Monty @ 100: "The Heiress"
Saturday, October 3, 2020 at 7:40PM by Camila Henriques
Montgomery Clift achieved greatness early in his career. Just one year into the Hollywood industry, he was tapped to co-star in a period drama by William Wyler, who was still riding the waves of the second of his three best directing Oscars, for 1946’s The Best Years of Our Lives. It was the combination of a very particular brand of acting and heartthrob looks that made Clift a star, and that mix is undoubtedly present in The Heiress.
Cemented in Hollywood history as the film that garnered Olivia de Havilland a second well-deserved Oscar, The Heiress also arguably introduced Monty as the romantic (or not) lead...
After his first appearances in The Search and Red River, it was clear that he had something his peers didn’t. Going for less stylized choices and powering through raw emotions, Monty paved the way for Marlon Brando and James Dean, who would both take the film industry by storm in the following decade with performances as poignant as the ones Clift delivered in his short, but iconic body of early work.
But, back to The Heiress. The film centers on Olivia as she plays Catherine, a socially awkward girl who finally falls in love, only to be threatened with disownment by her father (Ralph Richardson), who believes the guy is a good old gold digger. Monty, of course, plays Morris, the object of Catherine’s affection.
It’s not a Romeo and Juliet-type tale of star crossed lovers. The Heiress is a gothic film, anchored in the mystery of Morris and how much of his interest in Catherine is her and how much is her fortune.
While the film plays with that enigma, what with the character being introduced with his back to the audience and head out of the frame, for example, it’s Clift’s work that does the trick of making us fall for and then hate Morris as he leaves Catherine. And, when he comes back, Monty thrives as both him and Olivia’s character have gone through some very rough changes. She also aces those very difficult scenes and it’s a sparring of different acting styles that make the final act of the film even more compelling.
Response to Monty's performance was mixed but Wyler always defended him:
"I don’t agree with the critics who said that Montgomery Clift was too nice and pleasant to play the fortune hunter Morris Townsend. In the play, he was so obviously a villain... In the film, because Clift was so sympathetic, people were horrified when he jilted her.”
As with Red River, Monty didn’t particularly care for his performance in the film nor the whole piece itself. He reportedly didn’t stay long at the premiere, and there was no love lost between him and his co-star Olivia de Havilland. That distaste didn’t translate to the screen. Wile The Heiress is rightfully considered the Livvie show, Clift's own performance is undervalued. He went beyond the archetypes of the romantic lead or the gaslighting male, retaining mystery.
Monty squirming while watching his own performance in The Heiress -- a fascinating photoshoot byJ.R. Eyerman.
If The Search and Red River signalled Clift's arrival, William Wyler film's major success at the time (it won the most Oscars in its year) and its enduring classic status today, serve as yet another sign in the shift of acting styles that would mold many of the classics of the 1950s and 1960s that we love today - some of them, starring our beloved Monty.
NEXT: The Big Lift (1950) now streaming on Amazon Prime
Reader Comments (16)
One of the true masterpieces of American cinema
He's good in the film, better than he felt himself to be but he is overshadowed by Olivia, Ralph Richardson and to a degree Miriam Hopkins.
It's not necessarily his fault Morris is a rapacious weakling, who ironically enough if not for her father's meddling probably would have made Catherine a very good husband since she would have given him whatever he wanted and he would have continued to dote on her to make sure the gravy train continued. But Morris is all surface and Monty plays him that way never suggesting hidden layers. Even at the end he hasn't changed though I love our final shot of him pleading like the dog he is to get back in the house.
Anyone who likes The Heiress should definitely check out Washington Square by Henry James, on which the movie was based. It's one of James's most accessible novels and among his best!
Not crazy about this one from a Monty perspective. Serviceable performance. It truly is the Livvie Show.
This is one of the very best Best Actress wins of all time. I just love how dark and sinister the ending is!!!
Why did they make Olivia so ugly in the poster?
f -- she's supposed to be playing a homely girl. But of course it's DeHavilland so she's still beautiful
Wow, just finished this. Soooo many scenes that made me want to talk to the characters, and of course towards the end I was like “No Catherine, you don’t need a man to make you happy!” I wasn’t sure how it’d end cause I’m not too familiar with the social morals of this specific time, so it was a delight to see that ending. Clift was really good in this, and while I was wondering if de Havilland won for a subdued performance based on the earlier part of the film, she just shocked and amazed me with that shift in her character. Also, today I learned about “claret cups,” the pronunciation of “Maria” as “Mariah” and the fun presence Miriam Hopkins has on screen (kinda wanna check out her Oscar nominated performance in “Becky Sharp” now). Onto another day with Clift!
It's a spectacular film in many ways. The acting is impeccable and the story is excellent. Olivia, Ralph & Miriam are firing on all cylinders and it's great to sit and watch them act. The ending is one of the most iconic in film history and when Olivia passed away a bit ago I thought of that moment and how impactful it was due to her incredible skill as an actor.
I think he works really well in the film, an extremely swoon-worthy handsome man who may or may not have more going on behind his looks.
The film is so extraordinary.
It's very common for actors to dislike seeing themselves on the screen and even hate their performances, these creatures being extremely insecure and with a very fragile ego. As well as beautiful men and women like Rock Hudson, Veronica Lake, Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn
and so many others do not feel secure about their own appearance. Montgomery Clift used to hate everything he'd do in cinema and said that the seventh art served to transform mediocre actors into great actors. And kept saying that his next film would be his last, that his place was the stage. Fortunately for him and for us, passionate fans, his short filmography, like Grace Kelly and Marilyn, for example, is so impressive.
For me he's the male version of Vivien Leigh: Beautiful, sexy, talented, charming, charismatic. In short: Magic. The king of black and white.
Is this available anywhere online? Been dying to see it!
Fadhil - it's streaming on Criterion Channel but otherwise I assume it's a paid rental at the normal places.
I just have to echo others on what a truly sensational lead performance this is. It is probably my favorite pre-Virginia Woolf Best Actress winner, and though it's not really ignored, I'm always surprised it isn't discussed more often.
Monty does exactly what he is supposed to do here. He reminds me a lot of the young Warren Beatty in this role; young Warren was probably influenced by him.
Clift's role here is more challenging than DeHavilland's and Richardson's: he has to play ambiguity. He pulls off that miracle, because you are usually kept guessing as to what his motives are. You always know what motivates Catherine, and her father, but Morris is a mystery. I agree with the author: this is an underrated performance,