The Age of Innocence (1934)

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Movie
Original title The Age of Innocence
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1934
length 71 minutes
Rod
Director Philip Moeller
script Sarah Y. Mason, Victor Heerman
production Pandro S. Berman for RKO
music Max Steiner
camera James Van Trees
cut George Hively
occupation

The Age of Innocence is a US-American novel adaptation of the original of the same name by Edith Wharton with Irene Dunne and John Boles in the leading roles. The material has been adapted several times, including filmed again in 1993 by Martin Scorsese with Michelle Pfeiffer and Daniel Day-Lewis under the title Time of Innocence .

action

Dallas Archer's improper relationship that became the talk of the town in New York in the early 1920s prompts his grandfather, Newland Archer, a well-respected attorney, to recall his own unhappy relationship in 1875. Newland was about to get engaged to May Welland, who comes from one of New York's most respected families. One day Newland meets Ellen again, a childhood friend who married the Polish Count Olenska and is now seeking a divorce from her husband. Her relatives insist on a continuation of the marriage as they fear the scandal and divorce would ruin Ellen socially for all time. Newland is entrusted with the handling and gradually falls in love with the Countess Olenska. He later changes his mind and urges Ellen to divorce, while he himself plays with the idea of ​​breaking off his engagement in order to marry Ellen. Things are complicated by the interventions of the respective families who direct both Ellen and Newland of their respective responsibilities for the reputations of their relatives. Finally, Newland and Mary marry, which is a little hasty. His feelings for Ellen remain the same, and the two meet in secret even after the marriage. Suddenly the Countess Olenska leaves America without prior notice to go back to Europe and seek reconciliation with her husband. Newland takes this as an opportunity to ask Mary for a divorce when she reveals to him that she is pregnant and that Ellen was the first person to whom Mary revealed her circumstances. The flashback ends there, and the young Dallas Newland brings news to his grandfather that Ellen would be waiting for Newland at a nearby hotel. To Dallas' surprise, Newland does not see them again after over forty years. He wants to keep his love for Ellen in his mind as it was.

background

Irene Dunne's career hadn't gotten off the ground , despite an Oscar nomination for best actress in the Western Pioneers of the Wild West and financial hits like Back Street and The Secret of Madame Blanche . In her studio RKO , she ranked behind Ann Harding and Katharine Hepburn in the internal hierarchy . Usually she only got the roles that one of the two stars or even both had rejected.

The film adaptation of Edith Wharton's famous novel The Age of Innocence was first planned with Katharine Hepburn as Ellen Olenska. Hepburn decided against it and so the role went to Irene Dunne. The novel, for which Edith Wharton won the Pulitzer Prize in 1920 , had been made into a film in 1924. In 1928 a theater adaptation with Katharine Cornell in the lead role made it to 209 performances. The studio brought Irene Dunne back together with John Boles , who had played by her side on Back Street . In the end, the hoped-for financial success of the film failed to materialize.

Reviews

Most critics found the film lengthy and the social problems that were portrayed as completely a thing of the past. The industry journal Variety said laconically that the film had "a dubious attraction for younger viewers who want to see action and excitement in the cinema."

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jeremy Arnold: The Age of Innocence (1934). Turner Classic Movies , accessed June 2, 2019 : "[the film] has doubtful appeal for younger folks wanting action and excitement on the screen."