IMDb >
The Heiress (1949)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Heiress (1949) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 10 | slideshow) |
        |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
6 October 1949 (USA)
more
Tagline:
When a Woman Loves a Man . . . She Doesn't Want to Know the Truth About Him ! more
Plot:
A young naive woman falls for a handsome young man who her emotionally abusive father suspects is a fortune hunter. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Money
|
Fortune Hunter
|
Inheritance
|
Marriage
|
1840s
more
Awards:
Won 4 Oscars.
Another 4 wins
&
7 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
de Havillink
(From FilmExperience. 8 August 2009, 9:21 PM, PDT)
Oscar and The Jesus Year
(From FilmExperience. 25 February 2009, 9:00 AM, PST)
(From FilmExperience. 8 August 2009, 9:21 PM, PDT)
Oscar and The Jesus Year
(From FilmExperience. 25 February 2009, 9:00 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Outstanding Henry James Adaptation
more (84 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Olivia de Havilland | ... | Catherine Sloper |
 | Montgomery Clift | ... | Morris Townsend |
 | Ralph Richardson | ... | Dr. Austin Sloper |
| Miriam Hopkins | ... | Lavinia Penniman |
| Vanessa Brown | ... | Maria |
| Betty Linley | ... | Mrs. Montgomery |
| Ray Collins | ... | Jefferson Almond |
| Mona Freeman | ... | Marian Almond |
| Selena Royle | ... | Elizabeth Almond |
| Paul Lees | ... | Arthur Townsend |
| Harry Antrim | ... | Mr. Abeel |
| Russ Conway | ... | Quintus |
| David Thursby | ... | Geier |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
115 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Ginger Rogers was first offered the leading role but turned it down.
more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Morris first asks Kathryn to dance at the party, she is seated with her dance card in her hand. Her fan is hanging from a string around her wrist on the same arm. Cut to a wider shot as Kathryn stands to join Morris, and suddenly her fan is in her hand, and her dance card is hanging from her wrist.
more
Quotes:
Mrs. Montgomery:
I think, Doctor, that you expect too much of people. If you do you'll always be disappointed.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Gossip Girl: The Age of Dissonance (#2.18)" (2009)
more
Soundtrack:
Plaisir d'amour (The Joys of Love)
more
FAQ
Where can I hear an audio adaptation of the play this movie was based on?more
more (84 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Heiress (1949) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Gone with the Wind | The Notebook | Washington Square | Heaven Can Wait | Ruby Gentry |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
Certainly among the finest literary adaptations, "The Heiress" was based on Henry James's novel, "Washington Square" and features arguably Olivia de Havilland's finest screen performance. Morris Townsend , a handsome young man with ambiguous motives pursues Catherine Sloper, a plain spinster, who is slightly past marriageable age and possesses limited social skills. The young woman, who is the heiress of the title, is vulnerable prey for a penniless fortune hunter.
However, Montgomery Clift plays Townsend in an enigmatic manner, and viewers can debate his true intentions. Catherine's father, played by Ralph Richardson, and her Aunt Lavinia, played by Miriam Hopkins, take opposite sides in Townsend's pursuit of Catherine. Although both her father and her aunt appear to see through the handsome suitor, Aunt Lavinia is practical and sensitive to her niece's emotional needs, and she counsels compromise in pursuit of happiness, if only fleeting. However, Catherine's father is unyielding and essentially unloving in his opposition to the match. Throughout, Dr. Sloper compares his daughter's virtues to those of his late wife, and Catherine comes up lacking in every quality that he values. Sloper threatens to disinherit his daughter if she marries the suitor.
Montgomery Clift may appear shallow and transparent to some, but in essence those are the traits of his character. While Morris is slick and obviously fawning, he is not intelligent enough to be totally deceptive. Only someone as naive and needy as Olivia could fail to grasp that Morris may want something more than her love. Olivia de Havilland transcends her other performances and skillfully and convincingly evolves from a shy, introverted girl into a strong, vengeful woman. De Havilland has often portrayed women who appear genteel and soft on the outside, but whose hearts and backbones can harden into pure steel (e.g. Gone with the Wind; Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte), and Catherine Sloper is the finest of those roles. With able support from Richardson and Hopkins, Clift and de Havilland make the most of an outstanding screenplay, which was adapted from a stage play. William Wyler directs with a sure hand, and the atmospheric cinematography captures 19th century New York life. Period films are often unraveled by their hairstyles, which generally owe more to the year in which the film was made rather than that in which the story is set. However, even the coiffures excel in "The Heiress." De Havilland's hair looks authentic 19th century and underscores Wyler's fastidious attention to detail.
With an award-winning de Havilland performance, a handsome Montgomery Clift on the brink of stardom, and an engrossing Henry James story, "The Heiress" is one of the finest films of the 1940's. Without qualification, the film holds up to and merits repeat viewings if only to better argue the underlying motives of Clift and the fateful decision that de Havilland has to make.