The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955)

The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing is the true story of Evelyn Nesbit (Dame Joan Collins), a beautiful showgirl caught in a love triangle with elderly architect Stanford White (Ray Milland) and eccentric young millionaire Harry K. Thaw (Farley Granger).

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Walter Reisch, Charles Brackett

Stars:

Ray Milland, Joan Collins, Farley Granger

Cast

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

Storyline

It's the early twentieth century New York City. There exists a high level of animosity by Harry K. Thaw (Farley Granger), a wealthy Pittsburgh businessman, toward renowned architect Stanford White (Ray Milland) for Harry feeling those dealing with the New York City and social set giving Stanford many of the perks that should rightfully have gone to him. While Stanford is mature and refined, Harry is brash, impetuous, and volatile. That animosity is ratcheted up a notch when they both meet Evelyn Nesbit (Dame Joan Collins), a beautiful but poor model with whom they are both infatuated, she appearing in the chorus of her first Broadway musical revue. After getting to know Evelyn, married Stanford, who still loves his wife and thus will not divorce her, wants nonetheless to provide Evelyn with the comforts and breeding of those within his social circle. His infatuation with her is also despite he being old enough to be her father. Harry, who is more age appropriate, takes a more direct ...

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Plot Keywords:

seductive | period drama | love triangle | swing | showgirl | 

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Taglines:

THE RISE - THE FALL of the most beautiful Floradora chorine from penniless model to mistress of $40,000,000

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marilyn Monroe was Twentieth Century Fox's original choice for the role of Evelyn Nesbit. She turned down this movie, as well as a planned remake of Wabash Avenue (1950) titled "The Girl in Pink Tights" (which was to co-star Dan Dailey and Mitzi Gaynor). As a result, she was put on suspension. Sheree North was then announced as her replacement for both movies until Dame Joan Collins was eventually cast as Nesbit. "The Girl in Pink Tights" project was eventually abandoned.

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Goofs

In a restaurant scene near the beginning of the film, architect Stanford White castigates a magazine editor for not including in an article about him the Boston Public Library, which he calls "the best thing I ever did." White's partner, Charles Follen McKim designed the Boston Public Library, not White.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in What's My Line?: Herman Wouk & Van Heflin (1955)

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Soundtracks

Liebestraum nach dem Balle, Intermezzo Op.356
(uncredited)
Written by Alphons Czibulka

User Reviews

Trial Of The Century!?... I Hardly Think So.

Here's my guess as to why this 1955 "Trial-of-the-Century" drama (which highlighted the real-life Thaw-White murder case from 1906) failed to deliver a substantial enough wallop and, thus, hold onto this viewer's rapt attention.

It was because the real-life Evelyn Nesbit (who, at a much younger age, had played a pivotal part in this murder case) was now playing "technical adviser" on the set of this 1955 picture. And, as a result, nothing in the story could be filmed without her prior consent.

And because of this veto power that Nesbit (72 at the time) wielded, her youthful character in the story was white-washed, and made out to be the sweetest, most naive, little innocent bystander in the scheme of things.

And, on top of that, the sexual implications of Nesbit's torrid affair, at 17, with a man 3 times her age was down-played so unrealistically as to make it appear as if she and Stanford White were merely platonic friends.

As a result of all of this down-playing (at Nesbit's insistence) this film's story was virtually rendered flat and uninspired, with only shallow and apathetic performances given by all of its principal players.

I honestly believe that this 1955 picture could've been real dynamite story-telling had Evelyn Nesbit not had such a strangle-hold on its subject matter, as she adamantly insisted that her once ravishing "Gibson Girl" image remain intact, thus making certain that she was portrayed as the absolute epitome of "Turn of the Century" innocence.

Directed by Richard Fleischer (a fairly notable director), this disappointing melodrama suffered, as well, from a curious lack of essential close-ups.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

1 October 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min 104 min (FMC Library Print)

Sound Mix:

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

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1