Holy Matrimony (1943)

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Movie
Original title Holy Matrimony
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1943
length 87 minutes
Rod
Director John M. Stahl
script Nunnally Johnson
production Nunnally Johnson
for Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.
music Cyril J. Mockridge
camera Lucien Ballard
cut James B. Clark
occupation

Holy Matrimony is a 1943 American comedy film directed by John M. Stahl . The famous painter Priam Farll, played by Monty Woolley , takes on the identity of his servant Henry Leek, who has just died. The other leading roles are cast with Gracie Fields , Laird Cregar and Una O'Connor .

The by Nunnally Johnson wrote screenplay based on the novel Buried Alive (dt. Buried alive ) by Arnold Bennett , who appeared in London for the first time 1,908th

action

The famous English painter Priam Farll has been living in seclusion in various remote places for almost 25 years, most recently in British India . He not only detests so-called high society, he also has little to do with most people and prefers to preserve his privacy. When he receives an invitation from his native England, in which he is informed that he is to be knighted , all grumbling does not help, he cannot avoid such an invitation. Together with his loyal valet Henry Leek, he embarks on the journey. Leek, who was not doing well on the way, dies shortly after the duo have reached their destination. A doctor called in diagnosed pneumonia as the cause of death. When the doctor mistakenly writes Priam Farll's name on the death certificate, the latter does not clear up the misunderstanding, as he sees it as a good opportunity to escape the accolade ceremony he hated.

As a result, Farll observes how his cousin Duncan Farll arranges a funeral service for him, to which many people appear. King Edward VII also attended the funeral service and announced that he had arranged for Farll to be buried in Westminster Abbey . In Farll, who was just happy about his coup, anger creeps up that he cheated himself out of this honor. An attempt on his part to clear up the matter goes wrong. When he tries to attend his own state funeral a little later, two police officers summon him outside. Only the courageous intervening of a woman named Alice Challice will save him from being led away. She tells the officers that he is Henry Leek. Priam is very astonished that the woman knows him by the name of his servant. He learns from Alice that she got his picture and name from a marriage initiation institute. In the picture sent to her, Leek and Farll can be seen together, which is why she took one for the other, and Farll does not clear up the misunderstanding. On the contrary, he is so taken with Alice's cheerful manner, her quick perception and her devotion that he marries her after a short time.

The newly wed couple find their domestic happiness in Putney , where Alice owns a beautiful large house. Priam continues to devote himself to painting, but this is difficult as he has to do this in secret so as not to arouse his wife's suspicions. Their luck is disturbed, however, when Sarah Leek shows up with her three adult sons John, Matthew and Harry, claiming to be Henry's first wife, whom he left many years ago. Alice switches quickly and implores Sarah to leave everything as it is, as a revelation could endanger her sons' careers. Further trouble arises from the fact that money is becoming increasingly scarce and a mortgage payment cannot be made. Priam now sees the time has come to confess his true identity to Alice, which would also have the advantage that he could sell his pictures for large sums and that would put an end to the financial misery. However, Alice thinks it is possible that her husband has gone mad because of the current worries and does not believe his assurances. She secretly sells some of her husband's pictures to a picture framer who offers her £ 15 a picture.

The new images are Farrls by Clive Oxford, the operator of a prestigious art gallery, for thousands pound sold per piece. Oxford doesn't know anything about the origin of the pictures, but sells them as Farrl's because they look amazingly similar to Farll's works and bring him a lot of money. Lady Vale, the buyer of most of the works, finds out, however, that the pictures were only taken at the time when Farll was officially dead. Lady Vale is suing Oxford for acting fraudulently. However, Oxford is certain that Farll is still alive and comes across Farll's trail during his research. He wants Farll to end his game of hide and seek and stand by him in court. However, the painter is more than annoyed when he learns what a huge profit Oxford has made from the pictures he has painted. When Sarah Leek claims in court that Priam is her husband Henry, Alice intervenes by forcing her husband to show a birthmark on his shoulder blade, which clearly confirms that Priam was not Henry Leek, but who is famous painter.

After not only resolving the case, but also re-establishing Priam's identity, the couple decides to rebuild their Putney house where Priam previously lived in such seclusion. Nothing stands in the way of a carefree, happy life.

Production and Background

The shooting extended from April 5th to late May 1943. After they finished, Nunnally Johnson quit his job at 20th Century Fox to continue working as an independent producer. Fred Sersen was responsible for the visual effects in the film, and E. Clayton Ward and Roger Heman for the sound .

The rights to Bennett's book were acquired by 20th Century Fox in September 1942, and Monty Woolley was immediately considered for the lead role. In February 1943, the studio then announced that they would put Gracie Fields at his side and that the title would be changed from its working title to the more popular title Holy Matrimony . The working titles of the film were: Buried Alive and Indian Summer . The title is shown as follows in the opening credits: Ho! Ho! Holy Matrimony . Arnold Bennett also used his book as the basis for the play The Great Adventure , written by him , which came out on September 18, 1911 in Glasgow , Scotland . For Gracie Fields, a big star in her British homeland at the time, this was her first leading role in an American film. For Whit Bissell, who is featured in the film as Whitner Bissell, it was his first role in a film. For the British actor Montagu Love, however, it was his last film role. He died shortly after finishing his last scene. Love had already starred in the 1933 version, where he played Priam Farll's cousin Duncan. On May 10, 1954, Lux-Radio Theater Broadcast aired a version of the story with Charles Laughton and Fay Bainter .

For Woolley and Fields the film was a great success, so that they were reunited two years later in the film Molly and Me .

Cinema release and other films

The film premiered on August 26, 1943 in Los Angeles. Then on August 27, 1943, it was generally shown in United States cinemas. The film was not shown in cinemas in Germany.

  • Sweden: April 24, 1944 under the title Leve äktenskapet
  • Finland: June 6, 1947 under the title Eläköön avioliitto
  • Portugal: January 19, 1948 under the title Lua-de-Mel Atribulada
  • Argentina under the title Sagrado matrimonio
  • Brazil under the title Palheta da Vida
  • Czechoslovakia under the title Posvátné manzelství
  • Spain under the (DVD) title Sagrado Matrimonio
  • Italy under the title Una moglie in più

further adaptations based on Arnold Bennett's novel

criticism

The film received almost unanimous praise. For example, Bosley Crowther of the New York Times said that the connection between Monty Woolley and Gracie Fields was extremely attractive and that the film offered enchanting images interspersed with scenes of mischievous humor. John Stahl created the scenes with a great deal of understanding for esprit and satire. And although the age of the main participants forbids glowing romance, entertainment is guaranteed for everyone and everyone in this case. Crowther highlighted the achievements of Laird Cregar as a tyrannical art dealer, O'Connor, Mowbray and Pangborn in particular.

Even Variety was of the view that the production and the actor chosen would all have advantages on their side. With his film adaptation, Stahl offers a character study that Johnson had previously developed excellently in his script. At no time is the credibility of the film plot in question. Gracie Fields also gives her role a very human touch. She is the perfect counterpart to Woolley's grumpy character.

More recent assessments of the film have also been positive, for example the film historian Tony Thomas wrote : The humor in Holy Matrimony is not only due to the great performance of Monty Woolley, but also to the unconventional manner of Gracie Fields as a warm-hearted woman. The film is a perfect stage for every actor to whom nature already assigns certain roles.

The British film critic Geoffrey McNab described the script as "brilliant". Historian Eric Braun (LGBT Culture) said Holy Matrimony was the most delightful and intense comedy in Woolley's career. Film historian Peter Cowie praised Laird Cregar's “distinguished” performance as a “tuna-like” art dealer Clive Oxford.

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Holy Matrimony Original Print Info at TCM - Turner Classic Movies (English)
  2. ↑ Holy Matrimony Notes at TCM (English)
  3. ↑ Bosley Crowther : Delightful Union of Monty Woolley and Gracie Fields in 'Holy Matrimony' at Roxy In: The New York Times, September 16, 1943. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  4. ↑ Review: 'Holy Matrimony' In. Variety, 1942/1943, accessed January 18, 2016.
  5. ^ Tony Thomas : The Films of the Forties , New York: Carol Publishing Group, 1975, p. 91.
  6. ^ Geoffrey McNab: Searching for Stars: Stardom and Screen Acting in British Cinema. London: Cassell, 2000, p. 92
  7. ↑ Eric Braun: Frightening the Horses: Gay Icons of the Cinema. London: Reynolds & Hearn, 2007, p. 1923.
  8. ^ Peter Cowie: Hollywood 1920-1970. New York: AS Barnes, 1977, p. 164.