Posted on 04/19/2020 7:45:21 AM PDT by Rummyfan
Leave Her to Heaven (1945) is an audacious film strictly within the confines of its sprocket holes.
Then you do a double take at that release date, and marvel that:
This movie got green-lit in the first place; The studio released this movie — as their ballyhooed "Christmas" offering, no less — after they saw the final cut; and, It was the studio's top grossing film not just that year, but for the entire decade. If Leave Her To Heaven were made today, and were as popular now as it was then, dozens of think-pieces, amateur and professional, would be devoted to pondering one question:
"What the hell is wrong with us, America?"
Yet as far as I've been able to tell, no such controversy enveloped the movie back then. Make of that what you will.
(Although the original trailer's "mental hygiene" narration hints that somebody fretted enough about the film's subversive quality to give it a Reefer Madness spin — see this movie, boys and girls, but don't enjoy it).
(Excerpt) Read more at steynonline.com ...
I read this review yesterday in an email. Quite chilling.
If you can still find it read the book. It is excellent. Another similar wicked woman book by the author is “Strange Woman” which was made into a movie. I saw it on Youtube.
PS. One thing I really liked about the movie was the house. The character may have been deeply flawed but the house was wonderful.
Hawkeye (watching a movie):
What; what’d I miss?
Henry:
Cornel Wilde just kissed Gene Tierney.
Hawkeye:
On the teeth?
Trapper:
Right smack on.
Hawkeye:
If he straightens out that overbite, I’ll kill him.
‘Gene Tierney’
notwithstanding the fact that I thought she was a he, with a name like Gene, until I learned differently, how beautiful can a woman be...? and why is poor Vincent Price always getting thrown under the bus for some other guy (though truth be told, Vince would probably be happier with the other guy...)
Yes, she was very beautiful.
My kids and I watched a movie about Bishop Fulton Sheen recently, and he totally reminded me of Vincent Price, with his swirling cape and intense eyes.
Thanks, I’ll try my library catalogs.
I’ve seen this movie 4 or 5 times. It’s pretty heavy.
The article linked to a whole piece on the houses. Beautiful!
People with great sets are always miserable, though, at least on the big and small screen. I feel like I’m less likely to be murdered in my boring suburban box!
Rather like Democrats finally wising up and leaving the hate-filled Democrat Party.
When I was a child, of course I was not allowed to see Leave Her to Heaven. Older children, however, told me about it, and it scared the wits out of me.
Other movies which, hearing about, scared me were The She Wolf of London, Faces in the Fog, Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, and The Spiral Staircase.
As an adult, I watched Leave Her to Heaven (and read its title origin Hamlet) and the other movies. It's not bad, I suppose. Certainly gorgeous Gene Tierney and Jeanne Craine are well worth watching.
It still boggles the mind that so many people cannot see the appalling dangers of the hate-filled Democrat Party or the heroic virtues of President Trump (note tagline).
‘and he totally reminded me of Vincent Price, with his swirling cape and intense eyes.’
Bishop Sheen as Vincent Price; interesting...
‘It still boggles the mind that so many people cannot see the appalling dangers of the hate-filled Democrat Party’
there’s enough hatred in the world (always has been, actually) for everybody, regardless of race, religion, politics and moral codes...hard wired into our genetics, I guess...
If you want "heavy" try "King's Row", a true masterpiece, IMHO.
Just remember that when we watch “Leave her to Heaven” these days we are not seeing the truly blazing technicolor it originally had. 20th Century Fox foolishly destroyed all their 3-strip technicolor films with the advent of Eastman-color, which was a cheaper and less cumbersome 1-strip color process. Unfortunately, they did not know at the time that Eastman-color was prone to fading. So all those films shot in the beautiful non-fading 3-strip process have faded and will never look the same. What color this film has now is largely just digital manipulation.
In the Shakespeare’s Hamlet quote, the HER referred to committed different sins, both horrible, one, I think, was worse.
At least he didn’t end up like his character did here;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyLWS_CjI1M
Price’s last movie.
I never could finish slogging through anything Williams wrote.
As for the film, it’ll never hold a candle to “The Bad Seed.”
Her barely known husband does not act like daddy and cater to her whims. He has other people that he also cares about and that enrages her. Doesn't her know that she is the center of the universe and everything revolves around her?
The rest of the film is about her punishing people because they do not give her the worship she deserves.
Are the people around her flawed? Of course. But she is also a nutcase. There is not enough love in the world to fill the black hole that is her soul because she is actually unable to love in return.
She reminded me somewhat of Cathy Ames in "East of Eden".
And less likely to be burgled. I figure if that ever does happen the burglars will leave a care package.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.