Love Sorrow (1943)

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Movie
German title Love affliction
also virgin love
Original title The Constant Nymph
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1943
length 112 minutes
Rod
Director Edmund Goulding
script Kathryn Scola
production Henry Blanke for Warner Brothers
music Erich Wolfgang Korngold
camera Tony Gaudio
cut David Weisbart
occupation

Liebesleid (OT: The Constant Nymph , alternative title: Virgin Love ) is an American film from 1943 about the ultimately unhappy love of a young girl for her cousin's husband. The main roles are played by Charles Boyer and Joan Fontaine , who received an Oscar nomination for best actress for their performance. Directs this adaptation of the novel and stage play of the same name by Margaret Kennedy led Edmund Goulding .

action

The composer Lewis Dodd has to cope with the failure of his last symphony and fled to his old friend Albert Sanger, who owns a chalet in the Swiss Alps. The home owner's daughters are upset at the arrival of Lewis, especially Tessa. She has long been in love with Lewis and hopes to help him out of his creative crisis. Eventually, however, Lewis falls in love with Florence, a cousin of Tessa, and they both get married in Florence. However, the marriage is not happy and when Tessa runs away from boarding school, Lewis decides to take care of the girl. They are working on the latest composition together when Lewis suddenly realizes how much he loves Tessa. She rejects his proposal to enter into a relationship with him. The evening of the premiere turns into an artistic triumph for Lewis, but a personal disaster when Tessa, who has a weak heart, dies after an argument with Florence.

background

The casting of the two main roles in the film was problematic. For the role of Tessa, Merle Oberon , Margaret Sullavan and Olivia de Havilland , among others , were tested before the studio decided on Joan Leslie . The director Edmund Goulding was not particularly impressed by the choice when he happened to meet Joan Fontaine , who was sitting in a restaurant with her then-husband Brian Aherne . Goulding complained that the role of Tessa required a real star, but this had to be "consumptive, flat-chested, anemic and fourteen" ("consumptive, flat-chested, anemic, and fourteen!").

Fontaine answered

"What about me?" ("How about me?")

The actress later called Liebesleid her favorite film. She played a comparable role in Letter from a Stranger in 1948, directed by Max Ophüls . While Joan Fontaine worked very well with the director, Charles Boyer regularly found cause for complaint. Boyer wasn't the first choice. The studio wanted its biggest male star, Errol Flynn , while Goulding wavered between Robert Donat and Leslie Howard . In the end, the choice fell on Boyer, who received not only a fee of 150,000 US dollars but also top billing, so his name was mentioned in all publications before that of Joan Fontaine. The actor was still not satisfied with his role. He found the dialogues too flat, the character too one-dimensional. In the end, Boyer still got good reviews for his performance.

criticism

The New York Times particularly praised Joan Fontaine and called her portrayal "a superb achievement". Edmund Goulding deserves special mention for his ability to retain the book's strengths (“[He] deserves mention for telling [the story with] a deep sympathy and understanding, […] a fine tribute to the virtues that have made the book endure. ").

Awards

At the Academy Awards in 1944 , the film received a nomination in the category:

  • Best Actress - Joan Fontaine

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