The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

Director:

Orson Welles
(more)

Writers:

Booth Tarkington (novel)
Orson Welles (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

10 July 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

From the Man who Made "The Best Picture of 1941"

Plot:

The spoiled young heir to the decaying Amberson fortune comes between his widowed mother and the man she has always loved.

Plot Keywords:

1890s | No Opening Credits | Inventor | Long Take | Mother Son Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins

Cast

Joseph Cotten	...	Eugene Morgan
Dolores Costello	...	Isabel Minafer
Anne Baxter	...	Lucy Morgan
Tim Holt	...	George Minafer
Agnes Moorehead	...	Fanny Minafer
Ray Collins	...	Jack Minafer
Erskine Sanford	...	Roger Bronson
Richard Bennett	...	Maj. Amberson
Orson Welles	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edwin August	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Georgia Backus	...	Matron (uncredited)
Olive Ball	...	Mary - Maid (uncredited)
Jack Baxley	...	Rev. Smith (uncredited)
William Blees	...	Young Man at Accident (uncredited)
Lyle Clement	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Bobby Cooper	...	George Minafer as a Boy (uncredited)
Don Dillaway	...	Wilbur Minafer (uncredited)
John Elliott	...	Guest (uncredited)
Keenan Elliott	...	Workman (uncredited)
William Elmer	...	Servant (uncredited)
James Fawcett	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Mel Ford	...	Fred Kinney (uncredited)
Nancy Gates	...	Girl (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	Servant (uncredited)
Nina Guilbert	...	Guest (uncredited)
Maynard Holmes	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Edward Howard	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Harry Humphrey	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Elmer Jerome	...	Attendee at Funeral (uncredited)
J. Louis Johnson	...	Sam - Butler (uncredited)
Lew Kelly	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Del Lawrence	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Bert LeBaron	...	Citizen (uncredited)
John Maguire	...	Young Man (uncredited)
Philip Morris	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Lillian Nicholson	...	Landlady (uncredited)
Anne O'Neal	...	Mrs. Foster (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Charles Phillips	...	Uncle John (uncredited)
Robert Pittard	...	Charles Johnson (uncredited)
Hilda Plowright	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Drew Roddy	...	Elijah (uncredited)
Henry Roquemore	...	Hardware Man (uncredited)
Jack Santoro	...	Barber (uncredited)
Gus Schilling	...	Drug Clerk (uncredited)
Kathryn Sheldon	...	Matron (uncredited)
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Mrs. Johnson (uncredited)
James Westerfield	...	Policeman at Accident (uncredited)
Joe Whitehead	...	Citizen (uncredited)

Directed by
Orson Welles
Fred Fleck		(additional sequences) (uncredited)
Robert Wise		(additional sequences) (uncredited)

Writing credits
Booth Tarkington		(novel)
Orson Welles		(screenplay)
Jack Moss		(additional scenes) uncredited and
Joseph Cotten		(additional scenes) uncredited

Produced by
Jack Moss	....	associate producer (uncredited)
George Schaefer	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Orson Welles	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Stanley Cortez
Jack MacKenzie		(uncredited)
Orson Welles		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Robert Wise
Jack Moss		(uncredited)
Mark Robson		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Albert S. D'Agostino		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup department head (uncredited)
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Maurice Seiderman	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Fleck	....	assistant director (as Freddie Fleck)

Art Department
A. Roland Fields	....	set dresser (as Al Fields)
Mark-Lee Kirk	....	set designer
Chesley Bonestell	....	background paintings (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bailey Fesler	....	sound recordist
James G. Stewart	....	sound recordist
James Thompson	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
David Sharpe	....	stunt double: Tim Holt (uncredited)
Helen Thurston	....	stunt double: Anne Baxter (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Russell A. Cully	....	cinematographer: additional scenes (uncredited)
William Eglinton	....	camera department head (uncredited)
Eddie Garvin	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ralph Hoge	....	grip (uncredited)
Alexander Kahle	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Bill McLellan	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Russell Metty	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Russell Metty	....	cinematographer: additional scenes (uncredited)
Earl Miller	....	electrician (uncredited)
Nicholas Musuraca	....	cinematographer: additional scenes (uncredited)
Howard Schwartz	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Bert Shipman	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Harry J. Wild	....	cinematographer: additional scenes (uncredited)

Casting Department
Rufus Le Maire	....	casting: Hollywood (uncredited)
Robert Palmer	....	casting: Hollywood (uncredited)
Arthur Willy	....	casting: New York (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edward Stevenson	....	wardrobe: ladies
Claire Cramer	....	wardrobe department head (uncredited)
Earl Leas	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Margaret Van Horn	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mark Robson	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
I.J. Wilkinson	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Dave Dreyer	....	music department head (uncredited)
Bernard Herrmann	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Roy Webb	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Elroy G. Cline	....	transportation captain (uncredited)

Other crew
William Alland	....	assistant: Mr. Welles (uncredited)
John Barada	....	ranch manager (uncredited)
Leda Bauer	....	script reader: New York (uncredited)
Howard Benedict	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Herbert Drake	....	publicist (uncredited)
H. Emolieff	....	film export manager (uncredited)
Winifred Hablam	....	production notes (uncredited)
John Hamilton	....	first aid (uncredited)
Ross Hastings	....	production attorney (uncredited)
G.B. Hobe	....	production treasurer (uncredited)
Amalia Kent	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
J.B. McDonough	....	business manager (uncredited)
Elizabeth McGaffey	....	research department head (uncredited)
Ivy R. McLean	....	public relations (uncredited)
L. Messenger	....	script reader: Hollywood (uncredited)
Howard Nelson	....	maintenance (uncredited)
J.J. Nolan	....	office manager (uncredited)
Roy S. Otto	....	dailies projectionist (uncredited)
Sid Rogell	....	backlot manager (uncredited)
Ann Rogers	....	secretary: Mr. Welles (uncredited)
Louis Shapiro	....	location manager (uncredited)
Richard Wilson	....	assistant: Orson Welles (uncredited)
H. Winnicar	....	studio teacher (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mercury Productions
• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Radio Filmes (Portugal)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

88 min | 148 min (original cut) | 131 min (preview)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

South Korea:15 | USA:TV-PG | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:12 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Mercury Productions

Trivia:

After a disastrous preview, it was clear to the suits at RKO that the film was too long, too dense and too sombre. Welles, however, had decamped to Brazil where he was in the midst of working on a film called "It's All True" (which was never completed). Welles had been shipped out there under the auspices of Nelson Rockefeller, one of the chief shareholders in RKO, to make a film boosting US-South American wartime relations. With him out of the way, however, the onus of re-cutting and trimming the film fell on editor Robert Wise.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: The magnificence of the Ambersons began in 1873. Their splendor lasted throughout all the years that saw their midland town spread and darken into a city. In that town, in those days, all the women who wore silk or velvet knew all the other women who wore silk or velvet...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Invasion of the Neptune Men (#9.19)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo

Marvellous work, but sadly suffers from limited time

This is the tale of a well-known and respected American family - "The Magnificent Ambersons" and their rise and fall. The movie is not bad at all, there are some superlative performances from stars and character players alike. However, it is a sad fact that this, Orson Wells second masterpiece, suffered from the scissors in the cutting room. Being an RKO/Mercury Theatre production, executives reduced the picture from a much-required 135 minutes to a satisfactory, but a speedy 88 minutes, therefore, not giving satisfactory time for the viewer to understand the masterpiece fully.

Now, for my review of the players. Joseph Cotten gives an irregular performance as the romantic lead, silent star Dolores Costello is very much underused, as is then very young Anne Baxter, who would could onto bigger stardom in the next decade. Stealing the acting honors throughout the production are Tim Holt with his superb portrayal of the spoiled brat heir-to-the-throne, so to speak and Agnes Moorehead as his Auntie, who put their plan into action to sabotage a relationship between the widowed Isbabelle Amberson and charmer Eugene Morgan.

Overall, lives up to it's expectations of success, but suffers due to limited screen time and a very confusing plot for audiences of our generation.

7/10