The Divorce of Lady X (1938).

 

The Divorce of Lady X (1938). A British romantic comedy film directed by Tim Whelan. The music score was by Miklós Rózsa and Lionel Salter and the cinematography by Harry Stradling. Cast: Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson and Binnie Barnes. The film was a remake of the 1933 film, Counsel's Opinion, also made by London Films and in which Binnie Barnes performed in the role played by Merle Oberon.

Because of the thick fog, London barrister Everard Logan, decides to spend the night in the  Royal Park hotel. Before he knows it .. Leslie Steele, another one of the  guests, tricks him into  giving her both the bedroom and his pajamas. By the next morning, Logan, has fallen in love with Leslie even though he  mistakenly thinks that she is a married woman.

At home,  Leslie, tells her  grandfather judge Lord Steele that she wants to marry Logan, even though he thinks she is an  unfaithful wife.

Later, Logan is visited by Lord  Mere, who tells him that his wife spent the night at the Royal  Park hotel with another man, and wants Logan to begin divorce  proceedings. Logan believes  that Leslie is Lady Mere, and tries to convince Lord Mere not to start divorce proceedings, while trying to hide the fact he thinks he is the "other man" and that's when the fun begins.




Lawrence Olivier and Merle Oberon did two movies together: WUTHERING HEIGHTS and THE DIVORCE OF LADY X.

Video: The Divorce of Lady X (1938). In full.

Binnie Barnes (25 May 1903 – 27 July 1998), She began her acting career in films in 1923, performing in a short film made by Lee De Forest in his Phonofilm sound-on-film process. Her film career continued in Britain, then in Hollywood, until 1973, with her final role in the comedy, 40 Carats. She is best known for her performance, The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), starring Charles Laughton in the title role, with Barnes as Katherine Howard.

CMBA Films of 1939 Blogathon: Wuthering Heights

Hello all, time has come for me to post my review for the great Films of 1939 blogathon held by Page and Becky! My review is on William Wyler's production of Wuthering Heights.

Wuthering Heights

Directed By: William Wyler (based on Emily Bronte's famed classic)

Starring: Lawrence Olivier, Merle Oberon, David Niven, Donald Crisp, Flora Robson and Geraldine Fitzgerald.

Now, I'm sure that many of you are familiar with the plot of Wuthering Heights, but just in case you aren't, her is a summary that won't probably won't ruin too much of the story.

Catharine and Hindley Earnshaw have lived in peace with their father at their home, Wuthering Heights, in the middle of the beautiful Yorkshire moors all their lives, until one day, when their father brings them back a surprise from London. He had found a homeless boy on the streets of London and had taken pity on him and brought him home. As soon as the boy arrives he and Cathy (as Catharine was nicknamed) gell well together and spend a great deal of their time playing King and Queen on the moors, pretending that their castle was a special tall rocky slope called Penistone Crag. But Hindley treats Heathcliff like a stable boy, being violent and horrible to him.

Years later, and even after their father's death, Hindley is still treating Heathcliff like filth, but Cathy and Heathcliff still have a very affectionate relationship. But when they are caught spying on a party at the wealthy Lintons' nearby house, The Grange, their friendship changes. Cathy is caught by a guard dog and bitten badly on the ankle. After staying for a while at The Grange to recover from her injuries, Cathy comes back to the Heights a much changed person. She also starts to treat Heathcliff badly until she realises that she does love him.

But that night she receives Edgar Linton, who she had come to know very well while she was staying at his family's house, and he asks her to marry him. Heathcliff is concerned about Cathy's feelings for him and overhears her talking to the housekeeper (and narrator of the story), Ellen, about her situation. When he hears her say that it would degrade her to marry Heathcliff he leaves on his horse not to return for years. What he didn't hear was that she said that she loves Heathcliff more than she loves anyone.

Some years later, after the wedding of Edgar and Cathy, Heathcliff returns a new man. Quite the gentleman, he starts to go after Edgar's sister Isabella, in order to try and make Cathy jealous...

One of the first things that I noticed about this film was the change from the book (that I read recently). Only half of the book is used at all! The film completely cuts off after *serious spoiler!* Cathy dies and tells nothing of the next generation of Lintons and Earnshaws which takes up about 14 of the 34 chapters in the book.

Watching this film again reminded me about how much I love the costume design. I was seriously coveting the beautiful outfit of flowing skirt, stripy shirt and scarf worn by Cathy before she becomes "Linton-ified". All of everyones outfits throughout the movie were beautiful, though the whole film is set when the novel was published, rather than the earlier period the book is actually set in.

All performances were great and Merle Oberon is good as Cathy. I always really enjoy Geraldine Fitzgerald's performance as Isabella Linton, and, surprisingly, I like David Niven! Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate his talent and all, but I find that he is a little dodgy or strange in many movies - though I really like his performances in both this and A Matter Of Life And Death (1946, Powell and Pressburger of The Red Shoes fame). Flora Robson and Donald Crisp are both very good too.

And now on to Lawrence Olivier who I feel deserves a paragraph of his own. I just love him as Heathcliff and sympathise so much more with him in the film than I do with Heathcliff in the book! I don't know if this is just because I seriously like him, but every time I see him in a book-movie production, I like his character so much better than I do in the book. Take "Rebecca".

In the book: Maxim - Obviously a very romantic figure but sounds like a bit of a psycho murderer towards the end; The New Mrs De Winter - Poor girl who marries a murderer (even if this murderer is of Maxim amazingness, it's not that great a choice.) and is tormented by his deceased wife.

In the film: Maxim - *swoon* Handsome man who was treated seriously badly by his dead wife and is just looking for happiness; The New Mrs. De Winter - Annoying. Does love Maxim. More annoying. (nothing to do with Joan Fontaine's performance...)

Yes. He is a great Heathcliff :-) He makes me so upset whenever Cathy rejects him!

The whole picture is directed excellently. My love for William Wyler movies knows no bounds. Just think about it. Mrs. Miniver, The Letter, Ben Hur, Jezebel, Roman Holiday, Funny Girl, is there anything this man can't do? The interesting way that he choses to close up on Heathcliff's hands and other features which are a main part of the description of him in the book is very effective. Producer of the film, Samuel Goldwyn was quoted as saying "I made Wuthering Heights, Wyler only directed it." THIS MAKES ME SOOOOO MAD!!!!!!! It is so obvious that William Wyler made the film what it is - and if there had been any other things added the film may have been quite different.

See. Geraldine Fitzgerald is also angry :-)

The script is also great - maintaining some of the lines from the book. Cathy's scene with Ellen when she tells her she loves Heathcliff is written very well... "Ellen, I am Heathcliff!" And the line that Cathy says to Ellen while preparing for Edgar Linton, "There's nothing to be gained by just looking pretty, like Isabella. Every beauty mark must conceal a thought, and every curl be full of humour," is also very cool.

I also just have to say, doesn't Merle Oberon look so much like Meryl Streep? I think so!

I would honestly recommend this film to anyone. If you have read the book and not seen this film (my parents don't think so highly of the newest ones...) do go and watch it now! One other thing that I have to say is that it isn't nearly as "gothic" as the book. The most gothic it gets is at the end (which Wyler hated and was a suggestion from Goldwyn) and at the begging where Heathcliff runs into the storm and is all crying: "CATHY!!! CATHY!!!"

I hope you enjoyed my review, and you can see the list of all participants here!

~Bette

Review: These Three (1936)

I watched this excellent film a few days ago and I thought it was one of the best films I've ever seen. Based on the Lillian Hellman play, The Children's Hour, the main storyline has been changed from lesbianism to a heterosexual triangle involving two women and a man. But the film still remains a solid dramatic effort. The film casts Miriam Hopkins as Martha and Merle Oberon as Karen, college roommates, who graduate and face the future with no place and no money.

Karen, however, has inherited a farmhouse from her grandmother, and gets the idea that she and Martha can turn it into a school for girls. They travel to the farmhouse, which turns out to be quite rundown, and all hope seems lost, until they meet Dr. Joe Cardin (played by Joe Cardin), who tells them not to give up, to take out a loan, fix up the farmhouse, and it will work out. And before you know it, the school is open and full of young girls. And Karen starts falling in love with Joe. Even though Martha longs for the good doc herself. All seems to go according to plan, until one student devises a scheme for revenge for being punished by the teachers. The student is Mary Tildford (played by Bonita Granville) as the child from hell. Her lie about an affair between Karen and Joe spreads quickly and all over town. And before you know it the parents quickly remove their kids from the school without an explanation to the titular three. Well Joe decides he wants answers and goes to Mary's grandmother's house to get some. Mary's grandmother is played by the wonderful Alma Kruger. Once there the story comes out to the three young people, they can't believe that this has happened. There is a trial and the whole town is against our three young individuals. After the trial Karen decides it's best if Joe leaves as she is preparing to close down the school. Flash forward a few months later and the truth finally comes out that Mary made the whole thing up and even bullied her classmate Rosalie (a superb Marcie Mae Jones) to corroborate her story. But the damage has been done, that has ruined the lives of three people. Martha finds out and is relieved but still saddened. Karen goes looking for Joe, who is living abroad and they end up together finally.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film from beginning to end. I thought all the actors involved gave very strong performances beginning with Hopkins who had the most delicate of the lead roles and she delivered it superbly. Hopkins shows that she can act when the need arises. Oberon was good also, but got kind of overshadowed by Hopkins in some scenes. It's not her fault, it's just that Martha is the juicier of the two roles. McCrea is his typical strong leading man self. Granville is truly monstrous as the child brat who is just teeming with hatred and deceit. But she finally gets what coming to her when her playhouse comes falling apart and gets one of the all time best film slaps in the face ever. And guess who delivers it.. none other than Margaret Hamilton, the wicked witch of the west, from The Wizard Of Oz. Hamilton plays the maid for Mrs. Tilford. And I cheered when she gave that slap to Granville. I was like finally someone steps up to give that girl what she truly deserved. These Three was expertly directed by the great William Wyler, who would also direct the remake, The Children's Hour (1962) with Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. I haven't seen that version but I doubt it can be any better than this classic. This is what you get when you get all the stars aligned with great performances, solid direction, and that old Hollywood magic. These Three is a must see.
A-

MERLE OBERON

Merle Oberon, Indian-born British actress. Was known as "Queenie Thompson" up until 1939 when her husband Alexander Korda convinced her to change her name. She began her film career in the British film The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934). She traveled to the United States to make films for Samuel Goldwyn. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Dark Angel(1935). In a terrible car accident she received facial injuries that might have ended her career, but she soon performed in one of her most successful films, Wuthering Heights (1939). Oberon came up with a made up story of her family history in which she said that she had been born in Tasmania, Australia. To hide the fact that she was of mixed-race Indian background, as she believed the truth would have ended her acting career.
Please check Chick Flicks Western page for The Cowboy and the Lady (1938) movie review.

FUN FACT:

The mini series Queenie (1987) (TV) starring Mia Sara is based on a book by Merle's nephew, loosely based on her life.

List of Merle Oberon films:
Affair in Monte Carlo (1952)
Dans la vie tout s'arrange (1952)
Pardon My French (1951)Berlin Express (1948)
Night Song (1947)
Temptation (1946)
Night in Paradise (1946)
This Love of Ours(1945)
A Song to Remember (1945)
Dark Waters (1944)
The Lodger (1944)
First Comes Courage (1943)
Forever and a Day (1943)
Lydia (1941)
Affectionately Yours (1941)
That Uncertain Feeling (1941)
'Til We Meet Again (1940) The Lion Has Wings (1939)
Over the Moon (1939)
Wuthering Heights (1939)
The Cowboy and the Lady (1938)THE COWBOY AND THE LADY MOVIE. Click to watch.
The Divorce of Lady X(1938)
I, Claudius (1937)
Beloved Enemy (1936)
These Three (1936)
The Dark Angel (1935)
Folies Bergère de Paris (1935)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)
Vagabond Violinist (1934)
The Private Life of Don Juan (1934)
Thunder in the East (1934)
The Private Life of Henry VIII. (1933)