The Heiress Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Heiress Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 26, 2019

William Wyler's "The Heiress" (1949) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; vintage content with the director and cast members; exclusive new program with costume collector and historian Larry McQueen; and exclusive new program with screenwriter Jay Cocks and critic Farran Smith Nehme. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Pamela Hutchinson and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The lovers

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the production history of The Heiress is the unusual number of big stars that could not land a role in it. Cary Grant for instance repeatedly reached out to William Wyler after making his interest in the part of Moris Townsend public but never received a casting call. Errol Flynn eyed the same role but could not secure it either. Basil Rathbone expressed interest in the part of Dr. Austin Sloper and was very disappointed when he learned that it had gone to Ralph Richardson.

During a lavish family party, the shy and socially awkward Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Havilland) meets the charming and sophisticated bachelor Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift) and he begins courting her. Soon after, Morris asks Catherine to marry him, and when she accepts, he proceeds to declare his intention before her father, Dr. Austin Sloper (Richardson), a very wealthy widower with an impeccable reputation. But Dr. Sloper quickly realizes that the young man is actually eying Catherine’s large inheritance, and in an attempt to prevent a disaster decides to take his daughter on a six-month trip to Paris, hoping that her ‘lover’ would forget about her and move to a different target. However, after a series of confrontations, Dr. Sloper is forced to end the trip prematurely and returns home with Catherine. Morris promptly reappears and once again declares his intention to make Catherine his wife, and by doing so emerges a winner from Dr. Sloper’s test. On the night when he is supposed to secretly take away his future wife, however, Catherine reveals to him that her father intends to terminate her inheritance and he abandons her. The shocked and heartbroken Catherine then undergoes a dramatic transformation that also has a profound effect on her father’s health. Some years later, Catherine is informed that Morris has reappeared and intends to ask her again to become his wife.

Henry James’ classic short novel Washington Square provided the original material for Ruth and Augustus Goetz’s popular play that inspired Wyler to direct The Heiress. Wyler’s treatment of the original material is excellent and faithful, and the only unique contrasts in it emerge through the personalities of the stars that he worked with.

However, these contrasts are quite striking and are crafted with even greater personality shifts. De Havilland’s performance in particular is defined by two stunning character transformations that actually leave the impression that they are delivered by different actors. Indeed, the swing from the insecure and clumsy girl from the family party to the cold-hearted and cynical young woman that emerges after Morris’ return is nothing short of astonishing. Richardson’s character arc may appear slightly less dramatic, but a closer look reveals an equally excellent transformation that actually strengthens de Havilland’s. (Pay close attention to the end of the dinner sequence where Richardson’s stern words prompt a brilliant desperate reaction from de Havilland. It is a great example of how the two performances actually complete each other). Clift’s deceivingly straightforward performance retains a great deal of ambiguity and becomes the catalyst for the crucial shifts in tone that ultimately give the film its identity.

Something else that is very much worth highlighting is the effect that these excellent performances have on the period atmosphere. In many similarly themed projects special efforts are made to emphasize details and rituals that make their period setting look authentic. This is not so much the case here because the manners and expressions of the actors actually accomplish a lot more for the legitimization of the desired period atmosphere. In the grand scheme of things, the party, the dinners, and even the trip to Paris are nothing more than helpful, but not crucial, ornaments.

The Heiress Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, William Wyler's The Heiress arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is included with this release:

"This new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner at Roundabout Entertainment in Burbank, California, from a 35mm duplicate negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI's DRS, while Digital Vision's Phoenix was used for jitter, flicker, small dirt, grain, and noise management. The original monaural soundtrack was restored in 2006 by NBC Universal StidoPost Audio Operations from a 35mm up/down variable-density optical soundtrack positive. Additional restoration was performed by the Criterion Collection for this release using Pro Tools and iZotope RX.

Colorist: Lee Kline: Criterion Post/New York."

After the restoration the film looks quite spectacular in high-definition. I have this old DVD release in my library and because of the way the film looks on it was expecting some small yet noticeable fluctuations, but density stability is outstanding. Depth and clarity are equally impressive, and as the screencaptures that are included with our review reveal, there are excellent ranges of nuances. The grading is solid. The blacks appear lush but not boosted, and there are properly balances grays and whites. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. The entire film has been carefully cleaned and looks spotless as well. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Heiress Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There are no age-related imperfections or transfer anomalies to report in our review. The dialog is clean, stable, and easy to follow. The music score has good dynamic qualities, though as it is always the case with older films there are some noticeable source limitations. (A slight thinness in the mid/upper register). Balance is excellent.

The Heiress Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for The Heiress. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Jay Cocks and Farran Smith Nehme - in this new program, screenwriter Jay Cocks (The Age of Innocence) and critic Farran Smith Nehme discuss the conception of William Wyler film and the original play that inspired it. There are also specific observations about the tone of the film and the performances of its stars. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 1080p).

• William Wyler - presented here are two segments from a tribute to director William Wyler that were done for The Merv Griffin Show in 1973. The archival footage contains clips from interviews with the director, Olivia de Havilland, and Bette Davis, amongst others. Also included is footage from Wyler's speech at the American Film Institute's 1976 tribute program. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. The Merv Griffin Show. (17 min, 1080i).
  2. AFI Tribute. (6 min, 1980i).

• Olivia de Havilland - talk-show host Paul Ryan conducted this extensive interview with Olivia de Havilland in 1986. In it the award-winning actress discusses her career and work, including her contribution to The Heiress. In English, not subtitled. (45 min, 1080i).

• Ralph Richardson - presented here is an archival interview with Ralph Richardson which was conducted in 1981 for the documentary Directed by William Wyler. The documentary aired on PBS's American Masters series and was directed by Aviva Slesin and produced byt Catherine Tatge and Catherine Wyler. The actor recalls various interactions he had with the director and discusses the production of The Heiress. In English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080p).

• The Costume Designer - presented here is a promotional short about the work of award-winning designer Edith Head which was produced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1950. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080p).

• Larry McQueen - in this new featurette, costume collector and historian Larry McQueen discuses the incredible legacy of Edith Head. The featurette was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet/Poster - an illustrated leaflet featuring critic Pamela Hutchinson's essay "A Cruel Inheritance" and technical credits.

The Heiress Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Deconstructing The Heiress feels a bit like peeling a giant onion -- the deeper you go, the more layers of cruelty emerge from it. On top of this, many of them come with their own dark texture. There is nothing new or original that can be said about its stars and their performances. Simply put, they are really, really good together, and any the male leads just as easily could have won an Academy Award. (Strangely, Montgomery Clift apparently wasn't too happy with his performance). Criterion's release is sourced from a solid new 4K restoration and has a great selection of features with archival content. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.