To correct myself before more people do it! She does "needlepoint" NOT "knitting"...I apologize to the needlepoint community ;)

If I remember correctly, Dr Sloper married Catherine's mother for HER money to set up his practice. Dr Sloper mythologized his wife, endlessly comparing Catherine to her and how she could never live up to her merits in beauty, wit, intelligence, basically anything. Who could live up to a dead woman?? And there is Catherine, growing up motherless, without love, kindness or guidance, seeking society as best as she could. And this interloper descends into their home/society and Dr Sloper considers it a personal insult to him, as Catherine is not so much his daughter as his property. Catherine's growth and grace is the best part of this movie. William Wyler should have taken better care with Montgomery Clift as Ralph Richardson had much more experience through his stage work and could draw on that for his craft. Olivia de Havilland is an exceptional actress and knows what she's about. That line about being "greedy" was the best bit towards the end - she delivered that line with bite.

Catherine does needle point. I don't think she's unintelligent but she is naive and struggles in social situations, probably exacerbated by her dad's contempt that erodes her self-confidence. I read the book and Morris definitely only wanted Catherine for her money. He doesn't cry and pound on the door at the end. He speaks to aunt Lavinia and says basically, "That was a waste of time".

needle point is not knitting - overbearing shyness and a lack of social grace is not a lack of intelligence - the aunt is not clueless, she is well aware of all sides of the situation all too well, and knows that her dowry will always be an issue - she might as well get the most beautiful man - a man who treats her better than her father... makes her feel beautiful, smart and seen. interesting when you think of the four actors - each represents a different style of acting - the styles do conflict which adds a tension... OLIVIA had earned her freedom from WB and - AND - for with her court case changed the course of all other contract players and the studio system...

Ahh the heiress is one of the best movies ever . So glad you saw it. I was also wondering in the beginning whether morris was really a gold digger

One of the best. I love the book and this adaptation is the best. What a brilliant acting! I think Monty was better than Errol would, and that comes from a huge Errol fan, but the thing about the character was exactly the ambiguity of the character.

I was taught by masters -

I did not get the impression Olivia's character was "unintelligent" or "clueless" - she was merely shy and introverted. Why did you not pick up on that and instead think she wasn't bright or smart? Montgomery was also not obviously a "scoundrel" - his performance was nuanced in that it's never clear what his intentions are. He might be sincere and he might not be. I think he was perfect for the role. Errol Flynn had good looks but didn't have the acting chops to do this part and he was getting too old to play Townsend anyway. Olivia as Katherine was fabulous in how she manages innocence and naivete and then the cold brutality of one who has been hurt.

"The Heiress" is my favorite movie of all time. You are mistaken about Catherine- don't confuse her crippling shyness for lack of intelligence. Do yourself a favor and watch this masterpiece again.

Great format, and I'm glad you gave The Heiress a watch! I do think that Aunt Livinia wanted "the best" for Catherine, and she cautioned her brother, Dr. Sloper, that "Morris can make her very happy" (along with Austin's other sister). At that time, Catherine DID enjoy her time with Morris. Not only was Aunt probably right, as Catherine would be better away from living with her father, but she would not have to face the stigma of "spinsterhood". I don't think that Morris would have been unkind (like what Catherine said), but he would have spent that money. I suppose it's possible he would have been abusive or inattentive or a philanderer, yet the film leaves that open to interpretation. Consider: most marriages/partnerships fail because of financial difficulties. Morris appears affectionate, and he's pretty upfront about his unambitious nature. Would Melania be with Donald if not for his lifestyle/money? Is Donald deluded enough to think she'd be with him if he were broke? She gets money, and he gets a younger, beautiful wife and everyone is satisfied (to an extent). Anyways, Catherine's father thought he should make a unilateral decision on her behalf, and destroy her character while doing it. He should have stepped back in matters of the heart. The dialogue in this film is fantastic, and late in the film when Catherine replied to her aunt's question "Yes, I can be very cruel. I have been taught by masters", it bowled me over. Her naivete was cruelly ripped away by her father and her lover, and left her traumatized for a time. But is wiser, and there is the possibility that her life is headed for happier times with both her tormentors out of the picture. Aaron Copland wrote the score. He's famous for composing "Hoedown" and he won an Oscar for his work (he wasn't too happy about the "tweaks" that were made by Wyler/production during edits); and Edith Head won her first of many Oscars for this film. The production is outstanding and this is one of Wyler's best films, easily.

Great review of a great movie! It's funny how I love this movie now, but my first time watching I didn't like it. I thought it was boring, and I didn't like some of the characters. However, I gave this movie a second chance this past summer, and I enjoyed it very much! Olivia deserved her oscar here! I would have liked to see Errol Flynn tackle this role, especially since he had wonderful chemistry with Olivia! ❤❤

Great review, as always. It's been a long time since I've seen this, but it didn't quite click for me. Every now and then William Wyler made movies with a negative outlook on people (Carrie, The Letter, etc...) -- this seemed like one of those, to me. To ask whether or not Montgomery Clift is a scoundrel is to answer the question. After all, if someone is good, it's clear they're good. I didn't get that clarity here, and I don't favor ambiguity when it comes to good versus bad. As you know, my big love for classic movies stems from the fact that the vast majority of them unabashedly believed in the innate goodness of man, and made it abundantly clear. In short, for me this one is a bit overrated. When it comes to William Wyler, give me Dodsworth any day of the week. In that one, the protagonist sees a problem and tries their darnedest to fix it. They don't wallow in self pity or hatred.