{"id":27336,"date":"2012-09-19T15:24:09","date_gmt":"2012-09-19T22:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=27336"},"modified":"2020-12-29T10:08:53","modified_gmt":"2020-12-29T17:08:53","slug":"magnificent-ambersons-the-1942","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=27336","title":{"rendered":"Magnificent Ambersons, The (1942)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;There aren&#8217;t any old times. When times are gone, they&#8217;re not old, they&#8217;re dead.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Poster-196x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"196\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-27338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Poster-196x300.jpg 196w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Poster-83x128.jpg 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn up-and-coming industrialist (Joseph Cotten) loves the wealthy daughter (Dolores Costello) of a local millionaire (Richard Bennett), but they each end up marrying someone else. When Costello&#8217;s spoiled son (Tim Holt) grows up, he falls for Cotten&#8217;s daughter (Anne Baxter), and Cotten renews his interest in Costello &#8212; but Holt&#8217;s disdain for Cotten prevents romantic happiness for all involved.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Agnes Moorehead Films<\/li>\n<li>Anne Baxter Films<\/li>\n<li>Historical Drama<\/li>\n<li>Joseph Cotten Films<\/li>\n<li>Orson Welles Films<\/li>\n<li>Rise-and-Fall<\/li>\n<li>Small Town America<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nIn his review of Orson Welles&#8217; adaptation of <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Magnificent_Ambersons\">&#8220;Booth Tarkington&#8217;s [1918] Pulitzer Prize-winning novel,&#8221;<\/a> Peary recounts just some of the film&#8217;s infamous production history, noting that &#8220;while Welles was out of the country, editor Robert Wise and his assistant, Mark Robson, were ordered by RKO to drastically cut the 131-minute picture that preview audiences didn&#8217;t like&#8221;. He argues that while many &#8220;critics now regard the mutilated version as being equal to <em>Citizen Kane<\/em> and other Welles classics&#8221;, he doesn&#8217;t &#8220;consider this to be one of his masterpieces&#8221;, and bluntly states that &#8220;the cutting hurts terribly&#8221;. However, he argues that &#8220;even if it were intact, it seems to be missing a lead character&#8221;, given that &#8220;Tim Holt&#8217;s George Minafer hasn&#8217;t enough stature to carry the latter part of the film&#8221;. Despite his complaints, however, he does concede that &#8220;Welles presents what may be the most effective look at late 19th-century small town life&#8221;, and notes that &#8220;the early montage, depicting changing styles&#8230; is memorable&#8221;. He feels that the &#8220;acting is uneven&#8221; but calls out Agnes Moorehead&#8217;s Oscar-nominated performance (playing Holt&#8217;s spinster &#8220;Aunt Fanny&#8221;) as &#8220;dynamic&#8221;, &#8220;especially when projecting near hysteria in her scenes with Holt&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t quite agree with Peary that the film is &#8220;missing a lead character&#8221;. As Peary himself notes, the &#8220;story, which is set between 1883 and 1912,&#8221; is more broadly about &#8220;the decline and fall of the Ambersons-Minafers, and the simultaneous modernization of their once-quaint small town &#8212; all due to the industrial revolution, which is emblemized by the advent of the automobile&#8221;. It&#8217;s this larger socio-economic theme which Welles is concerned with exploring, through the prism of Holt&#8217;s hopelessly spoiled and arrogant George Minafer, as well as through the star-crossed would-be romance between Costello and Cotten (who become Holt&#8217;s unwitting pawns). Ultimately, <em>&#8230;Ambersons<\/em> is more a film about clashing values in a life-changing era than any kind of straightforward melodrama with a recognizable central protagonist &#8212; which is perhaps what disappointed so many audience members at the time of its release. <\/p>\n<p>However, one tends to watch <em>The Magnificent Ambersons<\/em> even more for its undeniable artistic merits than for its storyline. As Peary notes, &#8220;Stanley Cortez&#8217;s creatively lighted deep-focus photography is extraordinary&#8221;, with &#8220;the scenes in the snow and the scenes in the Ambersons&#8217; mansion&#8230; among the most visually striking in all of Welles&#8217; [oeuvre].&#8221; Some have complained about Welles&#8217; penchant for utilizing overly stylized camera angles at every opportunity, but a more pedestrian approach would surely have detracted from the film&#8217;s relentlessly intense emotional impact. Even in its &#8220;butchered&#8221; form, <em>The Magnificent Ambersons<\/em> remains a flawed but stylistically ambitious classic, one which is certainly worthy of any film fanatic&#8217;s attention. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Joseph Cotten as Eugene Morgan (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cotten.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cotten.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cotten.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cotten-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cotten-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Agnes Moorehead as Aunt Fanny<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Moorehead.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Moorehead.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Moorehead.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Moorehead-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Moorehead-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Consistently creative direction by Welles<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Direction.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Direction.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Direction.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Direction-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Direction-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Direction1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Direction1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Direction1.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Direction1-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Direction1-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Stanley Cortez&#8217;s impressive deep-focus cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27358\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cinematography2.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cinematography2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cinematography2-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cinematography1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cinematography1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cinematography1.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cinematography1-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Magnificent-Ambersons-Cinematography1-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Bernard Herrmann&#8217;s score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a unique &#8212; albeit flawed and disputed &#8212; American classic. Listed as one of the Best Pictures of the Year in Peary&#8217;s <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0035015\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/magnif.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review (spoiler alerts)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/683\/the-magnificent-ambersons#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/the-magnificent-ambersons\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;There aren&#8217;t any old times. When times are gone, they&#8217;re not old, they&#8217;re dead.&#8221; Synopsis: An up-and-coming industrialist (Joseph Cotten) loves the wealthy daughter (Dolores Costello) of a local millionaire (Richard Bennett), but they each end up marrying someone else. When Costello&#8217;s spoiled son (Tim Holt) grows up, he falls for Cotten&#8217;s daughter (Anne Baxter), and Cotten renews his interest in Costello &#8212; but Holt&#8217;s disdain for Cotten prevents romantic happiness for all involved. Genres: Agnes Moorehead Films Anne Baxter&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=27336\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27336"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60326,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27336\/revisions\/60326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}