Sunday Viewing: East of Eden, 1955

Of the three films in which James Dean starred, 1955’s East of Eden was the only one to be released during his lifetime. He wasn’t even meant to star in the film in the first place. The role of “Cal” was originally offered to Montgomery Clift who, as just one of a series of poor career choices, rejected the offer.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by James Steinbeck, but only loosely—dealing more with the second part of the book than the first. The story, in essence, is an adaptation of the “Cain and Abel” story from the Bible and focuses on the relationships between the “good brother,” Aron, and the “wayward brother,” Cal, their overly religious father and their sinful mother.

Set in central California in 1917, during the First World War, it is the tale of the Trask family who must deal with a changing world, encroaching modernity and the dynamics of their modest farm and their dysfunctional family. Adam Trask (Raymond Massey) rules his sons with a tight grip and is constantly disappointed by Cal (Dean) who he often compares to his brother Aron (the largely forgettable Richard Davalos). Adam also shields his sons from the reality of their mother’s identity, Kate (Jo Van Fleet) who runs a brothel.

As Cal struggles to earn his father’s respect, he only manages to drive the man further away and he must deal with the truths of his life on his own, and later, with the help of his brother’s girlfriend, Abra (Julie Harris).

The film also stars Burl Ives and was written by Paul Osborn with uncredited help from John Steinbeck. Directed by Elia Kazan, the film opened to good reviews and remains in the public memory as a “classic.”

Sunday Viewing: East of Eden, 1955

Of the three films in which James Dean starred, 1955’s East of Eden was the only one to be released during his lifetime. He wasn’t even meant to star in the film in the first place. The role of “Cal” was originally offered to Montgomery Clift who, as just one of a series of poor career choices, rejected the offer.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by James Steinbeck, but only loosely—dealing more with the second part of the book than the first. The story, in essence, is an adaptation of the “Cain and Abel” story from the Bible and focuses on the relationships between the “good brother,” Aron, and the “wayward brother,” Cal, their overly religious father and their sinful mother.

Set in central California in 1917, during the First World War, it is the tale of the Trask family who must deal with a changing world, encroaching modernity and the dynamics of their modest farm and their dysfunctional family. Adam Trask (Raymond Massey) rules his sons with a tight grip and is constantly disappointed by Cal (Dean) who he often compares to his brother Aron (the largely forgettable Richard Davalos). Adam also shields his sons from the reality of their mother’s identity, Kate (Jo Van Fleet) who runs a brothel.

As Cal struggles to earn his father’s respect, he only manages to drive the man further away and he must deal with the truths of his life on his own, and later, with the help of his brother’s girlfriend, Abra (Julie Harris).

The film also stars Burl Ives and was written by Paul Osborn with uncredited help from John Steinbeck. Directed by Elia Kazan, the film opened to good reviews and remains in the public memory as a “classic.”

Film of the Week: Suddenly, Last Summer, 1959

Oh, Sebastian, what a lovely summer it's been. Just the two of us. Sebastian and Violet. Violet and Sebastian. Just the way it's always going to be. Oh, we are lucky, my darling, to have one another and need no one else ever.

--Katharine Hepburn as “Violet Venable”

In 1958, Southern playwright Tennessee Williams, debuted a double-bill of one-act plays at an off-Broadway theater. The two plays were Something Unspoken and Suddenly, Last Summer and were presented under the titleGarden District (a reference to the elite neighborhood of New Orleans).

Suddenly, Last Summer was a dark play with disturbing themes that concerned a wealthy Southern family. Violet Venable—a domineering widow—was still reeling from the death of her only son, Sebastian. Her niece, Catherine Holly, was the last person to see Sebastian alive when he died “suddenly, last summer.” In order to silence Catherine’s less-than-flattering recollections of Sebastian’s last days, Violet has ordered that the girl be lobotomized. She contracts a gentle doctor, John Cukrowicz, to perfom the surgery. Soon, Dr. Cukrowicz finds himself embroiled in this sick family drama and realizes that it isn’t Catherine who needs the lobotomy.

When Columbia Pictures bought the film rights to the play and began to develop their cinematic production, Tennessee Williams was against the casting of Elizabeth Taylor as the vulnerable Catherine Holly. He stated, "It stretched my credulity to believe such a 'hip' doll as our Liz wouldn't know at once in the film that she was 'being used for something evil.” Nevertheless, Taylor gives one of her best performances—an achievement which brought her a Golden Globe Award for the role and an Academy Award Nomination.

Taylor urged director Joseph Mankiewicz to cast her long-time friend Montgomery Clift as Cukrowicz. Clift, who had been struggling with an addiction to pain killers and alcohol, was deemed too difficult and erratic to be a good risk for the studio. However, Taylor got her way. Joining Clift and Taylor is Katharine Hepburn who gives Violet Venable the necessary bite and wit. Hepburn and Taylor were very protective of Clift who was often mistreated by the director. At the end of the production, Hepburn politely asked if they were finished. When told that they were, she walked up to Mankiewicz and spit in his face, saying, “That’s for Monty.”

The behind-the-scenes drama continued as composer Malcolm Arnold walked off the project after finding the film too upsetting. His work was finished by Buxton Orr. Furthermore, the studio met with resistance from the Catholic Legion of Decency who objected to the many references to Sebastian’s homosexuality. By their command, these references were largely removed or made as vague as possible. Furthermore, you’ll notice that we never see Sebastian’s face nor hear his voice in any flashbacks. This was also due to the Catholic Legion of Decency who ordered that the character not be recognizable as any particular person.

Though it’s a watered-down version of Williams’ original play, the film is gripping and emotional. Spectacularly acted, it’s a film that, while disturbing, is one that everyone interested in cinematic history should see.

Film of the Week: A Place in the Sun, 1951

When George Stevens suggested to Paramount Pictures that he wanted to direct a film version of the 1925 Theodore Dreiser novel, An American Tragedy (which had also been adapted into a play of the same name by Patrick Kearney), they swiftly disapproved the idea on the grounds that the studio had already produced an adaptation of the property. Stevens, relatively new to Paramount fumed that he was unable to direct the picture (that he knew would be a tremendous success) and was forced to sue the studio. Stevens was triumphant, as, thankfully for Paramount, so was A Place in the Sun—the title Stevens gave to this screen version.

Paramount Pictures

The story concerns the pursuit of the “American Dream.” Here, it has been updated from the 1920’s to post-war America and tells the tale of a handsome, intelligent young man, George Eastman, who has struggled against poverty his entire life. George dreams of “the good life.” To him, this means a beautiful wife and wealth. He entreats a wealthy uncle to employ him and ends up with a job in the family factory where he encounters a shy, plain young woman named Alice.

Paramount Pictures

George is bored and restless—filled with youthful energy and passion. To pass the time, he engages in a flirtation with Alice despite the company policy against fraternizing with the factory girls. Through George’s hard work, he garners the attention of his uncle and finds himself introduced to the lifestyle about which he’d always dreamed. At a swanky party, he meets a dazzling debutante—Angela Vickers. George falls madly and instantly in love with Angela and vows that they will be together. However, the cost of his love will be more than he had imagined. When Alice announces that she’s carrying George’s child, the young man’s thoughts turn quickly toward finding a speedy means of erasing his problems without Angela’s knowledge.

Clift and Taylor enjoyed each others company
both on and off set.
Paramount Pictures

George Stevens was quick to cast twenty-nine-year -old Montgomery Clift as George Eastman. Clift had already had success in films and showed that he was a versatile and sensitive performer. For the key role of Angela Vickers, Stevens selected a seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor had only starred in family films. “Angela” would be her first adult role and she proved that she was more than up to the task. With her striking features and clad in Edith Head’s chic, yet virginal wardrobe, Taylor showed that she was ready to work with a leading man who wasn’t a horse or a dog. She and Clift developed a deep friendship during this period which would last until his premature death at the age of forty-five.

Stevens had a bigger task in casting the role of “Alice.” Shelley Winters—known for her platinum locks and glamour girl ways—was interested in the role, but Stevens deemed her to be too much of a beauty for the part. By dying her hair brown, dressing in frumpy clothes and acting shy and reserved, Winters was able to fool Stevens when he arrived to meet her. Upon finally recognizing her, he agreed to test her for the part. Thus began a new chapter in Winters’ career and the first of what seems like many movies in which she drowns.

Everything from the costumes and Franz Waxman’s famously haunting score work harmoniously in this glorious film which is punctuated with long, slow dissolves, and deep, loving close-ups. It’s part art-film and part love story with a lot of tragedy thrown in. The centerpiece of it all are the performances of the three main characters. Winters is surprisingly convincing as dull, whiny Alice while Taylor gives the first truly good performance of her career. Clift, as always, is appropriately tense and completely absorbed in his character. Plus, Clift and Taylor are just so darn pretty that it’s hard to resist the picture.

This is the ideal 1950’s film and is sure not to disappoint. 

Film of the Week: The Search, 1948

Montgomery Clift had considerable success as a young man on Broadway. With his good looks and his subdued, natural performances, he was a refreshing sight to audiences who were becoming disenchanted with the ponderous melodramatic style which had dominated the stage for several years. Clift considered theatrical acting his first love and spoke contemptuously about the cinema amongst his actor friends. He once said disdainfully of Hollywood, “‘I’m not called an actor out there; I’m called a hot property. And a property is only good if it makes money at the box office.” He vociferously insisted—as many in his position do—that he would never go to Hollywood. But, also as many in his position do, he went.

Clift was always very particular about the roles he undertook. He made some excellent choices, but also some tremendous errors. He resigned from the role of Joseph Gillis in Sunset Boulevard, he passed on the role in East of Eden which would go to James Dean. He was stubborn and arrogant, but he could afford to be. He was Montgomery Clift.

In only his second film, Clift earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in what some consider his most exciting and natural performance. Clift was enthralled with the character of Ralph “Steve” Stevenson in 1948’s The Search—directed by Fred Zinnemann for Metro. He wasn’t, however, pleased with the script, and made many changes to the dialogue. As one would imagine, this didn’t go over too well on the set. But, given his brilliant performance, objections to his rewrites were silenced. Another source of frustration for all involved was Monty’s habit of locking himself away between takes and huddling studiously with his acting coach and friend, Mira Rostova, who would feed him direction line-by-line. Rostova’s influence was so deep that in later films, she’d remain on-set during shooting so that Montgomery could look to her—instead of the director—for guidance. In fact, during the filming of the 1953 Alfred Hitchcock thriller I Confess, Rostova positioned herself behind a column on the set so that Monty could see her at all times.

Regardless of Clift’s peculiarities (which had in no way reached their climax as of 1948), he delivers an exceptionally tender and moving performance as an American soldier in Germany after the Second World War who happens to find a homeless child. The child is unable to speak, but Clift, as “Steve,” can tell by the tattoo on the boy’s arm that he had been imprisoned in Auschwitz.

Steve begins an intensive search to find out information about the boy whom he calls “Jim” for lack of knowing his real name. Displaced persons—especially children who had been separated from their parents—were epidemic after the war and information was difficult to come by. “Jim” and Steve continue to bond as Steve teaches the boy English, buys him clothes and shoes and begins to act as his father. At one emotionally charged moment, another child asks “Jim” why he’s washing a jeep. Jim (Ivan Jandl) responds, proudly at first, but with an ingenious trace of confusion, “It’s my father’s.”

With his search being fruitless and his affection for the boy rising, Steve must make a decision. He must return to the States. He’s got a job waiting for him. But, he doesn’t wish to leave Jim. To make matters worse, the process of adoption is a lengthy one. Steve vows to bring Jim to the U.S. with him. Steve tells Jim that his mother is dead and that he will take the boy to America. Jim is, at first, relieved, but soon memories of his birth family flood back.

The film is divided into two stories, both of which are united by a documentary-style opening and an emotional convergent closing. In the parallel story, a young woman—Hanna Malik (Jarmila Novotná)—relates how her upper class family was torn apart by the Nazis. Her husband and daughter were deported while she and her son—Karel—were sent to Auschwitz where they were separated. Hanna is told that Karel is dead, but, in her heart she doesn’t want to give up her search for him. Hanna ends up living and working at the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) so that she can continue her search, but also help families in similar situations. On the day she decides to leave and actively seek out Karel once again, Steve is bringing Jim to the UNRRA where the boy must wait for the legalization of his adoption while Steve returns to the U.S.

The film’s conclusion is one of the most touching in film history.

Aside from Clift’s seemingly effortless and natural performance, the film is notable for its excellent supporting cast as well as its chilling use of real German locations which show the devastation left behind by the war. This is a film that is often referenced, but seldom seen. It has such an important place in film history and was such an influence on both directors and actors of many generations that I’m surprised it isn’t broadcast more.

Here’s a clip. Watch as Steve and “Jim” begin to bond. 

Sunday Viewing: Suddenly, Last Summer, 1959

Oh, Sebastian, what a lovely summer it's been. Just the two of us. Sebastian and Violet. Violet and Sebastian. Just the way it's always going to be. Oh, we are lucky, my darling, to have one another and need no one else ever.
--Katharine Hepburn as “Violet Venable”

In 1958, Southern playwright Tennessee Williams, debuted a double-bill of one-act plays at an off-Broadway theater. The two plays were Something Unspoken and Suddenly, Last Summer and were presented under the titleGarden District (a reference to the elite neighborhood of New Orleans).

Suddenly, Last Summer was a dark play with disturbing themes that concerned a wealthy Southern family. Violet Venable—a domineering widow—was still reeling from the death of her only son, Sebastian. Her niece, Catherine Holly, was the last person to see Sebastian alive when he died “suddenly, last summer.” In order to silence Catherine’s less-than-flattering recollections of Sebastian’s last days, Violet has ordered that the girl be lobotomized. She contracts a gentle doctor, John Cukrowicz, to perfom the surgery. Soon, Dr. Cukrowicz finds himself embroiled in this sick family drama and realizes that it isn’t Catherine who needs the lobotomy.

When Columbia Pictures bought the film rights to the play and began to develop their cinematic production, Tennessee Williams was against the casting of Elizabeth Taylor as the vulnerable Catherine Holly. He stated, "It stretched my credulity to believe such a 'hip' doll as our Liz wouldn't know at once in the film that she was 'being used for something evil.” Nevertheless, Taylor gives one of her best performances—an achievement which brought her a Golden Globe Award for the role and an Academy Award Nomination.

Taylor urged director Joseph Mankiewicz to cast her long-time friend Montgomery Clift as Cukrowicz. Clift, who had been struggling with an addiction to pain killers and alcohol, was deemed too difficult and erratic to be a good risk for the studio. However, Taylor got her way. Joining Clift and Taylor is Katharine Hepburn who gives Violet Venable the necessary bite and wit. Hepburn and Taylor were very protective of Clift who was often mistreated by the director. At the end of the production, Hepburn politely asked if they were finished. When told that they were, she walked up to Mankiewicz and spit in his face, saying, “That’s for Monty.”

The behind-the-scenes drama continued as composer Malcolm Arnold walked off the project after finding the film too upsetting. His work was finished by Buxton Orr. Furthermore, the studio met with resistance from the Catholic Legion of Decency who objected to the many references to Sebastian’s homosexuality. By their command, these references were largely removed or made as vague as possible. Furthermore, you’ll notice that we never see Sebastian’s face nor hear his voice in any flashbacks. This was also due to the Catholic Legion of Decency who ordered that the character not be recognizable as any particular person.

Though it’s a watered-down version of Williams’ original play, the film is gripping and emotional. Spectacularly acted, it’s a film that, while disturbing, is one that everyone interested in cinematic history should see.

Game Changers: Raintree County, 1957

Taylor, Clift and Saint studying MGM footage: MGM

Nearly twenty years after David O. Selznick began shooting Gone with the Wind, MGM launchedRaintree County. MGM promised that this epic Civil War drama—based on the novel of the same name by Ross Lockbridge, Jr.—was meant to surpass GWTW in spectacle and beauty. The cast was stellar. Elizabeth Taylor was to be paired, once again, with the enigmatic and handsome Montgomery Clift. Theirs was a magnificent team. The best of friends, they adored one another and worked perfectly together. Taylor, it was thought, could keep Monty’s drinking under control during the filming. Monty would keep Liz’s acting in check. Rising star Eva Marie Saint was cast as Monty’s hometown sweetheart. The glorious Agnes Moorehead (known to most of us as Endora) would play his mother. Rod Taylor, Walter Abel, Nigel Patrick, Tom Drake and Lee Marvin rounded out the cast.


MGM built lavish sets and planned detailed battle scenes meant to rival Gone with the Wind. The location shooting was planned to the last detail. Everything was in place. Production began…

And, then, one night, after leaving a little dinner party at Elizabeth Taylor’s house, Montgomery Clift crashed his car. His friend, Kevin McCarthy, was in the car ahead of Monty’s. He rushed to the wreckage, but couldn’t see Monty. McCarthy ran back to Taylor’s house, banging on the door. “Monty’s dead!” Taylor and others rushed to the scene. However, Montgomery Clift wasn’t dead. The impact forced his body under the dashboard. His head was swollen to the width of his shoulders. He was choking. Elizabeth Taylor forced her way through the rear windshield, cradling her dear friend in her lap as she removed two teeth that had been lodged in his throat.

While Montgomery Clift lived that night, part of him died. Production halted for months while he recovered. He returned to filming as a different man—the left side of his once-perfect face was paralyzed. His mind was muddied from pain and too much medication. Though at times, he appears gaunt and wooden, Clift still manages to give an outstanding performance in the film which is, otherwise, I hate to say it, rather uneven.

Clift, after the accident, his face paralyzed.

Taylor’s performance swells to sometimes unnatural crescendos. However, these moments of histrionics fit the increasing madness of her character. And, of course, she looks stunning. It’s not Taylor’s fault that the film falls flat at times. Nor is it Montgomery Clift’s—or anyone’s. It’s just a production that was chaotic from start to finish.

Strangely enough, the picture did well at the box office though everyone associated with it knew it wasn’t the best. Clift—in his own dark way—joked that people would go if only just to see if they could spot which scenes were filmed before and which were filmed after his accident.

So, why am I recommending the film? Frankly because it’s an important part of film history. It marks an important place in the lives of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. Also, despite being overwrought, it’s an interesting film to watch. The plot is a bit murky, but the picture is beautifully shot. Not only is it a recreation of the Civil War, it’s, more importantly, a time capsule of the film world of the late-1950’s. Also, it’s historically significant as the first use of 70 mm cameras. Raintree County was a turning point in the film industry and worth seeing—even if only once.

(Note: The film has not yet been released on a legitimate DVD by MGM)

Sunday Viewing: The Heiress, 1949

Clift and de Havilland, courtesy Paramount Pictures.

Timid and unsure of herself, Catherine Sloper lives in New York in the mid Nineteenth Century. She shares a magnificent Washington Square townhouse with her domineering father, Dr. Austin Sloper, who is continually disappointed by his fragile daughter. Often comparing Catherine to her late mother—a great beauty and his true love—he cannot reconcile the fact that such a superior creature bore such a dull child. Catherine’s one great skill, as Dr. Sloper puts it, is that she “embroiders neatly.” Upon the visit of her Aunt Lavinia, the family goes to celebrate the engagement of Catherine’s cousin. At the party, Catherine is shy though she is encouraged by Lavinia to be more outgoing. There, Catherine chances to meet the brother of the groom-to-be, one Morris Townsend, a stunningly handsome and charming man who, unexpectedly, lavishes Catherine with his attentions. Catherine soon falls in love with Morris and hopes her father will consent to their marriage. Dr. Sloper, however, believes Morris to be a fortune-hunter. Why would such a worldly and attractive young man love his daughter if not for her ample inheritance? And, so, Catherine goes to great lengths to find a way to wed Morris despite her father’s wishes. However, does Dr. Sloper prove to be correct in his assumptions?

de Havilland as Catherine, Paramount Pictures

This was the plot of Henry James’ 1880 novel Washington Square(said to be based on real events) which inspired a hugely successful stage play written by Ruth and Augustus Goetz in 1947. Academy Award winning actress, Olivia de Havilland, upon seeing The Heiress on Broadway lobbied to play Catherine Sloper in the film version. She got her wish.

Augustus and Ruth Goetz wrote the screenplay for the 1949 Paramount Pictures version of the story and masterful director William Wyler (most notable for his work with Bette Davis) was set to direct. With de Havilland as Catherine, Sir Ralph Richardson reprised the role of Dr. Austin Sloper—a part he made famous in the London West End production of the play. Legendary Miriam Hopkins (notoriously difficult to work with) was cast as Aunt Lavinia. However, who was to play Morris? Enter relative newcomer, Montgomery Clift. Clift had already had considerable success on Broadway and had made a name for himself in his debut films, The Search and Red River. Clift most certainly had the physical beauty to play Morris Townsend, but would he be suitable for a period drama? He proved to be perfectly cast though he was never satisfied with his performance in the film.

Clift as Morris, Paramount Pictures

The Heiress was a critical and box-office triumph. With crisp acting from the principle cast, lavish sets and a touching musical score by Aaron Copeland, the picture was considered one of the top films of the year with Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director and winning the Academy Award for Best Actress (de Havilland), Best Scenic Design, Best Costumes, and Best Musical Score. De Havilland also took home a Golden Globe for her work as Catherine.

More suspenseful than the stage version, the picture is riveting and keeps you guessing about Morris’ intentions until the last moments of the film. For an enjoyable few hours and to learn something about the art of great picture-making, The Heiress is a must-see. As Catherine herself says, “I learned from masters…”

Sunday Viewing: East of Eden, 1955

Of the three films in which James Dean starred, 1955’s East of Eden was the only one to be released during his lifetime. He wasn’t even meant to star in the film in the first place. The role of “Cal” was originally offered to Montgomery Clift who, as just one of a series of poor career choices, rejected the offer.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by James Steinbeck, but only loosely—dealing more with the second part of the book than the first. The story, in essence, is an adaptation of the “Cain and Abel” story from the Bible and focuses on the relationships between the “good brother,” Aron, and the “wayward brother,” Cal, their overly religious father and their sinful mother.

Set in central California in 1917, during the First World War, it is the tale of the Trask family who must deal with a changing world, encroaching modernity and the dynamics of their modest farm and their dysfunctional family. Adam Trask (Raymond Massey) rules his sons with a tight grip and is constantly disappointed by Cal (Dean) who he often compares to his brother Aron (the largely forgettable Richard Davalos). Adam also shields his sons from the reality of their mother’s identity, Kate (Jo Van Fleet) who runs a brothel.

As Cal struggles to earn his father’s respect, he only manages to drive the man further away and he must deal with the truths of his life on his own, and later, with the help of his brother’s girlfriend, Abra (Julie Harris).

The film also stars Burl Ives and was written by Paul Osborn with uncredited help from John Steinbeck. Directed by Elia Kazan, the film opened to good reviews and remains in the public memory as a “classic.”