Absolutely Wretched
I just slogged my way through this overwrought turkey and I simply cannot believe how bad
this film is. Words fail me.
Where do I begin? There are way too many characters, virtually no story, and endlessly
corny patches of dialogue. And then there's Harry Davenport's BEARD!
The awful script was supposedly a watered down version of the novel. Okay. I'll buy
because as presented, the film has people doing things that make no sense whatsoever.
And we really don't know WHO the more intriguing characters are, because the screenwriters
never give us a payoff as to WHAT THE HELL DRIVES THEM!
I have always admired the talented and sadly forgotten Betty Field, but here she is just some
sort of wild-eyed nut who saunters in and out of rooms (and forests!) yammering
incoherently. WHAT exactly IS her problem, and WHAT KIND of relationship does she
have with her father (the great Claude Rains)?
The actors are stymied because there is no revelation whatsoever of what is going on.
The pacing is awful. Nothing really happens in the first 45 minutes - just endless scenes,
strung together, with endless homilies and corn-fed dialogue.
You'll note (if you're still awake - I barely was) Ann Sheridan coming into the film midway.
By this point, the film feels like two different B movies stitched together (Field and Rains
are now dead and conveniently out of the way, so the "plot" can move forward).
The cast is made up of terrific actors all giving oddball performances. Everyone seemed to
respond to this nonsense by overplaying every word and every gesture. I normally adore
Robert Cummings, but his overly-sincere, golly-gee performance plays more like
Andy Hardy Meets a Republican!! He is never convincing, and also seems confused by
everything around him.
The problems begin early. Those child actors are given waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much screen
time, and when the adult actors take over, it isn't even remotely convincing.
Yes, the score is magnificent. Too bad it wasn't saved for a better film. The photography
is strong, too. But these two huge elements hardly save this turgid, corny, overbaked
turkey of a film.
As for the common statements that this contains Reagan's best performance....who cares?
He is so wooden and sappy under the best of directors.
A true disappointment.