Mourning Becomes Electra (1947)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Dudley Nichols

Writers:

Dudley Nichols (writer)
Eugene O'Neill (play)

Release Date:

19 November 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Most Sinister Triangle In Dramatic History!

Plot:

Eugene O'Neill's updated version of the Orestaia. In New England, after the American Civil War, a war-weary Agamem--er...

Plot Keywords:

Lover | Suicide | American Civil War | New England | Brother Sister Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins

Cast

Rosalind Russell	...	Lavinia Mannon
Michael Redgrave	...	Orin Mannon
Raymond Massey	...	Brig. Gen. Ezra Mannon
Katina Paxinou	...	Christine Mannon
Leo Genn	...	Adam Brant
Kirk Douglas	...	Peter Niles
Nancy Coleman	...	Hazel Niles
Henry Hull	...	Seth Beckwith
Sara Allgood	...	Landlady
Thurston Hall	...	Dr. Blake
Walter Baldwin	...	Amos Ames
Elisabeth Risdon	...	Mrs. Hills
Erskine Sanford	...	Josiah Borden
Jimmy Conlin	...	Abner Small
Lee Baker	...	Rev. Hill
Tito Vuolo	...	Joe Silva
Emma Dunn	...	Mrs. Borden
Nora Cecil	...	Louisa Amos
Marie Blake	...	Minnie Ames
Clem Bevans	...	Ira Mackel
Jean Clarenden	...	Eben Nobel
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
André Charlot	...	Dr. Hamil
Robert Dudley	...	Chemist
Marjorie Eaton	...	Woman at home
Hans Hopf	...	One-legged soldier
Broderick O'Farrell	...	Stationmaster
Gordon Warren	...	One-legged soldier #2
Colin Kenny	...	Policeman (uncredited)

Directed by
Dudley Nichols

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dudley Nichols		writer
Eugene O'Neill		play

Produced by
Edward Donahue	....	associate producer
Dudley Nichols	....	producer

Original Music by
Richard Hageman

Cinematography by
George Barnes

Film Editing by
Roland Gross
Chandler House

Production Design by
William Flannery

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera
Maurice Yates

Costume Design by
Travis Banton
Gile Steele

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry Mancke	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Clem Portman	....	sound
Earl A. Wolcott	....	sound

Special Effects by
Russell A. Cully	....	special effects
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director
Lucien Cailliet	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Jack Gage	....	dialogue director
Martin Lewis	....	mannon portraits

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• International Entertainment Enterprises (worldwide)

Other Companies

• Theatre Guild  original stage production

Runtime:

173 min | UK:159 min | USA:105 min (edited version) | USA:121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #12361, Adult Audience)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The movie is one of three RKO-distributed films that were edited heavily after their initial unsuccessful first runs; the others were All That Money Can Buy (1941) (aka "The Devil and Daniel Webster") and Joan of Arc (1948). All three have been restored to their full length (or, in the case of "Mourning Becomes Electra", approximately their full length) on DVD.

Movie Connections:

Version of Trauer muss Elektra tragen (1970) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Shenandoah

Her Best Accolade

Mourning Becomes Electra did for Rosalind Russell what Nightmare Alley did for Tyrone Power. It established her as an actress with range not previously realized and in her case she got an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. But it was an absolute financial flop.

Dudley Nichols in his adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's marathon play about the Mannon family of New England managed to get it down to almost three hours in length. In its first release that's about how long it was and later when the public proved indifferent to it, it was cut further rendering it totally unintelligible for O'Neill purists.

Rosalind Russell had a three picture deal going with RKO films and one of those films she wanted to do was Sister Kenny whom she had met and was very impressed with. According to her memoirs Dudley Nichols agreed to help with Sister Kenny if she would do Mourning Becomes Electra. She actually wanted to play the role of the mother that Katina Paxinou did, but had to settle for daughter Lavinia.

The film got good critical acclaim and should have stayed in the art house circuit. But RKO put it in general release and it lost money big time. Russell's Sister Kenny biographical film also went the same route and she also got an Oscar nomination. However when Howard Hughes bought RKO he took one look at the red ink beside both of those films and told her to forget that third picture on the deal. No more art house stuff would come out of RKO while Hughes was in charge.

O'Neill work is always long on characterization, but this one could have been better. A very static camera was at work here, always filming scenes from a single perspective. Both the films of Long Day's Journey Into Night and The Iceman Cometh though they are both taking place on one set are far better done for the cinema than Mourning Becomes Electra.

Russell mentioned that her best accolade was a handwritten note from Eugene O'Neill himself about how much he liked her performance. It was better than the Academy Award that everyone thought she would get, but Loretta Young got for The Farmer's Daughter.

Michael Redgrave was nominated for Best Actor, but he also lost to Ronald Colman for A Double Life. It was back to the British cinema for him after this.

Russell and Redgrave are brother and sister, children of Raymond Massey and Katina Paxinou. Paxinou has a lover on the side in Leo Genn who's also courting Russell. Russell finds out and sets loose a whole chain of events that witness the destruction of the family.

Kirk Douglas and Nancy Coleman are another brother and sister named Niles who get involved with the Mannon offspring. This was an early film for Douglas, had he been a bigger movie name then, he might have taken on the role Redgrave had.

No matter how badly executed Mourning Becomes Electra was for the screen if I had a note from Eugene O'Neill praising my performance, that would be all the accolade I'd ever need.