Top 50 Actresses, #4 - Olivia de Havilland: "The Heiress" (1949)

Movie Stats:
Released 1949 (USA)
American, in English (minor, non-translated French)
Director - William Wyler
Stars - Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson

Plot Summary:
In 19th century America, socially awkward heiress Catherine Sloper (de Havilland) seems destined for spinsterhood until she’s swept off her feet by the handsome, suave Morris Townsend (Clift). However, Catherine’s father, Dr. Austin Sloper (Richardson), believes that Morris is a fortune hunter.

Warnings:
None.

Bad Stuff:
The ending is rather abrupt & Clift's acting in that scene leaves much to be desired.

Good Stuff:
I liked that it didn’t try to present Catherine as undesirable because of her looks. I was worried it was going to try to force me to believe that Olivia de Havilland was an ugly woman. While they do make her look plain (quite well IMO), it’s more about how Catherine is shy & “unaccomplished,” one of the greatest sins for a lady back in the day.

It’s a lot more complex than it appears on the surface. It’s not just about whether or not Morris’s feelings for Catherine are genuine. There’s Austin’s contempt for his daughter, the emotional abuse Catherine endures, and her journey to becoming a strong, confident woman.

Everyone is really good, but I thought Richardson was particularly impressive as an outwardly loving father who truthfully loathes his daughter so much that he makes her into the very thing he loathes.

About the Performance:
The story calls for three distinct aspects of Catherine’s personality to be depicted: first, the shy, socially awkward girl who doesn’t know how to relate to her peers; second, the young woman in love; and lastly, the wounded adult, steely with resolve and strength. De Havilland is very believable in each of the film’s acts. I thought she was fantastic & felt a newfound sense of admiration for her.

Other performances of de Havilland’s I’ve reviewed: Gone with the Wind.

The Verdict:
I expected to like it, and it was even better than anticipated because it was far more complex. I thought it would be a simple story of “Is Morris a fortune hunter or isn’t he?” While that is part of the story, and a part that it does well, I think the more interesting stuff is Catherine’s relationship with her father, how she comes to understand that it’s toxic, and how she learns to stand up for herself. The costuming is eye-catching (Edith Head, of course. She won an Oscar for this film). All of the performances are excellent. (I read on IMDB that Clift hated himself so much in the film that he walked out of the premiere. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time & give that man a hug. He was such a tortured soul.) It’s by no means a happy film, or even particularly fun to watch—except for the part where Catherine & Morris are falling in love, which made me smile—but it’s fascinating. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it.

I give it 4.25 stars.