Fogo de Outono

"Dodsworth" has been on my short list of must-see films for decades, and I finally had my chance to see it last night. I'm still in awe. (Others have made cogent observations about the acting of the other principals in the cast, so I will confine my comments specifically to Walter Huston.) There are people who will complain that this film is "slow," that it is "boring," that "nothing ever happens in it." Too bad for them, because this is a master class in acting of the highest order.

It is difficult to pull off a film like "Dodsworth" without betraying its stage origins, but this one feels and moves like a movie, not a play. (Of course, its genesis is a lengthy Sinclair Lewis novel, but the contributions of the gifted Sidney Howard -- who adapted the novel for the stage and the screen -- cannot be overlooked.) Walter Huston, who also played Sam Dodsworth in the Broadway play, was that rarest of actors, equally adept at playing to the back row of the balcony and giving a quiet wink to another 20-foot-tall face on a movie screen.

Anyone can buff up and wield a sword or tumble from a parking garage after being shot eleven times. But it takes a truly gifted screen actor to make the mundane seem utterly real; to shade a line just so, to achieve perfect pitch with every gesture, every glance. Huston was just such an actor, who, if he is remembered at all today it as John Huston's father, or the "old guy" in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre." Too bad again, because Huston was one of the finest actors in the history of American movies. He was not a movie star, but he totally embodied every role he ever played, and never gave a poor performance.

The narrative of "Dodsworth" is mature, intelligently handled material. It is impeccably directed by William Wyler. No one has ever remade it, though remakes have been considered. There are directors working today who could handle "Dodsworth," but it really merits more sophisticated treatment than the extensive nudity and profusion of strong language that would inevitably be written into a new script. It's much better left alone, and it deserves a far larger audience than it has ever had in the 68 years since its release.

It is astonishing to think that this Sinclar Lewis film adaptation was made in 1936! Walter Huston is sensational as the retiring tycoon. He is married to Fran, played deliciously by Ruth Chatterton (a character who seems an early version of Meryl Streep's in "Death Becomes Her") Her fear of aging is beautifully drawn and embarrassing to witness. The rich American hicks in Europe are described with humor and compassion but above all with an uncanny understanding of the subject. I loved the structure of the phone calls from Vienna to Naples at a crucial moment in the protagonists future lives. Mary Astor is another standout in a performance of such modernity that one has to remind oneself that this was in fact shot in 1936. The director, William Wyler, was yet to give us some other milestones from "Jezabel" and "The Littlle Foxes" to "Roman Holiday", "Funny Girl" and "Ben Hur" For film lovers this is a must!

Dodsworth is one of the best dramas of the 1930s. Walter Huston stars as Dodsworth, a middle-aged auto tycoon who looks forward to retirement. His wife--Ruth Chatterton--is not quite ready for the rocking chair. They embark on a grad tour of Europe. From the start Chatterton falls for the cosmopolitan airs of Europe and the attentions of the debonair men. More and more she leaves Dodsaworth alone as she flits among the cafe society. By accident he runs into a lonely American widow (Mary Astor) living in Italy. As the husband and wife drift farther apart, he moves closer to Astor. Yes it sounds like soap opera, but the acting is so good and the characters so real you forget the plot mechanics.

Huston has one of his very best film roles as the floundering Dodsworth who needs an anchor. Chatterton is excellent as the foolish wife (this was her last film), and Astor is a wonder as the American widow. The three stars turn in towering performances.

The rest of the cast includes Maria Ouspenskaya and the old countess, Spring Byington and Harlan Briggs as the best friends, John Payne as the son in law, David Niven as a gigolo, Gregory Gaye as the suitor, Paul Lukas as Arnold, and Odette Myrtil as the social leach.

There was talk in the mid-90s that Harrison Ford would star in a new version of Dodsworth but he never followed through because he wanted to continue his "action" roles. Too bad. Ford has certain qualities that would have made him (or Warren Beatty) ideal for the part. But Ford and Beatty are too old now. Oddly only Huston and Ouspenskaya earned Oscar nominations. Hard to see how Chatterton and Astor got bypassed.

This is a great American film.

Some years ago, I read a short piece in TV Guide by the critic and screenwriter Jay Cocks, in which he listed ten 'great, underrated films'. One which I had never heard of before was Dodsworth.I trust Jays taste in films, so i decided to take a lot at it. I promptly saw it on Video and was enthralled.Once more, William Wyler reveals why he has to be ranked among the great Hollywood directors. Dodsworth is that rarity, a film for adult people. In addition, it boasts a literate script, fine acting by an superb cast, and an very fine design. One of the favorite themes of the fiction of Henry James,. the conflict between American innocence and European sophistication, is here explored with a concision and an empathy James only occasionally managed. In addition, the film is a profoundly moving love story. One can only wonder why this exquisite movie was not even nominated for the AFI list of great American films.

We're taught to "take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth." [Desiderata.] While most people allow maturation to occur naturally and be at peace with their physical evolvement, some do not.

Like Sinclair Lewis' heroine, people who doggedly resist change may end up disappointed and bitter. Such resistance is the basis for this perceptive adult drama on marital strife.

Ruth Chatterton is ideally cast, looking young while obviously no longer in her early thirties. Her frivolous banter provides a dramatic clash with Walter Hutson's aging hero.

While I find "Dodsworth" strangely depressing, it's a personal reaction, for this is a very well conceived and produced film, securely directed by William Wyler, and solidly scripted by Sidney Howard.

Mary Astor shows warmth as "the other woman" and Spring Byington offers an emotional balance to the proceedings. With excellent cinematography and art direction, "Dodsworth" remains a telling adult drama of the dangers which may transpire by not surrendering youthful matters to advancing years.