Runtime: 89 minutes
Directed by: Douglas Sirk
Starring: Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead, Conrad Nagel, Virginia Grey
From: Universal
Thank goodness for Criterion flash sales and the discounts I receive once in the blue moon as a Criterion Channel subscriber. The latter can be used during the former so that is an even better deal. I’ve purchased discs that way before--not all of which have even been watched yet, because I am me. This was picked up during the last flash sale earlier in the year; among all the movies available, this was selected for a specific reason.
Much of Douglas Sirk’s filmography is tough to track down (at least legally) and waiting to catch this on TV would have been done by me already… except that the copy on TCM is in fullscreen. Now I know that for some reason it was shown in all sorts of aspect ratios but the 1.75:1 the Blu has works for me. With my physical media, sometimes they are played (volume at normal or on mute) as background entertainment. This will serve fine in that role, as the Technicolor image looked splendid, along with how this colorful world was presented.
The film successfully skewers the norms and expectations of 1950’s life, especially if you’re a member of the upper-class. Jane Wyman is a widow who leads a nice lifestyle and has two children-both in college-yet is unhappy. Her gardener is Rock Hudson, who unlike her stuck-up snooty gossiping hen friends, is down to Earth and a gentleman. His friends may like Thoreau and view his Walden as a credo but at least are a crowd I’d rather hang out with, as several scenes demonstrate. The children are against the pair falling in love; I get why he would never be their father so that is more reasonable than the rich D-bags at the country club “tsk tsking” the union as he’s not from their social strata. What’s wrong with Hudson also owning a tree nursery?
It is wacky that in real life Wyman was only 9 years older than Hudson. That is irrelevant as both were great talents and they brought to life those roles in this melodramatic film; admittedly, the final dramatic moment that allowed for the final scene made me scoff a bit due to contrivance. Otherwise, there are no complaints in this tale where the viewer will root for the leads to marry while grow increasingly frustrated at the kids and especially the society folk turning their noses down at them.
The setting is the Northeast in the fall then winter in a charming small town and surrounding rural area. The movie makes that world stunning in appearance, a wonderous place to live… as long as you hang out with Hudson and his buddies. The direction from Sirk, the cinematography from Russell Metty and the lush score from Frank Skinner helped make this a wise blind buy purchase. Yeah, I should have watched this when the Criterion Channel had it two years ago. At least it is nice to have as physical media.
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