THE HEIRESS

This 1949 film, set in nineteenth century New York and directed by William Wyler, is an adaptation of a play which itself was an adaptation of a Henry James novel, 'Washington Square'.  

I've never read anything by James but my impression is that his writing is complex and rather cold, in which case this film is true to the spirit of the novel, even if the plot has been much condensed and made more direct.  So I'm not surprised that it was a commercial failure because it's a bleak and cruel film in many ways, but one of undeniable quality which the critics loved and which led to several major Oscar nominations.

The heiress in question is Catherine (played by Olivia de Haviland, despite being a few years too old for the part), who despite the best education that money can buy is socially gauche and lacking in self-confidence.  The latter is hardly surprising given that her father Dr Stoper (Ralph Richardson) makes it clear that she falls a long way short of the qualities her late mother possessed.  Although it is not explicitly stated I assumed that Catherine's mother died in childbirth, which would partly explain her father's emotionally abusive behaviour to her.

When handsome Morris (Montgomery Cliff) starts courting her it's no surprise that Catherine falls for him, hook, line and sinker.  Since Morris has no capital of his own it is understandable that Dr Stoper is suspicious of Morris' motives.  Catherine already has a substantial income of her own, which will be tripled upon her father's death.

After a whirlwind romance Morris proposes to Catherine, at which point Dr Stoper whisks Catherine off to Europe with him for several months in the forlorn hope that this will kill off Catherine's infatuation or Morris' interest.

Up to this point the film was fine without really setting the pulses racing.  But in the second half, starting with Catherine's return, we move into a much higher gear, with a succession of gripping scenes.

At the heart of these scenes is Catherine, who goes through an emotional rollercoaster.

To start with, her father cruelly makes it clear to her that in his eyes her only virtue that might attract a suitor is her money.  Then Morris, having arranged for them to elope, has cold feet and disappears from the scene (he goes to California), due to him learning that Catherine is likely to be disinherited.

When Dr Stoper announces that he has a terminal lung disease, there's a brutal scene in which Catherine not only displays no sympathy but angrily tries to make him write a new will so as to disinherit him, which he declines to do.  He dies without any reconciliation with Catherine.

Then it's a fast forward a few years, for a final couple of scenes in which Morris turns up, back from California not having made his fortune.  It's Catherine's opportunity to get revenge by leading Morris on before literally having the door slammed in his face, a suitably heartless moment on which to end.

The other important character is Catherine's aunt, who lives with Catherine and her father, nicely played by the great Miriam Hopkins.  She also doubts Morris' motives but still thinks he can make Catherine happy.  Her reaction when she learns that Catherine has foolishly told Morris of her estrangement from her father is a telling little moment - she realises that as a result Morris might walk away from the marriage.

De Haviland won an Oscar for her performance and rightly so, she's convincing as both a timid young woman under her father's thumb and then as a bitter and cruel older woman.