The Heiress SE? (1 Viewer)

[Alejandro]

One of William Wyler's best films doesn't have the special edition treatment it deserves, why?
With great performances by Ralph Richardson, Montgomery Cliff and of course Olivia de Havilland, who won an academy award, it is a must. Wouldn't it be great that De Havilland would do a commentary. I think the lady is willing.
Who owns the rights to the movie?

 

[RafaelPires]

Universal owns it. And has just released it in UK, so maybe we'll get it in R1 soon. I really hope so.

 

[Jeff_HR]

Universal!?! Hmmmmm....................

 

[JohnPM]

The Region 2 DVD looks very nice, and it's available from Amazon U.K.

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/

 

[Jon Robertson]

The best hope there is of this receiving special edition treatment is to ask Universal to licence it out to Criterion. It is a great, great film.

 

[Jodee]

Special edition? I'd just be happy to get a barebones DVD. I'm still amazed that this has never been released.

 

[DeeF]

The only VHS I ever owned was The Heiress. I have, of course, recorded it off of TCM onto a DVD-R. But it would be nice to get a real DVD.

Can anyone recommend the UK edition? I've never bothered to do this (buy PAL DVDs) but this might be the time to start.

 

[Jon Robertson]

The UK DVD is a perfectly decent stopgap. The transfer is far from definitive, but aside from possibly benefitting from a higher bitrate (detail tends to get slightly 'blocky' at times), there's nothing especially wrong with it. It's cheap too.

 

[DeeF]

Cheap for you in London, maybe.

 

[Alejandro]

and for me in Spain

Thank god for amazon.co.uk!

 

[Corey]

i got all excited think that there was news of an official R1 release.

 

[Jon Robertson]

I just rewatched this and was floored all over again. The massive prestige Wyler was afforded after The Best Years of Our Lives must have been the only way he could have gotten away with such a brutal film. It's a very uncompromising study of essentially three unlikable people who ruin each other's lives.
Anyone who likes The Heiress should unquestionably check out Carrie, another remarkably dark Wyler period drama released on a fine DVD by Paramount.

 

[AlexCremers]

I only saw this movie once but I remember my mouth was open the whole time. I just bought the R2 release and I must say, the image quality could easily be improved upon. Films like these need to be restored to the max.



Alex

 

[Corey]

i bet that this film will probably be the next movie that universal does under their legacy series line like double indemnity and to kill a mockingbird with all those juicy extras and hopefully some interviews and commentary by olivia de havilland.

 

[Shawn Cornwell]

Waiting with baited breath for this to be released in region 1- come on, Universal! You finally are bestowing a "Double Indemnity" DVD on the public, why not continue the 'Legacy Series' with a release of this seminal work from director William Wyler?

I think Clift, de Havilland, Richardson, and Wyler seldom if ever topped their work in this classic. A DVD would allow new generations to discover one of the great dramas from Hollywood's Golden Age, while fans of "The Heiress" would be first in line to buy the film. I'd take the DVD in any form (film only or with special features), but a SE with a de Havilland commentary would be amazing.

 

[Matt Hough]

I, too, burned my own DVD-R copy of the film from a TCM broadcast because I got tired of waiting for an official one. It's one of my favorite all-time films.

I like Ralph Richardson very much, but how I wish Basil Rathbone (who won a Tony for his stage performance) had been tapped to repeat Dr. Sloper for the film!

 

[Alejandro]

I think the cast is just perfect but certainly I wouldn't have imagined them in their roles just for reading the script. I mean, commo'n, Olivia was pretty, in a motherly kind of way but, besides her made up eyebrows she is still too lovely to be a hopeless bride. Then again, she is "perfect" in the role, innocent and sloppy at the beginning and so believably bitter at the end. And Monty, which such a noble face, you keep wondering if he could possibly "feel" anything.
Such a great film. Searching the internet I came across this interesting anecdote: "In 1993, Tom Cruise and director Mike Nicholas were considering a remake (of the Heiress) until they screened the original and realized that it couldn't possibly be improved upon" Thank god.
There's this one scene in the film I can't never forget, in which Morris Townsend leaves accidentally? his glove in the house and Catherine looks at it in awe, then she places her hand carefully over it for a second just like she is caressing it. It's a moment charged with sexuality and romantic longing. Is it just me or there aren't many directors out there capable of such subtlety?

 

[Charles H]

WASHINGTON SQUARE (1997) was a based on the original Henry James novel that inspired the Goetz adaptation. It starred Jennifer Jason Leigh, Albert Finney, and Maggie Smith. It can't "touch" the Wyler fim.

 

[Jonathan Burk]

For you Olivia de Havilland fans...

http://www.oscars.org/events/de_havi...ute/index.html

(You might be especially interested in this screening at the LACMA:

Sunday, June 18 at 8 p.m.
The Heiress (1949); featuring a conversation with Ms. de Havilland in person)

 

[Alejandro]

Wow!
Thanks Jonathan for the info. I wish I could be there!
Isn't it interesting that the only screening she'll attend "in person" is The Heiress?
Can it be that those guys at Universal are up to something?
Anyone?