The Heiress is a 1949 American romantic drama film directed and produced by William Wyler, from a screenplay written by Ruth and Augustus Goetz, adapted from their 1947 stage play of the same title, which was itself adapted from Henry James' 1880 novel Washington Square. The film stars Olivia de Havilland as Catherine Sloper, a naive young woman who falls in love with a handsome young man despite the objections of her emotionally abusive father who suspects the man of being a fortune hunter. Montgomery Clift stars as Morris Townsend and Ralph Richardson as Dr. Sloper.
The Heiress premiered in Los Angeles on October 6, 1949, and was theatrically released by Paramount Pictures on December 28, 1949. Although a box office failure, grossing $2.3 million on a $2.6 million budget, the film garnered critical acclaim, with reviewers praising Wyler's direction, its screenplay, and the performances of the cast. The film received a leading eight nominations at the 22nd Academy Awards, including for the Best Picture, and won four awards (more than any other film nominated that year): Best Actress (for de Havilland), Best Original Score, composed by Aaron Copland, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.
In 1996, The Heiress was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Universal Pictures, through its EMKA division, currently handles distribution of the film.
Contents
Plot
In 1849, in New York City, Catherine Sloper, the titular heiress, is a shy and reserved young woman living with her father, Dr. Austin Sloper, and his widowed sister, Lavinia Penniman at Washington Square. Catherine's mother died in childbirth, and Dr Sloper often compares his daughter unfavorably with her memory of her mother , whom he regarded as accomplished and socially admired. He views Catherine as lacking the qualities he valued in his late wife, creating tension in their relationship.
At a ball, Catherine meets the handsome young Morris Townsend. Aunt Penniman encourages the match on both sides, and Morris begins to pursue Catherine in earnest. Morris finds a certain charm to the clumsy Catherine's sincerity, and Catherine, overwhelmed by the attention and affection, falls deeply in love with him. Improperly, Morris extracts promises of loyalty from Catherine before getting permission from her father to marry.
Dr. Sloper is suspicious that anyone could love the daughter he sees as so unattractive and believes Morris is nothing but a conniving fortune hunter after Catherine's vast potential wealth. He finds Morris's widowed sister, who confirms that Morris squandered a small inheritance on a European Grand Tour, did not use any of the money to help her or her children, and that he has no further assets or employment prospects.
Sloper rejects the match with Morris. When Catherine persists, Sloper insists on taking her on an extended European trip to separate the pair as a test. Morris claims that he is loath to estrange Catherine from her father, and she should appease him by going on the trip and proving him wrong.
While Catherine and her father are away, Morris frequents the Sloper home and treats it as if he owns it already. In Europe, Dr. Sloper is disappointed that his plans have failed as Morris has not found a new heiress to target and Catherine has remained annoyingly and intransigently devoted to the idea of marrying Morris. Upon returning home, Dr. Sloper snaps at his excited daughter for being so stupid to believe that any handsome young man could possibly love her for anything but her money and threatens to disinherit her if she continues to insist on marrying Morris. Catherine is shocked by the maliciousness of her own father's true opinion of her.
Production
After seeing The Heiress on Broadway, Olivia de Havilland approached William Wyler about directing her in a screen adaptation of the play. He agreed and encouraged executives at Paramount Pictures to purchase the rights from the playwrights (Ruth and Augustus Goetz) for $250,000 and offer them $10,000 per week to write the screenplay. The couple were asked to make Morris less of a villain than he was in their play and the original novel in deference to the studio's desire to capitalize on Montgomery Clift's reputation as a romantic leading man.
The film premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on October 6, 1949.
Ralph Richardson reprised the role of Austin Sloper in a London production of the play.
Reception
The Heiress received universal critical acclaim. When it premiered at Radio City Music Hall, Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that the film "crackles with allusive life and fire in its tender and agonized telling of an extraordinarily characterful tale" and added Wyler "has given this somewhat austere drama an absorbing intimacy and a warming illusion of nearness that it did not have on the stage. He has brought the full-bodied people very closely and vividly to view, while maintaining the clarity and sharpness of their personalities, their emotions and their styles... The Heiress is one of the handsome, intense and adult dramas of the year." Currently, the film holds a perfect 100% approval rating with an average rating of 9.0/10 on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes based on 14 reviews.
Pauline Kael wrote, "[At] first the period settings and clothes may make the movie seem a little heavy and stagey, but then Wyler's mastery of the psychological nuances can have you drawing deep breaths. It's a peerless, super-controlled movie, in the same mode as Wyler's 1952 Carrie, though more fully sustained. Wyler's greatness here is that he can hold the elements of the film in his palm without constricting the actors. He frees them."
The Brooklyn Eagle found the film "an intensely satisfying drama that holds a high level of interest throughout, building relentlessly to a moving climax." Praise for the principals lauded de Havilland especially: "[The] transformation of Catherine Sloper from a pathetically shy girl to a cold, handsome woman" being "handled with finished skill."
The Philadelphia Inquirer praised the Goetzes for a skillful transformation of their stage version, finding it "in almost every way...superior." Prospects of an Academy Award for de Havilland were judged "thoroughly reasonable" as well.
TV Guide rates the film five out of a possible five stars and adds, "This powerful and compelling drama...owes its triumph to the deft hand of director William Wyler and a remarkable lead performance by Olivia de Havilland".
Time Out London calls the film "typically plush, painstaking and cold...highly professional and heartless."
Influence
Martin Scorsese has cited The Heiress as a key influence on his 2023 film Killers of the Flower Moon. Specifically, the portrayal of Mollie Kyle and her relationship with her husband Ernest Burkhart drew inspiration from de Havilland's portrayal of Catherine and her relationship with Morris.
In popular culture
In 1975, the twenty-first episode of the eighth season of The Carol Burnett Show featured a takeoff of the film titled "The Lady Heir," with Carol Burnett as Catherine and Roddy McDowall as Morris.