Autumn storms

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Movie
German title Autumn storms
Original title Autumn Leaves
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1956
length 107 minutes
Rod
Director Robert Aldrich
script Jean Rouverol ,
Hugo Butler ,
Robert Blees ,
Lewis Meltzer
production William Goetz for Columbia Pictures
music Hans J. Salter
camera Charles Lang
cut Michael Luciano
occupation

Herbststürme (Original: Autumn Leaves ) is an American fiction film from 1956 with Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson directed by Robert Aldrich . After the film was long classified as one of Aldrich's weaker films, in recent years it has gained reputation as an intensive study of loneliness and despair.

action

Millicent Wetherby is a lonely secretary who has spent her entire life looking after her ailing father. Now she is alone and her social contacts are limited to occasional visits to her landlady. One day, by chance, she meets the somewhat naive Burt Hanson, who is significantly younger than Millicent. Both develop a friendship that gradually turns into love. Despite many doubts about the longevity of this connection, Millicent agrees to marry Burt. The two spend happy months when it suddenly emerges that Burt is a pathological liar. He did not mention a previous marriage to Virginia. Increasingly, Burt reacts with violence to Millicent's attempts to help him. Finally, she finds out the causes of the strange mood swings: Burt's father has taken his wife from him and started an affair with her. Millicent is subsequently attacked by Burt, who throws a typewriter at her. Treatment in a psychiatric institution promises a quick recovery and unclouded happiness for both of them.

background

Joan Crawford was able to sign a lucrative contract for three films with Columbia Pictures in 1955 , proof of her unbroken draw at the box office even after 30 years in the film business. The first film, Marriage in Shackles , earned a lot of money but little praise from critics. Crawford then accepted the rather unusual role in Autumn Storms, in which she played a lonely secretary. This was a radical departure from the glamorous performances that had become a trademark of the actress over the years. In a decision that came as a surprise to many, Robert Aldrich, who had previously attracted attention through films that glorified violence, took over the direction. However, the poor box office results of his latest works forced him to take on a commercial theme if he wanted to stay in business. After the attempt to interest Marlon Brando in the role of Burt failed, the actress decided on the largely unknown Cliff Robertson. The working title was The Way We Are , but it was changed to Autumn Leaves after the song of the same name became a hit in the version by Nat King Cole . In 1997 the Writers Guild of America recognized the authors Jean Rouveral and Hugo Butler retrospectively to be involved in the script. The two were on a blacklist for years during the McCarthy era , which made it impossible to mention them in the opening credits. According to the WAC decision, the correct naming of the scriptwriters is now as follows: Jean Rouverol & Hugo Butler and Lewis Meltzer and Robert Blees.

Crawford was still positive about the strip years later.

“It's one of my very favorite films. I think it was the best film in the genre - younger man loves older woman - that was ever made. The loneliness and despair in their situation came out clearly without any exaggeration or melodrama - to be honest, I took myself very back. Cliff Robertson was fantastic in his role, few actors bring such conviction into such a complex part. His psychotic scenes are unique - I am proud to share my own experiences with " Unrestrained Love " with him. Good story, believable characters, good script, good direction, all in all a good film. "

Theatrical release

With a budget of only $ 765,000, the film was an inexpensive production. At the box office, the film was unpopular in the United States and only brought in revenue of $ 1,100,000.

Reviews

Lawrence J. Quirk was very fond of the Motion Picture Herald:

"Miss Crawford [...] brings to her newest role all of the acting talent that she has accumulated over the 31 years of her career in the film business."

William K. Zinsser also applauded in his review for the New York Herald Tribune :

"The film is a serious study of loneliness and mental despair. [...]. Miss Crawford is attractive as always and she brings the full range of emotions into this role [...] The strength of Miss Crawford's portrayal lies in their naturalness and controlledness. A less talented actress would have done more than exaggerate in this grateful role. "

Recent reviews were a bit more critical.

“Dialog-rich American marriage film with somewhat agonizing psychological overtones. [...] In spite of good actors, it is very tiring towards the end. "

The lexicon of international film presented retrospectively from a mixed verdict.

“A neatly staged melodrama that is tiring in the long run due to the predominance of the dialogue. Excellent: Joan Crawford's acting performance. "

Awards

At the 1956 Berlinale , the film received a Silver Bear for Best Director.

swell

  • Roy Newquist (Ed.): Conversations with Joan Crawford . Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ 1980, ISBN 0-8065-0720-9 .
  • Lawrence J. Quirk : The Complete Films of Joan Crawford . Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ 1988, ISBN 0-8065-1078-1 .
  • Lawrence J. Quirk, William Schoell: Joan Crawford. The Essential Biography . University Press, Lexington, KY. 2002, ISBN 0-8131-2254-6 .
  • Alexander Walker: Joan Crawford. The Ultimate Star . Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1983, ISBN 0-297-78216-9 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. u. a. here: [1] and here [2]
  2. ↑ Autumn Leaves (1956). In: American Film Institute . Retrieved November 7, 2018 .
  3. ↑ One of my very favorite pictures ... It was, I think, the best film of its type - the older woman with a younger lover - ever made. The loneliness and desperation of her situation came through with no need for melodrama or overacting - in fact, I played it down. Cliff Robertson was stunning; very few actors could have brought that kind of credibility to such a demanding part. His mad scenes can't be topped. (I'm proud to say I coached him from all the research I'd done for "Possessed.") Good story, believable characters, good script, good acting, consequently a good film.
  4. ↑ Miss Crawford [...] brings to her latest role all the acting resources she has cultivated so successfully in 31 years of picture-making.
  5. ↑ The film is a mature study of loneliness and mental distress. [...]. Miss Crawford is as attractive as ever, and she brings the whole spectrum of emotions to her role. [...] The strength of Miss Crawford's performance is that it is natural and controlled. A lesser actress would bring more than a tinge of ham to such a juicy role.
  6. ↑ 6000 films. Critical notes from the cinema years 1945 to 1958 . Handbook V of the Catholic film criticism, 3rd edition, Verlag Haus Altenberg, Düsseldorf 1963, p. 186
  7. ↑ Autumn storms. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed November 7, 2018 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used