Becky Sharp (1935)

Director:

Rouben Mamoulian

Writers:

William Makepeace Thackeray (novel)
Langdon Mitchell (play)

Release Date:

28 June 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Plot:

Set against the background of the Battle of Waterloo, Becky Sharp is the story of Vanity Fair by Thackeray...

Plot Keywords:

Vanity | London England | Auction | Dancing | Cad

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Miriam Hopkins	...	Becky Sharp
Frances Dee	...	Amelia Sedley
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Marquis of Steyne
Billie Burke	...	Lady Bareacres
Alison Skipworth	...	Miss Crawley
Nigel Bruce	...	Joseph Sedley
Alan Mowbray	...	Rawdon Crawley
G.P. Huntley	...	George Osborne (as G.P. Huntley Jr.)
William Stack	...	Pitt Crawley
George Hassell	...	Sir Pitt Crawley
William Faversham	...	Duke of Wellington
Charles Richman	...	Gen. Tufto
Doris Lloyd	...	Duchess of Richmond
Colin Tapley	...	Capt. William Dobbin
Leonard Mudie	...	Tarquin

Also Known As:

Lady of Fortune (USA) (reissue title (cut version))
Vanity Fair (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

84 min | USA:67 min (re-issue version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Cinecolor) (re-release prints) | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor High Fidelity System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #735)

Company:

Pioneer Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Being the first Technicolor film, the color at the time did not look too realistic; one critic commented that the cast looked like "boiled salmon dipped in mayonnaise".

Goofs:

Continuity: In the final scenes, Becky is living in a drab furnished room that is clearly shown to be on the second floor. However, once in the room, a look through a window shows people walking on the street - at the same level as the room itself.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies (2001)

Soundtrack:

Young Molly Who Lives at the Foot of the Hill

I'm giving it an 8 for Hopkins and the color

Becky Sharp (Miriam Hopkins) is a lower class girl who, through her upper class friend Amelia Sedley (Francis Dee), does her best to become an upper class woman herself...and do anything to get there.

Dull story with thudding dialogue (nobody ever talked like that) but I watched the whole thing. This movie has just two things going for it: Miriam Hopkins fantastic performance is one. She is playing a very unlikable character but she's so beautiful (in some shots she takes your breath away) and full of life that you can't help but root for her. The second thing is the groundbreaking use of color photography. I believe this is the first full-length feature to be filmed entirely in color. Director Rouben Mamoulian uses color creatively to express mood or show what a person is feeling or doing. I saw the restored print which has rich, beautiful colors. Even when the story was boring (which is often) with that lousy dialogue the colors and use of light and shadow kept me watching. With this film and the 1932 version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Mamoulian created new rules in how to direct sequences and use settings, light and shadow. Sadly, he's forgotten today.

So, this is worth seeing only for Hopkins and the color. Don't watch it for the story or you'll be sadly disappointed.