It's been passed over as camp because of its star, Joan Crawford, but Aldrich brings all his hard edges to this woman's picture. Dan Callahan of Slant Magazine (June 16, 2004) wrote, "All of Aldrich's early work is intriguing, but Autumn Leaves is his secret gem. The film has grown in stature among Aldrich fans since its 1956 premiere and is now regarded as one of the director's best films. It was eclipsed by What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? with Bette Davis." I think the movie on a whole was a lot better than some of the romantic movies I did in the past.but somehow it just never became better known. I really think Cliff did a stupendous job another actor might have been spitting out his lines and chewing the scenery, but he avoided that trap. The cast was perfect, the script was good, and I think Bob handled everything well. The actress thought highly of the film, deeming it the "best older woman/younger man movie ever made", and added, "Everything clicked on Autumn Leaves. Autumn Leaves was a modest box-office success. Reception Īlthough Bosley Crowther panned the film in The New York Times on August 2, 1956, calling it a "dismal tale", Lawrence Quirk in Motion Picture Herald and William Zinsser in the New York Herald Tribune commented favorably upon the film. The song was introduced by Yves Montand in the French feature film Les Portes de la Nuit (1946), but was made popular in the United States through a piano version by Roger Williams in 1955. English lyrics were written by the American songwriter Johnny Mercer (1949). The song's original title is "Les feuilles mortes" ("The Dead Leaves") with music by Joseph Kosma and lyrics by Jacques Prévert. Cole's rendition is used over the film's main title sequence and the cast credits at the end. Crawford's character is fond of the song, but it is not identified by name in the script. The title was changed from The Way We Are to capitalize on the success of the then popular tune " Autumn Leaves", performed in the film by Nat King Cole. Īldrich got Joan Crawford attached and they sold it to William Goetz who had a deal with Columbia. ![]() Robert Aldrich originally developed it for his own company, the Associates and Aldrich and it was announced in July 1954, based on an original script by Jack Jevne. The film's original working title was The Way We Are. Milly happily discovers he still loves her and they look forward to a brighter future. Burt's condition improves with treatment (depicted sketchily as a montage of intravenous drugs and electroconvulsive therapy), and he severs connections with his past. When he becomes violent, Milly sends him to a mental hospital. Milly also learns that Burt's father ( Lorne Greene) is in Los Angeles to find him.īurt is haunted by the day when he discovered his wife and father making love he begins displaying signs of mental instability with their sudden, unwelcomed presence in his life. Virginia gives her a property settlement that she wants Burt to sign and tells her that Burt is a habitual liar about his life and his past. Once home, Burt's ex-wife, Virginia, appears, which shocks Milly because Burt told her that he had never been married. However, on the marriage license, he lists his place of birth as Chicago, though he had earlier told her he was born in Racine, Wisconsin. The next day, the couple gets married in Mexico. He proposes to her in a movie theater, and while she initially rejects the proposal, she reconsiders when she sees him walking away. ![]() A month later, Burt is waiting for the still-lonely Milly at her home and the two celebrate his new job at a department store. They share a romantic date at the beach, kissing amidst the crashing waves, but Milly tells Burt to date someone his own age. One evening in a diner, she meets a lonely, younger U.S. Millicent "Milly" Wetherby works at home as a self-employed typist. Aldrich won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 1956 Berlin International Film Festival. ![]() The screenplay was written by Jean Rouverol and Hugo Butler, though it was credited to Jack Jevne (serving as a front), since Rouverol and Butler were blacklisted at the time of the film's release. The film was distributed by Columbia Pictures. Autumn Leaves is a 1956 American psychological drama film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Joan Crawford in an older woman/younger man tale of mental illness.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |