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The basis of this movie is a Henry James novella entitled THE ASPERN PAPERS. In the story, the narrator is a publisher who is trying to find a trove of love letters that were supposedly written by one of early 19th Century America's great romantic poets, Jeffrey Aspern. His search takes him to Venice, where he ingratiates himself into the household of Aspern's still living lover and her niece. He succeeds better than he expects, because the letters do exist - but to get to them he has to be nicer and nicer to the niece. Eventually he does read some of the letters, but his success is cut short - the niece is expecting the publisher is in love with her, and will marry her. This was not planned, and (reluctantly) he gives up his search. Then, a few years later, he returns after the aunt has died. The niece is still there, but realizing why he had been so interested in her she decided on her revenge (reminiscent, in it's way, to the the revenge of Catherine Sloper to Morris Townsend. in THE HEIRESS / "Washington Square"). She tells she burned all the letters. End of story.The movie expands the part of the aunt (Agnes Moorehead), making her the keeper of a grave secret. Susan Hayward properly shows the emotional problems of an attractive woman facing spinsterhood. And Bob Cummings is able to show that, for all his business interest in the literary find, he is not without a human side.Oddly enough the story was based on a true one, that is discussed by Professor Richard Altick's classic book THE SCHOLAR ADVENTURERS. The actual incident involved a cache of love and private letters of George, Lord Byron. Regretfully, they too were burned.
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