Wuthering Heights (1939)

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Charles MacArthur (screenplay) and
Ben Hecht (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 April 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A Story of Vengeful Thwarted Love

Plot:

A servant in the house of Wuthering Heights tells a traveler the unfortunate tale of lovers Cathy and Heathcliff.

Plot Keywords:

Moors | Servant | Children | England | Physician

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Merle Oberon	...	Cathy Earnshaw
Laurence Olivier	...	Heathcliff
David Niven	...	Edgar Linton
Flora Robson	...	Ellen
Donald Crisp	...	Dr. Kenneth
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Isabella Linton
Hugh Williams	...	Hindley Earnshaw
Leo G. Carroll	...	Joseph
Miles Mander	...	Lockwood
Cecil Kellaway	...	Earnshaw
Cecil Humphreys	...	Judge Linton
Sarita Wooton	...	Cathy - as a Child (as Sarita Wooten)
Rex Downing	...	Heathcliff - as a Child
Douglas Scott	...	Hindley - as a Child
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Benson	...	Heathcliff Servant (uncredited)
Romaine Callender	...	Robert (uncredited)
Vernon Downing	...	Giles (uncredited)
Alice Ehlers	...	Madame Ehlers (uncredited)
Harold Entwistle	...	Beadle (uncredited)
Peter Gowland	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Helena Grant	...	Miss Hudkins (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Party Guest / Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Susanne Leach	...	Guest (uncredited)
Tommy Martin	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Schuyler Standish	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
William Stelling	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Diane Williams	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Linton Servant (uncredited)
Philip Winter	...	Cathy's Partner (uncredited)

Directed by
William Wyler

Writing credits
Charles MacArthur		(screenplay) and
Ben Hecht		(screenplay)
Emily Brontë		(from the novel "Wuthering Heights" by) (as Emily Bronté)
John Huston		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman		(music)

Cinematography by
Gregg Toland		(photography)

Film Editing by
Daniel Mandell		(film editor)

Art Direction by
James Basevi		(art direction)
Alexander Toluboff		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Julia Heron		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Omar Kiam		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Robert Stephanoff	....	makeup artist (as Blagoe Stephanoff)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Walter Mayo	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Paul Neal	....	sound recorder

Visual Effects by
W. Percy Day	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Jewel Jordan	....	stunt double: Merle Oberon (uncredited)

Other crew
Samuel Goldwyn	....	presents
Jack Crosby	....	dances (uncredited)
Lynn Farnol	....	general press representative (uncredited)
Gus Schroeder	....	location manager (uncredited)
Peter Shaw	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Distributors

• United Artists (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• Film Classics (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Nederland NV (1947) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Films (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (1989) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Emerald (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | West Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 (1955) | UK:U | USA:Approved (certificate #5104)

Filming Locations:

Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

Laurence Olivier found himself becoming increasingly annoyed with William Wyler's exhausting style of film-making. After yet another take, he is said to have exclaimed, "For God's sake, I did it sitting down. I did it with a smile. I did it with a smirk. I did it scratching my ear. I did it with my back to the camera. How do you want me to do it?" Wyler's retort was, "I want it better."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In Cathy and Heathcliff's romantic scenes on the moors, and in the open window as Cathy is dying, the wind is blowing powerfully, yet the background clouds never move or change shape.

Quotes:

Heathcliff:I cannot live without my life! I cannot die without my soul!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bunuel and King Solomon's Table (2001)

Soundtrack:

The Wedding March

A nearly flawless classic

This classic version of the Bronte novel is probably familiar to most movie fans, and with good reason. Although the recent Ralph Fiennes version is also excellent, nothing can quite surpass the 1939 film's bleak black-and-white cinematography or the impassioned performance of Laurence Olivier. Some of us still mourn that his then-wife, Vivien Leigh, wasn't granted her wish to be cast as Catherine, but Merle Oberon is nonetheless excellent: her Catherine isn't quite likable, but then, she isn't supposed to be. Instead of sugar-coating the story as Hollywood is so wont to do, the filmmakers give us Cathy and Heathcliff as they should be: ruthless, selfish, destructive, and fascinating. The only major drawback is the saccharine musical score, which tries to make this wild, haunting story into a candy-box romance. Fortunately, all the other elements resist this tendency. Even though the film only covers half the novel, you'll find it satisfying and unforgettable.