The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955)

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Walter Reisch (written by) and
Charles Brackett (written by)

Release Date:

1 October 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | Romance

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Mother Daughter Relationship | Reputation | Passion | Architect | Tragic Love

Cast

Ray Milland	...	Stanford White
Joan Collins	...	Evelyn Nesbit
Farley Granger	...	Harry Kendall Thaw
Luther Adler	...	Delphin Delmas
Cornelia Otis Skinner	...	Mrs. Thaw
Glenda Farrell	...	Mrs. Nesbit
Frances Fuller	...	Mrs. Elizabeth White
Phillip Reed	...	Robert Collier (as Philip Reed)
Gale Robbins	...	Gwen Arden
James Lorimer	...	McCaleb
John Hoyt	...	William Travers Jerome
Robert F. Simon	...	Stage Manager (as Robert Simon)
Harvey Stephens	...	Dr. Hollingshead
Emile Meyer	...	Greenbacher

Runtime:

109 min | 104 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (magnetic prints) | Mono (optical prints)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #17584) | Canada:PG (video rating) | UK:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Before being put on suspension, Marilyn Monroe was 20th Century-Fox's original choice for the role of Evelyn Nesbit. She turned this film and a forthcoming adaptation of the then-current Broadway musical 'The Girl in Pink Tights' (which was to co-star Dan Dailey and 'Mitzi Gaynor') and was put on suspension. Sheree North was then announced as her replacement for both films until Joan Collins was eventually cast as Nesbit. 'Girl in Pink Tights' was eventually abandoned.

Quotes:

Mrs. Nesbit: I've seen more tears run down the pretty faces than the plain ones.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Tell Me, Pretty Maiden (I Must Love Some-One)

"Joanie" soars, while the movie snores!

Like the person that preceded me on this thread, I, too, saw this movie on the True Stories Channel, just this very morning. Over the years, I had seen bits and pieces of it, before, but never the whole movie in its entirety.

With that said, I must admit that I am a HUGE (!!!) Joan Collins fan, so it's doubtful that I would've subjected myself to the movie's excruciatingly slow pace had it NOT co-starred "Joanie." I mean, I've followed "Joanie's" career through muck ("Empire of the Ants") and mire ("The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing"), so I can honestly say that "Joanie" MAY star in bad motion pictures, but she NEVER gives a bad performance!

Yes, I agree with the other posters, Ray Milland DOES, indeed, deliver a VERY bland and wooden performance as architect, Stanford White. However, much the same thing can be said for Farley Granger, too, in the villain's role of Harry Thaw. While I can't speak for Granger, I feel I must stand up for Milland: In 1945, under Billy Wilder's superior direction, he won a much-deserved Oscar for his performance as an alcoholic in "The Lost Weekend." So, for his lackluster performance in this movie, I place the blame on the director, Richard Fleischer.

Look, this movie was supposed to be a break-out role for "Joanie." Alas, it wasn't to be. Sure, she'd go on to make other "A" movies, like "Land of the Pharaohs" and the rare Paul Newman clunker, "Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!" However, after the final Bob Hope/Bing Crosby road movie, "The Road to Hong Kong," "Joanie" was lucky to get work in TV shows like "Batman."

Fortunately, OUR "Joanie" is a SURVIVOR! Super-producer, Aaron Spelling, remembered her from his salad days, and cast her as the Super-Bitch, "Alexis Carrington," in his night-time soap opera, "Dynasty," and the rest - as they say - is history!