Invitation (1952)

Director:

Gottfried Reinhardt

Writers:

Paul Osborn (writer)
Jerome Weidman (story)

Release Date:

31 October 1952 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Always believing she had a happy marriage, a young wife's trust in her husband is shaken when she discovers that her father had paid him to marry her.

Plot Keywords:

Avalanche | Heart Condition | Rheumatic Fever | Honeymoon | Arranged Marriage

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Van Johnson	...	Daniel I. 'Dan' Pierce
Dorothy McGuire	...	Ellen Bowker Pierce
Ruth Roman	...	Maud Redwick
Louis Calhern	...	Simon Bowker
Ray Collins	...	Dr. Warren Pritchard
Michael Chekhov	...	Dr. Fromm
Lisa Golm	...	Agnes, the Maid
Diane Cassidy	...	Molly Eaton
Stapleton Kent	...	George, the Gardener
Barbara Ruick	...	Sarah
Norman Field	...	Arthur, the Chauffeur
Matt Moore	...	Paul, the Butler
Pat Conway	...	Bill (as Patrick Conway)
Alex Gerry	...	Professor Redwick
Lucille Curtis	...	Mrs. Redwick

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The haunting theme music by Bronislau Kaper was actually introduced two years earlier in MGM's A Life of Her Own (1950), but became a jazz standard under the title Invitation, especially associated with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson.

Quotes:

Ellen: There is something much more important than keeping alive, and that is knowing that you have lived.

Dorothy McGuire in a Classic Soaper

This is a classic chick flick. It is all about who really loves whom and whether that love is pure. Dorothy McGuire plays Ellen Pierce, a rich girl with low self esteem who is attracted to playboy Van Johnson. But he is involved with someone else, Maud Redwick, played by the deliciously evil Ruth Roman. Suddenly, he drops Maud and proposes to Ellen, who accepts. They marry, have a wonderful honeymoon, and settle down. It appears that "happily ever after" is just around the corner.

But then trouble strikes. Maud keeps showing up and making snide comments that suggest Ellen's marriage won't last more than a year. Ellen can't quite figure out what is going on, so Maud gets less and less subtle. Ultimately, Maud drops an unmistakable clue, and a terrible secret is revealed.

That's really all there is to the story. Dorothy McGuire is luminous, and Van Johnson plays his usual sheepish beau. Will the marriage last? What does Maud know that Ellen doesn't? You may figure it out a lot sooner than Ellen, but it is quite an enjoyable journey to take to find out the answer.