Harriet Craig (1950)

Harriet Craig enjoys the married life but constantly tries to control those around her. She does not trust her husband, Walter, without checking up on him.

Director:

Vincent Sherman

Writers:

James Gunn (screenplay), Anne Froelich (screenplay) (as Anne Froelick)

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Wendell Corey, Lucile Watson

Cast

Cast overview:
Joan Crawford	...	Harriet Craig
Wendell Corey	...	Walter Craig
Lucile Watson	...	Celia Fenwick
Allyn Joslyn	...	Billy Birkmire
William Bishop	...	Wes Miller
K.T. Stevens	...	Clare Raymond
Viola Roache	...	Mrs. Harold
Raymond Greenleaf	...	Henry Fenwick
Ellen Corby	...	Lottie

Storyline

Domineering Harriet Craig holds more regard for her home and its possessions than she does for any person in her life. Among those she treats like household objects are her kind husband Walter, whom she has lied to about her inability to have children; her cousin Claire, whom she treats like a secretary; and her servants whom she treats like slaves.

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Plot Keywords:

control | pulitzer prize source | character name as title | camp | family relationships | 

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Taglines:

What Was Harriet Craig's Lie?

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Under the advice of director Vincent Sherman, Joan Crawford originally declined the title role when it was offered to her. Sherman felt she was ill suited for the part. However, when Sherman was ultimately contracted to direct the film, Crawford, aware of their previous success with The Damned Don't Cry (1950), changed her mind and signed on. Margaret Sullavan, who had taken the role after Crawford's initial rejection of it, was assigned elsewhere.

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Goofs

When Clare rushes out of the dining room after hearing the truth about how Wes feels about her, as the camera is pulling back its moving shadow falls across the wall to the right.

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Quotes

Harriet Craig: No one cares for brandy, Lottie, I've already asked them.
Lottie: Mr. Craig asked for it.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Mouth (2008)

User Reviews

Another Wonderful Performance from Crawford

Harriet Craig (1950)

*** (out of 4)

Forgotten Columbia film about a wife (Joan Crawford) who cares only about her possessions, her way of life and anything that involves her. Her blind husband (Wendell Corey) soon starts to realize that he's not married to the type of woman he thought he was. HARRIET CRAIG is a film that doesn't get talked about too often when it comes to Crawford but when you step back and look at the work she did starting with MILDRED PIERCE you can't help but call this another winner. As I go through these post-MGM Crawford films I must say that my respect for her continues to grow because she took on all sorts of roles and did a wonderful job at all of them. There's just something so evil and cold about her character here and it's something that perhaps lived inside of the actress. If MOMMIE DEAREST had been written like this film it would have been a masterpiece. If Faye Dunaway's performance was as great as what Crawford delivers here then I think she would have been willing to talk about it. I mention that film because the type of character that film portrays Crawford as is pretty much the type she's playing here. The coldness of this character is something that you'll certainly hate but the constantly lying and the way she puts herself before anything else just makes this one of the most memorable characters out there. What I loved about Crawford's performance is this bubbling evilness that you can feel with her character and you just get the feeling at any second she's willing to make something worse just to benefit herself. Corey also deserves a lot of credit as the husband as he makes for a very sympathetic character. The sequence when everything finally breaks and the two go at it is rather priceless in regards to the brilliance of the acting. The supporting cast includes good performances by Lucile Watson, K.T. Stevens, William Bishop, Ellen Corby and Viola Roache. HARRIET CRAIG is a film that's not often talked about, which is a real shame because Crawford's performance certainly deserves more attention.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 March 1951 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Lady of the House

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1