Mrs. Parkington (1944)

Director:

Tay Garnett

Writers:

Louis Bromfield (novel)
Robert Thoeren (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

November 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

In this family saga, Mrs. Parkington recounts the story of her life, beginning as a hotel maid in frontier...

Plot Keywords:

Nevada | Humiliation | Hotel | Maid | Billiards

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

Greer Garson	...	Susie 'Sparrow' Parkington
Walter Pidgeon	...	Major Augustus 'Gus' Parkington
Edward Arnold	...	Amory Stilham
Agnes Moorehead	...	Baroness Aspasia Conti
Cecil Kellaway	...	Edward - Prince of Wales
Gladys Cooper	...	Alice - Dutchess de Brancourt
Frances Rafferty	...	Jane Stilham
Tom Drake	...	Ned Talbot
Peter Lawford	...	Lord Thornley
Dan Duryea	...	Jack Stilham
Hugh Marlowe	...	John Marbey
Selena Royle	...	Mattie Trounsen - Susie's Maid
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Signor Cellini
Lee Patrick	...	Madeleine Parkington Swann
St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choristers	...	Singers (as St. Luke's Choristers)

Runtime:

Israel:123 min | USA:124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #10200) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Morrison Ranch, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Some cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Ann Codee (Madame Dupont), George Davis (French Policeman) and Frank Reicher (French Doctor). It is possible that their scenes, if filmed at all, were only for the European version (see alternate versions), since their character names suggests a French setting. A contemporary news item also listed Donna Reed, Nana Bryant and Dewey Robinson as cast members, but they were not seen in the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: During a closeup of Maitre D, in the scene where newlywed Mr. and Mrs. Parkington arrive at the hotel in New York, the chambermaid with the bed warmer is seen exiting the room behind the welcoming Maitre D. In the next shot the maid is once again leaving the room.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Twenty Years After (1944)

Soundtrack:

Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Silent Night, Holy Night)

It Was Like Watching A Fairy Tale Come To Life.....

Oh, why couldn't this film have been longer? I was taken in from the very beginning and was fascinated watching the lives of the Parkingtons. Greer Garson was exceptional as we watched her age from a young lady to a family matriarch in her 80's. I must agree that the pairing of she and Walter Pidgeon was superb and Agnes Moorehead's performance was remarkable. Gladys Cooper always stands out in any cast and with costumes of such splendor and the storylines that ranged from tragic to tremendous, there was no way to lose with this movie. Perhaps now, I'll go purchase the novel and see if I can get any more from this tale that didn't make it to the big screen. As they always say, "the book was better than the movie". I intend to try and find out. I can hardly imagine it, but I can only hope to find more and more delight from the adventures of the Parkingtons. This was one of my favorites with the pairing of Garson and Pidgeon. It's a truly entertaining movie and I recommend it highly!