Wuthering Heights (1939)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Charles MacArthur (screenplay) and
Ben Hecht (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 April 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A Story of Vengeful Thwarted Love

Plot:

The Earnshaws are Yorkshire farmers during the early 19th Century. One day, Mr. Earnshaw returns from a trip to the city...

Plot Keywords:

Moors | Dog Bite | Blizzard | Housekeeper | Period Piece

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Merle Oberon	...	Cathy
Laurence Olivier	...	Heathcliff
David Niven	...	Edgar
Flora Robson	...	Ellen
Donald Crisp	...	Dr. Kenneth
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Isabella
Hugh Williams	...	Hindley
Leo G. Carroll	...	Joseph
Miles Mander	...	Lockwood
Cecil Kellaway	...	Earnshaw
Cecil Humphreys	...	Judge Linton
Sarita Wooton	...	Cathy - as a Child (as Sarita Wooten)
Rex Downing	...	Heathcliff - as a Child
Douglas Scott	...	Hindley - as a Child
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Benson	...	Heathcliff Servant (uncredited)
Romaine Callender	...	Robert (uncredited)
Vernon Downing	...	Giles (uncredited)
Alice Ehlers	...	Madame Ehlers (uncredited)
Harold Entwistle	...	Beadle (uncredited)
Peter Gowland	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Helena Grant	...	Miss Hudkins (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Susanne Leach	...	Guest (uncredited)
Tommy Martin	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Schuyler Standish	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
William Stelling	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Diane Williams	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Linton Servant (uncredited)
Philip Winter	...	Cathy's Partner (uncredited)

Directed by
William Wyler

Writing credits
Charles MacArthur		(screenplay) and
Ben Hecht		(screenplay)
Emily Brontë		(novel) (as Emily Bronté)
John Huston		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Gregg Toland		(photography)

Film Editing by
Daniel Mandell

Art Direction by
James Basevi
Alexander Toluboff		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Julia Heron		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Omar Kiam

Makeup Department
Robert Stephanoff	....	makeup artist (as Blagoe Stephanoff)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Walter Mayo	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Paul Neal	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
W. Percy Day	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Other crew
Samuel Goldwyn	....	presenter
Jack Crosby	....	dances (uncredited)
Lynn Farnol	....	general press representative (uncredited)
Gus Schroeder	....	location manager (uncredited)
Peter Shaw	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Distributors

• United Artists (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• Film Classics (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Emerald (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 (1955) | UK:U | USA:Approved (certificate #5104) | Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

Montreal, Quebec, Canada-April 6, 1939: "Wuthering Heights" may be shown in Quebec Province if certain excisions are made, Arthur Laramee, censor chairman said yesterday. He denied that the film had been formally banned.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Cathy walks uphill to see Heathcliff, her entire costume changes.

Quotes:

Heathcliff: My tears don't love you, Cathy. They blight and curse and damn you!
Cathy: Heathcliff, don't break my heart.
Heathcliff: Oh Cathy, I never broke your heart. You broke it!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? (2006)

Soundtrack:

Piano Sonata in A major, K.331: Rondo alla Turca

Very moving film

I have not read the Emily Bronte novel on which this film is based so obviously I cannot comment on the effectiveness of it as an adaptation (I understand that almost the entire second half of the book was excised). However, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Oberon and especially Olivier, one of my favorites, are very convincing and moving as the doomed lovers Cathy and Heathcliff (according to my friend, Heathcliff is written as being much more likeable in the film than in the book). The supporting cast was also very good. Wuthering Heights just deals very poignantly with the effect that birth and status have on people's lives. Yet another winner from Wyler. My score 9/10.