakout star of Warner Bros.’ Merrie Melodies. After his supporting debut in 1935’s “I Haven’t Got a Hat”, Porky became an audience favorite and quickly rose to star status. At this point, Bob Clampett hadn’t quite settled on Porky’s personality (sometimes he was depicted as a child), but here with “Wackyland” Porky settles into his years as the befuddled straight man.
• Porky was originally voiced by Joe Dougherty, who actually did speak with a stutter. Because Doughtery had no control over his stutter, he was quickly replaced by Mel Blanc, with the speech disorder being maintained for comic effect.
• For the curious, the last official sighting of a dodo bird was in 1662 in one of the Mauritius isles in the Indian Ocean, so Porky heading off to Africa to find the dodo isn’t so far-fetched. The dodo bird would become synonymous with extinction 200 years later when it was featured as a character in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland“, which this short gets its title from.
• Oh good, a Jolson “Mammy” reference. This is why I keep putting off watching “The Jazz Singer” for the blog.
• Among the assorted oddities in Wackyland is a prototype of “CatDog“.
• There’s also a three-headed monster that is close enough to the Three Stooges, but not close enough for copyright infringement. In theory, anyone could have those haircuts and poke each other in the eyes.
• Dodo has a lot of the same qualities as early Daffy Duck: the voice, the antagonism, and the overall, well, daffiness. It feels like either one of them could have become Looney Tunes’ next breakout character.

Legacy 

• “Porky in Wackyland” is considered one of the greatest animated shorts of all time. In 1994, animation expert Jerry Beck ranked “Wackyland” number 8 in his book “The 50 Greatest Cartoons”. In reference to its unapologetic absurdism, historian Steve Schneider called this short “Warner Bros.’ Emancipation Proclamation”. A bit extreme, but I see their point.
• After his successful stint with Looney Tunes, Bob Clampett would focus on his other great artistic love – puppetry – and create “Time for Beany” in 1949. Warren Foster would go on to work for “The Flintstones”, writing almost half of the show’s episodes.

• “Wackyland” would be remade in color as 1949’s “Dough for the Do-Do”, and the Dodo character would make appearances throughout Looney Tunes history, including the 1990s cartoon “Tiny Toon Adventures”.

Bonus Clip: This “blooper” of Porky Pig cursing after messing up a take. Who knew that Porky was the Christian Bale of his day?

That’s all, folks!

#542) Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

OR “Hammer Time”

Directed by Robert Aldrich

Written by A.I. Bezzerides. Based on the novel by Mickey Spillane.

Class of 1999 

The Plot: Ralph Meeker is Mike Hammer, an L.A. detective who plays by his own rules. Late one night Hammer picks up hitchhiker Christina (Cloris Leachman), who gives him the cryptic message “Remember me” before she is beaten up and killed by thugs. Hammer decides to investigate the circumstances surrounding Christina’s murder, deducing that following this thread will lead to “something big”. What follows is a joyride through L.A.’s seedy underbelly and ecounters with mob boss Carl Evello (Paul Stewart), Christina’s roommate Lily (Gaby Rogers), and the corrupt Dr. Soberin (Albert Dekker). It seems that everyone connected to Christina is trying to find a mysterious box rumored to contain a fortune. What they find is a mystery so big film geeks are still debating it.

Why It Matters: The NFR write-up is mostly an overview about the movie and its “alternate” ending (more on that later). There’s a more thorough analysis in an essay by filmmaker/Robert Aldrich expert Alain Silver.

But Does It Really?: “Kiss Me Deadly” stands out in the film noir category not so much for its gritty realism or its taboo subject matter, but rather from its off-beat artistic strokes. Underneath the hood of this seemingly straight-forward murder mystery is some really creative work from Aldrich, Bezzerides and cinematographer Ernest Laszlo. I suspect the film is also on this list to represent Mike Hammer, a popular 20^th century literary figure. While not an untouchable film classic, “Kiss Me Deadly” is still an enjoyable, fun-to-analyze movie 65 years later, and I give it a pass.

Everybody Gets One: Born into a family of wealthy Rhode Island socialites and politicians, Robert Aldrich was disinherited by his father after dropping out of the University of Virginia. Aldrich moved out west and got a job at RKO as a production clerk. He worked his way up to becoming an assistant director (including for fellow NFR entry “Force of Evil“), and by the 1950s was directing feature films. Many of Aldrich’s frequent collaborators first worked with him in his assistant director days.

Wow, That’s Dated: The usual ’50s stuff: pay phones, gas station attendants, plus the phrase “bedroom dick”, which doesn’t mean what you think it does.

Other notes 

• This movie assumes you already know who Mike Hammer is. First appearing in Mickey Spillane’s 1947 book “I, the Jury”, Hammer is a hard-nosed detective and self-described misanthrope. In contrast to the stoic cynicism of a Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe, Hammer’s emotions often got the better of him, his rage consistently leading to violent fights with various lowlifes. Although critics at the time derided the brutality and sensuality of the novels, the Mike Hammer series were among the most successful books of the 1950s.
• “Kiss Me Deadly” was the second film adaptation of a Mike Hammer novel. The first was 1953’s “I, the Jury” with actor Biff Elliot as Hammer.

• Right from the start this movie is going to be different. A cold open (unheard of in 1955), followed by credits that scroll downwards! And a song from Nat “King” Cole! Talk about unforgettable.

• Despite all of the murder mysteries on this list, we so rarely get an actor playing the “vic” who went on to become a star in their own right. In this case, the late great Cloris Leachman. You don’t see her pre-70s work too often, but as always, Leachman imbues a lot of character into Christina’s brief screentime.
• The best exchange in this movie is between Hammer and his assistant Velda. “You’re never around when I need you.” “You never need me when I’m around.”
• The film’s most impressive technology: Hammer’s early version of an answering machine, consisting of a reel-to-reel tape mounted on his wall.
• “Kiss Me Deadly” is to Los Angeles what “Vertigo” is to San Francisco: a lovely time capsule of the city as it once was. There’s plenty of local landmarks highlighted throughout Hammer’s travels, including Angels Flight.
• [Spoilers] When people think of the film’s cinematography, they’re usually thinking of the shot of mechanic Nick being crushed to death by a car he’s working on. The camera rushes to his face, making that shot from the point of view of the car’s…axle?
• Thankfully neither Aldrich nor screenwriter I.A. Bezzerides care a lot about the novel’s convoluted mystery, and the movie spends more time on character and aesthetic, which helps make the film more palatable. You can follow the clues if you want, but that’s not this film’s priority.

• Ralph Meeker kinda looks like Charlton Heston. And occasionally Maximilian Schell from the right angle.
• I also enjoy the moment where Hammer points out how polite the henchmen are being as they escort Hammer away. Their response: “We’re here on this Earth such a brief span, we might as well be.”
• Dr. Soberin shows up in full classic Bond villain mode, monologuing while the hero is tied up. They even obscure his face during his first scene!
• Shoutout to Percy Helton as Doc Kennedy, the somewhat sadistic coroner who tries to extort money out of Mike Hammer. Helton also played the drunk Santa who gets fired at the beginning of “Miracle on 34^th Street“.
• My main takeaway from this movie is that no one locked anything in the ’50s. People could just hop into your car or walk into your home. Different times indeed.
• And just when you think you know where this movie is going, along comes that ending. Without giving too much away, it infuses the Cold War paranoia of the time with the ending of “Raiders of the Lost Ark“, and a pinch of “Seven” thrown in for fun. It packs quite a punch.

• [Mini-spoiler] At some point following the film’s first release, the ending was trimmed by about a minute. The original closing shots show Hammer and Velda escaping the burning house along the beach, but the truncated ending finishes with the previous shot of the house on fire, implying that Hammer and Velda perished inside. What a difference a few cuts make.

Legacy 

• Although “Kiss Me Deadly” received rave reviews from critics, it was not a hit with American audiences. The film did, however, do well overseas, and found a cult following in France. Both Jean-Luc Goddard and François Truffaut have cited “Kiss Me Deadly” and its experimental cinematography as an influence on the French New Wave cinema of the late 1950s.
• Easily the film’s most iconic homage: Quentin Tarantino alludes to “Kiss Me Deadly” and its mystery box with the briefcase in “Pulp Fiction“.

• Mickey Spillane wrote nine more Mike Hammer novels after the release of “Kiss Me Deadly”, two of which were published posthumously following Spillane’s death in 2006.
• There have been several adaptations of Mike Hammer over the years, most memorably a TV series in the ’80s starring Stacy Keach as Hammer.

• Among Robert Aldrich’s later films as director are “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” and “The Dirty Dozen”; neither of which are on the NFR. As God is my witness, I will get “Baby Jane” on that list (and then “Dirty Dozen” if there’s time). [2021 Update: “Jane” is in, onto “Dirty Dozen” I guess.]

#541) Sky High (1922)

OR “Mixology”

Directed & Written by Lynn Reynolds

Class of 1998

The Plot: Grant Newbury (Tom Mix) is an Inspector of Immigration in Calexico, CA. After a successful bust, Newbury infiltrates a gang sneaking a group of Chinese immigrants across the Mexican border (more about that later). On his way to turn the gang in, Newbury saves the lovely Estelle Halloway (Eva Novak) from drowning, and he sticks around to take care of her. It turns out that Estelle is the ward of Jim Frazer (J. Farrell MacDonald), the boss of the gang Grant is trying to sabotage. This all comes to a head in a climactic fight across the Grand Canyon, filmed on location, with some incredible aerial footage as Grant takes to the skies.

Why It Matters: The NFR gives a brief overview, and calls Tom Mix by his given moniker “King of the Cowboys”, adding that Mix’s easygoing style contrasted with William S. Hart’s screen persona, and “set a standard for cowboy stars that lasted decades”.

But Does It Really?: “Sky High” has two things going for it in terms of NFR recognition: It represents Tom Mix, and it features impressive footage of the Grand Canyon. That’s about it. As a movie, “Sky High” isn’t that memorable, but there are worse ways to spend an hour. A slight pass for NFR inclusion.

Everybody Gets One: The son of a stable master, Tom Mix learned to ride horses at a young age. After a stint with the Army during the Spanish-American War (stories of him being one of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders are false), Mix became a rancher in the Oklahoma Territory. A skilled horseman and a good shot, Mix joined the ranch’s touring Wild West show, which led to the start of his film career in 1909. By the 1920s, Mix was one of the biggest stars (Western or otherwise) in Hollywood. Also making their sole NFR appearance in “Sky High” are frequent Mix leading lady Eva Novak, and writer/director Lynn Reynolds.

Wow, That’s Dated: The Chinese immigrants in this movie are referred to solely as “Chinamen”. We’re a long way from “Chan Is Missing“.

Title Track: “Sky High” was originally titled “The Go Getter” during pre-production, and at some point during filming was renamed the similar sounding “Go Get Her”. I presume “Sky High” made the cut to associate the film with its aerial scenes.

Seriously, Oscars?: The Oscars were still a few years away, but apparently camera operator Blaine Walker received a gold medal from Fox Film for his “enterprise and daring in obtaining the first motion pictures of the Grand Canyon taken from an airplane”. I’m sure this was all a big publicity stunt from Fox, but hey someone got a medal out of it!

Other notes 

• This is typically the part where I mention that this Fox film is now technically a Disney property, but “Sky High” is in the public domain. Your loss, Mouse House!
• This movie goes all in on the Grand Canyon gimmick. Immediately following the opening credits, we get an intertitle proudly stating the film’s on-location production, followed by some facts about the Grand Canyon. It’s standard Grand Canyon trivia, though I will point out that “It is one of nature’s most sublime spectacles” is not a fact, but rather an overall agreed upon sentiment.
• As soon as I learned that Mix’s character worked border patrol, I knew we were in trouble. Thankfully the film doesn’t lean too much on our shitty immigration policies, though neither side comes out of this looking good.
• You read the synopsis correctly, the illegal aliens being trafficked over the border are Chinese. Who does this movie think we share a border with?
• Despite his status as King of the Cowboys, I don’t have a lot to say about Tom Mix in this movie. His performance is fine, but not particularly noteworthy or a confirmation of his star power. Honestly, my takeaway from Tom Mix is that he’s wearing a huge cowboy hat. I mean, I get it; it’s a big hat, it’s funny.
• Oddly enough, I can’t find anything to confirm that Grant’s horse in this movie is Tom Mix’s famous companion Tony the Wonder Horse. I feel cheated.
• That bar fight is sped up like crazy. I was waiting for the Keystone Kops to break it up.
• Whoa, they have cars in this western? And biplanes!? My mind is blown.
• I do not want to know how someone in your posse earned the nickname “Chili Beans”.
• During my viewing, I was thinking about where exactly Tom Mix fits in the pantheon of classic movie cowboys. In terms of NFR induction, Mix joined the roster after John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and William S. Hart, but before Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. I guess Mix is the last of the great non-singing cowboys.
• Did they really make these actors climb the Grand Canyon? No wonder they unionized.
• Frazier henchman Bates to Estelle upon her capture: “Better start enjoyin’ the scenery – ’cause you’re goin’ to see some that’s different”. In the annals of film history this has got to be the least threatening threat of all time.
• And then we get to the film’s meat and potatoes: Grant flying over the Grand Canyon in a biplane. It’s an impressive sight in a fun action sequence, and I’m sure it went over like gangbusters in 1922. Despite a reputation for doing his own stunts, Mix had stunt pilots Bud Creeth and Dick Grace do the actual flying. During one take, Creeth almost fell out of the plane, but was saved by Grace (as in Dick Grace, but possibly also “of God”).
• In true leading lady fashion of the time, Estelle is a passive, sidelined character for most of the movie. She doesn’t get much to do, but at least Grant trusts her with his gun while he’s out fighting the main baddies.
• “Sky High” may be the only western on this list that spares both Mexicans and Native Americans from the typical sweeping racism associated with the genre.

Legacy 

• Tom Mix made 291 films over the course of 25 years! Sadly, due to a number of setbacks (including the famous 1937 Fox Fire), only about 30 of Mix’s films are known to still exist.

• Although Mix’s film career started to decline in the 1930s (he transitioned to talkies successfully, but grew weary on the injuries he was incurring), Mix found continued success on radio. Sadly, Mix died in a car accident in 1940 at the age of 60.
• Tom Mix is still the King of the Cowboys to a lot of film buffs, and gets occasionally referenced in period pieces like “Boardwalk Empire” and “Peaky Blinders”. Plus he was played by a young Bruce Willis in Blake Edwards’ light historical fiction “Sunset”.

• In reference to this film’s apparent lack of significance, there are countless other movies also named “Sky High”, including that one about a superhero high school. I guess “Sky High” is a Disney property after all.

#540) Hindenburg Disaster Newsreel Footage (1937)

Filmed by Pathé News, Hearst News of the Day, Paramount, and Fox Movietone

Class of 1997

As always with my posts based on historical events, this write-up is about the footage of the Hindenburg crash, not necessarily the event itself. Do not let this oversimplified summary be your one stop for Hindenburg knowledge.

There’s plenty of YouTube videos of the Hindenburg disaster, but this video synchs them all in an approximation of real time.

During our fascination with aviation throughout the 1930s, rigid airships were considered to be the next big thing in commercial air travel. The most well-known of these airships were made by the German company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, and the most famous Zeppelin was the LZ 129 Hindenburg. Launched in March 1936, the ship was in operation for 14 months and 17 roundtrips across the Atlantic. On May 6^th, 1937, the Hindenburg had been delayed from Germany due to weather conditions, and was landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey (about 75 miles south of New York City). As the ship was starting to make its landing approach, it suddenly caught on fire. Within a matter of moments, the Hindenburg went from being one of the largest airships in the world, to a smoking pile of rubble on the ground. Of the 97 people on board, 35 were killed in the crash, and another died on the ground. Following similar crashes in years past, the Hindenburg disaster was the final nail in the coffin for Zeppelins as a commercial transport.

Airship landings were still a unique occurrence in 1937, and thanks to some heavy promoting from the Zeppelin Company, many news sources were at Lakehurst to cover the event. The footage of the crash as preserved by the National Film Registry was recorded by William Deeke of Pathé News, Al Gold, Larry Kennedy and Deon de Titta of Fox Movietone, James J. Seeley of Hearst’s News of the Day, and Tommy Craven of Paramount. Many of these newsreels can be easily viewed online synced with the audio recording of Herbert Morrison’s eye-witness report for WLS Chicago, culminating in his oft-repeated cry of “Oh, the humanity!”

Like the “Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse“, the Hindenburg footage is a reminder of some of the tragic missteps taken in our technological advancements. The footage is NFR worthy not only for its multiple perspectives of an historic moment, but also for its continued echos throughout history.

Why It Matters: The NFR gives some historical context and calls the disaster “[o]ne of the 20^th Century’s most vivid historic images”.

Wow, That’s Dated: Rigid airships, that’s the big one. Turns out the lifting gas of choice for these ships was the incredibly flammable hydrogen. Yep, there’s your problem right there.

Other notes 

• I recently realized that I’ve never actually researched the Hindenburg or its crash until now. Perhaps the most intriguing element to me: no one knows for sure how the ship burst into flames, and there’s no existing footage that documents the very beginning of the disaster. Among the speculated theories are a sudden bolt of lightning (it had started to rain just before the crash), or some static electricity tampering with the ship’s weather-proofing. A little further down the iceberg we find claims of sabotage by anti-Nazi organizations, or possibly self-sabotage at the command of Hitler himself. Speaking of…
• You know what little detail this film pointed out to me that everyone glosses over? THERE WERE SWASTIKAS ON THE TAIL OF THE HINDENBURG! Of course this was a tragic event, but how sad can you be that a Nazi ship went down?
• My main takeaway from the actual newsreel footage is just how much sensationalism is thrown into this. Each of these reports took an already sad occasion and cranked it up using dramatic music, with the sounds of screaming people dubbed in later (all of these films were recorded silently). It reminded me of the “Simpsons” line about the news covering “a crisis so serious it has its own name and theme music“.

Legacy 

• It was shortly after the Hindenburg disaster that airships switched from using hydrogen to helium, and stopped being used for commercial travel. Today, only a handful of non-rigid airships (such as blimps) still exist and operate, including the Goodyear Blimps.

• The Hindenburg crash footage pops up in all kinds of historical documentaries, often paired with Herbert Morrison’s “Oh, the humanity!” The name Hindenburg has become synonymous with total disaster, and “Oh, the humanity” has been referenced and parodied quite a lot over the years, presumably by people not entirely aware of the tragic event they’re making light of.

• This real-life disaster of the ’30s met the disaster movie genre of the ’70s in 1975’s “The Hindenburg”. With a cast led by George C. Scott and Anne Bancroft, the movie leaned more on the sabotage theories of the flight’s demise. Although dismissed by critics, historians, and moviegoers alike, “The Hindenburg” won two Oscars in 1976 for its Special Effects and Sound Editing.

Listen to This: Among the first 50 recordings added to the National Recording Registry in 2002 was Herbert Morrison’s reportage of the Hindenburg crash, cited by the NRR as “[a]n emotional, never-to-be forgotten moment of news broadcasting”. There’s also a very detailed historical essay by…Cary O’Dell again. Doesn’t anyone else at the NRR want to write an essay? O’Dell can’t carry all of you!

#539) The Heiress (1949)

OR “Like Father, Like Sum”

Directed by William Wyler

Written by Ruth and Augustus Goetz. Based on their play. Suggested by the novel “Washington Square” by Henry James.

Class of 1996

The Plot: In New York’s Washington Square circa 1849, Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Havilland) is the reserved daughter of the respected Dr. Austin Sloper (Ralph Richardson), who is overly protective of Catherine and often demeaningly compares her to her late mother. After some encouragement from her widowed Aunt Lavinia (Miriam Hopkins), Catherine attends a dance and meets Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift). The two immediately fall in love, and after a brief courtship, decide to marry. Dr. Sloper disapproves of the engagement, fearing that Morris is after Catherine’s money (her annual inheritance from her mother’s estate will triple when her father passes). Catherine learns to stand up for herself and be with the man she loves. And he loves her too, right? ….Right?

Why It Matters: The NFR praises William Wyler for “adeptly harness[ing] the diverse acting styles” of his actors, and singles out Aaron Copland’s “poignant score”. De Havilland’s Oscar win is also mentioned.

But Does It Really?: It’s by no means a timeless classic, but “The Heiress” is still an entertaining film made by A+ talent. At the center of “Heiress” is a remarkable performance by Olivia de Havilland (I’ll gush about it later), aided by a top-notch supporting cast, William Wyler’s deft direction, and Leo Tovor’s unintrusive cinematography. I just wish “The Heiress” was better remembered today outside of film buffs like me. A “maybe” on its NFR designation, but a definite “yes” for recommended viewing.

Everybody Gets One: Sir Ralph Richardson was widely considered one of the great British actors of the 20^th century, alongside Olivier and Gielgud. In lieu of a biography, here’s my favorite (albeit possibly apocryphal) anecdote about Sir Ralph: While appearing in the play “Alice’s Boys” in the West End, Ralph Richardson allegedly stopped the show one night to ask, “Is there a doctor in the house?” When a doctor made themself known, Richardson asked, “Doctor, isn’t this a terrible play?”

Wow, That’s Dated: The film opens with the text “One Hundred Years Ago”. So…1921?

Seriously, Oscars?: In a rare occurrence, “The Heiress” was the Oscar contender with the most nominations (8) and the most wins (4) of the year, but didn’t go on to win Best Picture. That distinction went to “All the King’s Men“, but “Heiress” took home four deserving trophies: Olivia DeHavilland’s second Best Actress Oscar, Best Scoring, Best Art Direction, and the first of an eventual eight Best Costume Design Oscars for Edith Head.

Other notes 

• “The Heiress” came into Olivia de Havilland’s life following her lengthy court battle with Warner Bros., with a settlement now known as the De Havilland Law. Long story short, de Havilland’s contract with Warner Bros. was for seven years of work, with time added on for any suspensions. The De Havilland Law made sure that seven years meant seven calendar years, regardless of actual amount worked. This allowed Olivia to leave Warner Bros. to pursue more challenging roles, including “The Heiress”, which she saw on Broadway and successfully lobbied to star in its film adaptation.
• Most of my notes are about how good this cast is. Shout out to Miriam Hopkins as Aunt Lavinia, Catherine’s only support. A major movie star in the ’30s, Hopkins successfully transitioned to supporting roles when her star started to fade. As Lavinia, Hopkins is not a former leading lady “slumming it” in a supporting part, but rather an actor who know exactly how her role fits into the big picture.
• Olivia de Havilland is on fire in this movie. After years of syrupy sweet ingénues, de Havilland plays Catherine as a meek, uncoordinated woman who confidently blossoms before a bitter betrayal. And she does it all without the hysterics and overacting associated with this era. De Havilland is, in short, the complete package, and I was ready to give her the Oscar five minutes in.
• I hate it when a black-and-white movie makes a big deal about a specific color in a scene. “I thought you’d like the color…it’s cherry red.” I guess we’ll take your word for it, Catherine.
• Montgomery Clift gets a nice reveal as Morris. As mentioned in the NFR write-up, Clift’s Method acting doesn’t stick out amongst his more classically trained co-stars, though I think he plays too much of his character’s hand too early.

• Also impressive: this movie doesn’t feel like a filmed play! Even though it is primarily set in the same house, Wyler et al prevent things from getting claustrophobic or too static. The trick seems to be: cover as much of a scene as possible in one take, and let the actors (not the camera) do the moving.
• God, de Havilland’s good in this. Even her line reading of “I love you” is heartbreaking. Can she win two Oscars for this?
• Having now seen a good portion of William Wyler’s filmography, he definitely had a thing for female characters who defy the conventions of their time: Catherine, Julie Marsden, Princess Ann, Fanny Brice. More directors should have that niche.
• There’s something Richard Kiley-esque about Ralph Richardson. Or is it the other way around? Regardless, Sir Ralph is doing a great job of making Dr. Sloper a grounded, realistic antagonist instead of a cartoon villain.
• The 1840s-1850s is apparently the era of giant top hats in American menswear. This was also a time when gentlemen wore “closely-cut trousers”, and Monty Clift’s may be a little too closely-cut. Did he borrow them from Andrew Rannells?
• William Wyler always has a subtle element of suspense in his movies. Watching Catherine waiting for Morris to return is aggravating. It’s like subdued Hitchcock.
• Another smart choice Wyler makes in opening scenes up is using mirrors to cover two reactions in the same shot. I keep calling that the Spielberg Mirror Shot, but clearly all the greats figured it out before he did.
• The final confrontation between Catherine and her father is brutal, but if there’s one thing Olivia de Havilland was great at, it was severing family ties.
• Luckily, I went into “The Heiress” with zero spoilers, so I was able to genuinely go along for the ride. And what a ride. That ending stunned me, and de Havilland somehow makes the act of walking up the stairs seem powerful and incredible.

Legacy 

• “The Heiress” had a successful run, and while Olivia de Havilland’s film career started to dwindle in the 1950s, she continued to grace the screen for another 40 years before retiring in France. Although I always enjoyed reminding readers that she was still alive while I was covering her movies for this blog, Olivia de Havilland passed away last summer at the age of 104.

• The stage version of “The Heiress” has returned to Broadway every few decades, with Catherine being played by the likes of Jane Alexander, Cherry Jones, and Jessica Chastain.

• Although there has never been a theatrical remake of “The Heiress”, there have been a few TV adaptations of the play over the years, plus the 1997 film “Washington Square”, which is more faithful to the novel.

• While “The Heiress” doesn’t get referenced too often in pop culture, the movie did get the “Carol Burnett Show” treatment in the 1975 skit “The Lady Heir”.