A woman's diary
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | A woman's diary |
| Original title | Mrs. Parkington |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1944 |
| length | 124 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Tay Garnett |
| script |
Robert Thoeren , Polly James |
| production | Leon Gordon |
| music | Bronislau caper |
| camera | Joseph Ruttenberg |
| cut | George Boemler |
| occupation | |
| |
Diary of a woman (Original title: Mrs. Parkington ) is an American film drama from 1944 with Greer Garson in the title role. The novel Mrs. Parkington by Louis Bromfield served as a literary model .
action
Christmas 1938: Susie Parkington, the 84-year-old matriarch of a wealthy New York family, learns that her great-granddaughter Jane Stilham is about to become engaged to the simple employee Ned Talbot. Susie insists on getting to know Ned first. While waiting for his arrival, she recalls her first encounter with her now-deceased husband Major Augustus Parkington:
In 1872 Augustus "Gus" Parkington, a notorious womanizer and big business, arrives in the tranquil town of Leaping Rock, Nevada , to inspect his silver mine. He meets 18-year-old Susie Graham, whose mother runs a guesthouse . Gus insists on staying in the overcrowded hostel, which is why Susie is forced to let him have her own room. Both are soon fascinated by each other - he by her beauty and intelligence, she by his charm and self-confidence. When Susie's mother dies in an explosion in Gus' mine and Gus feels responsible for Susie's suffering, he persuades her to marry him and accompany him to New York. Once there, Gus tells his long-time lover Baroness Aspasia Conti about his marriage plans. Although she feels offended, she still makes friends with Susie and teaches her how to move around in high society.
Ned Talbot, who until recently worked for Jane's father Amory's investment firm, appears back in the present. To explain to Susie why he gave up his job with Jane's father, he tells her that the Amory government is suspected of corruption. After Amory has also arrived at his grandmother's, Ned confronts him with his shady dealings. Shortly afterwards, Ned just manages to prevent Amory from shooting himself. When Jane begins to defend her father and reproach Ned, Ned storms away angrily. However, Amory admits that he embezzled money from his investors to make up for his losses on Wall Street . To prevent his arrest, he asks Susie for $ 31 million. Susie eventually calls a family meeting to discuss the situation. Before her descendants arrive, she remembers her memories:
On their third wedding anniversary, Gus surprises his wife with a castle-like villa. In return, Susie proudly announces to her husband that she is expecting her first child. Overjoyed with the news, Gus decides to hold a big ball in honor of Susie. However, only a few of the invited guests appear because Gus insulted the influential George Beaumont the day before and the latter then called on New York higher society to avoid Gus and his wife. Gus is extremely upset about this. When Susie sadly withdraws and suffers a miscarriage, Gus blames Beaumont and his friends and swears revenge. It is not until four years later that Susie learns that Gus financially ruined all the guests who did not appear. She reproaches him for this and finally moves out of the common house. With Aspasia's help and Gus's money, she seeks to restore the fortunes of some of his victims. When Gus learns about this, he is furious, but still impressed by her cunning. They reconcile and Gus eventually makes Susie his business partner too.
Again in the present, Susie's children and grandchildren arrive at her house to decide on Amory's future. Everyone refuses to give Amory any of their inheritance. When Amory withdraws in frustration, Susie tries to comfort Jane with her own experiences:
After her only son is killed in an accident, Susie sadly withdraws from the outside world. When Aspasia returns from a vacation in Europe and visits her friend, she tells her that Gus, from whom Susie has been separated for a year, has started an affair with Lady Norah Ebbsworth in England . A touch of jealousy revives Susie's courage to live. She and Aspasia set off for England to win back her husband's affection. While Gus goes fox hunting with Lady Norah and his followers, Susie meets Edward , the Prince of Wales . Edward, drawn to Susie's charm, helps her separate Gus from his latest conquest by appointing Lady Norah to be his mother Victoria's lady-in-waiting . After Lady Norah has dutifully left, Aspasia confesses to Susie - which she suspected for a long time - that Gus was once her lover. Gus and Susie make up one more time and look forward to their future together.
Encouraged by her memories, Susie advises Jane to fight for Ned. Faced with the selfishness and weakness of character of her children and grandchildren, she decides to pay off Amory's debts with her fortune and return to her humble home in Leaping Rock.
background
Greer Garson was MGM's reigning screen queen during the 1940s, when the studio acquired the film rights to Louis Bromfield's bestselling novel Mrs. Parkington for $ 60,000. Garson had already taken on a role in Blossoms in the Dust (1941) that spanned a long period of time, which is why she was reluctant to play Mrs. Parkington in a woman's diary . With the help of make-up , she had to visually age from a teenager to an 84-year-old woman and hide her red hair under a dark wig, as dark hair additionally intensified the aging effect in a black and white film . Walter Pidgeon was her screen partner for the fourth time. Four more films together should follow.
The film's director, Tay Garnett had once discovered Garson in England as a promising acting talent when he looking for a suitable location for a film with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. had been. A year later both worked together successfully for the film The Decision (1945).
A Woman's Diary premiered on October 12, 1944 at New York's Radio City Music Hall . Despite mixed reviews, the production became MGM's financially most successful film of the year, with grossing $ 5,631,000.
Reviews
According to Variety , a woman's diary was "a successful film adaptation of Louis Bromfield's novel in every way." Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon are "at the head of a strong cast of competent actors". The script is "uniform and flowing despite the excess length". Bosley Crowther of the New York Times, however, found that Bromfield's original had been "turned into a heavy and sentimental film". As a viewer one should expect “no greater significance” from this “lavishly staged film”. However, Crowther praised the cast. Greer Garson plays "with charm and dignity". Walter Pidgeon appears "elegant and amiable as a self-confessed scoundrel with a heart of gold". Agnes Moorehead, Edward Arnold and Gladys Cooper are also "good in rather silly supporting roles".
Craig Butler of the All Movie Guide described the film as a "big, sprawling, polished soap opera." As such, she gives the viewer "the opportunity to watch the always wonderful Greer Garson suffer in a noble way". Garson did "this with the usual skill" and offered "an entertaining performance". Also make a "daredevil Walter Pidgeon cast against his type a good figure". Agnes Moorehead plays even “better and even more against her image”, “whose multi-layered portrayal of the discarded lover is tantamount to a revelation”, which once again proves “how versatile this actress can be if she is given the opportunity”. Together with “the lush backdrops and costumes and the fine camera work by Joseph Ruttenberg”, the result is “very captivating, even if superficial”.
For the lexicon of international film , a woman's diary was a "[c] conventional film adaptation of the three-generation novel Mrs. Parkington by Louis Bromfield". The most noteworthy is “the versatile, convincing Greer Garson in the lead role even as an 84-year-old”. Cinema simply called the film a "soap opera classic".
Awards
At the 1945 Academy Awards , Greer Garson was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for the fifth time in a row for Diary of a Woman . However, the trophy went to Ingrid Bergman in The Lady Alquist's House . Also, Agnes Moorehead , who had the role of Baroness Aspasia Conti long fight with the producers, was in the category of Best Supporting Actress Best not stand up to the competition. She lost to Ethel Barrymore in None But the Lonely Heart , but was able to win the Golden Globe for her performance.
German version
The German dubbed version was created in 1949 in the MGM synchronization studio in Berlin.
| role | actor | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Susie "Sparrow" Parkington | Greer Garson | Lu Neatly |
| Major Augustus "Gus" Parkington | Walter Pidgeon | Walther Suessenguth |
| Baroness Aspasia Conti | Agnes Moorehead | Ursula War |
| Ned Talbot | Tom Drake | Klaus Schwarzkopf |
| Jack Stilham | Dan Duryea | Werner Lieven |
| Signor Cellini | Fortunio Bonanova | Erich Fiedler |
| Helen Stilham | Helen Freeman | Maria Besendahl |
| Lady Norah Ebbsworth | Tala Birell | Gisela Breiderhoff |
Web links
- Diary of a woman in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Diary of a woman with Turner Classic Movies (English)
- Pictures of the film on cinema.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Michael Troyan: A Rose for Mrs. Miniver. The Life of Greer Garson . The University Press of Kentucky, 1999, pp. 215-219.
- ^ " Mrs. Parkington is a successful picture from any angle. Film version of Louis Bromfield's novel […] With Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon topping a strong cast of competent performers, there's a smooth-flowing script despite the extended running time. " See Mrs. Parkington . In: Variety , 1944.
- ↑ “Louis Bromfield's Mrs. Parkington […] now has been made into a ponderously sentimental picture. Don't let your expectations presume any great significance […] in this elaborately concocted film. […] Miss Garson performs with all the tricks of charm and dignified poise […]. Mr. Pidgeon is elegantly gracious as a self-confessed scoundrel (with a heart of gold), and Agnes Moorehead, Edward Arnold and Gladys Cooper are good in rather silly minor roles. " Bosley Crowther : 'Mrs. Parkington, 'Connubial Drama, With Garson and Pidgeon, at Music Hall . In: The New York Times , October 13, 1944.
- ↑ “ Mrs. Parkington is a big, sprawling, glossy family soap opera […]. It does give us a chance to see the always wonderful Greer Garson suffering nobly […]. Garson does all of this with her customary skill, and it's a wonderfully entertaining performance. Working somewhat against type, a caddish Walter Pidgeon does very well indeed […]. Even better, and even more against type, is Agnes Moorehead, whose layered performance as the scorned ex-mistress is a revelation and reveals again how versatile the actress could be when given a chance. [...] Throw in some sumptuous sets and costumes and fine Joseph Ruttenberg lensing, and the result is thoroughly engaging, if also thoroughly superficial. " Craig Butler, cf. omovie.com
- ↑ A woman's diary. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed June 3, 2019 .
- ↑ cf. cinema.de
- ↑ cf. synchrondatenbank.de
- ↑ A woman's diary. In: synchronkartei.de. German synchronous index , accessed on June 3, 2019 .