La ménagerie de verre

One of the few chances to see the great Gertrude Lawrence on screen. her amanda is so complex,manic,gentele,harsh. a truly great performance that was totally ignored by the academy.arthur kennedy too is compelling as tom. a shame he did not do more William's on screen he was one of the major stage interpreters of the man. only jane wyman seems miscast,a bit too character-actressy for the subtlty of the role to shine through.too bad,because without a good laura half the play is lost. a good effort that could have been great if they had not used wyman.

Having never been a lover of Williams' writing have to admit this is the only title I regard with any true affection (maybe this has more to do with the adaption). Jayne Wyman is perfection as the shy club-footed daughter of suffocatingly controlling mother Amanda Wingfield (Gertrude Lawrence) - with Arthur Kennedy doing some of his best work as her brother Tom (with a rough likeness to Williams) Kirk Douglas scores well in an early role, as the 'gentleman caller', coming for dinner at the request of the brother (with much input from mother!) It's a tender and thoughtful musing on how, with the right words and actions, a brief meeting can bring new meaning to a sheltered life.

It's a pity Williams' life took such a destructive course as more stories like this would have been welcome. This version may not please everyone but with sensitive direction by Irvine Rapper and sterling visual work by prolific cinematographer Robert Burks --they extract a broad spectrum of human emotions from the limited settings --making this another of those neglected masterpieces from some of Hollywood's most effective years.

It's odd that it appears to be a Warner Bros production but came to us through 20th Century Fox; - It's more than ready for a remastered DVD release... from whoever it actually belongs to.

It's hard for a production of a classic stage play not to be stagy. In the Windfield house we have the mother possessed with her children. She launches into diatribes relating to their shortcomings. Laura is crippled and shy and really has no social life. Her brother has a life of his own (event though he still lives in the family home), but is at the beck and call of the mother. She finally pushes him until he invites a friend to dinner. The object is to find a potential mate for Laura. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the potential pitfalls. This man is sensitive and understanding of the situation. That's as far as it goes, however. This is one of Tennessee Williams' finest plays, fraught with symbolism, submerged in despair. The fragility of glass is what this is all about. People are indeed breakable.

As a result of the numerous re-makes of this haunting classic this original film version is often overlooked. Irving Rapper's delicate direction and economical style are the perfect compliments to Tennessee Williams' haunting prose. While Paul Newman's more recent filming of The Glass Menagerie with wife Joanne Woodward is more faithful to the play's text, his use of colour and a much weaker supporting cast makes the 1950 version more compelling viewing. The talented Karen Allen is not nearly as heartbreaking as Academy Award winner Jane Wyman in the crucial role of Laura. Arthur Kennedy and Kirk Douglas also out perform their more contemporary counterparts. Having now seen a number of actresses fail to live up to the considerable challenges of playing Amanda Wingfield it is easier to appreciate the virtues of the rather miscast Gertrude Lawrence(the film producers had wanted Tallulah Bankhead but felt her unfit to complete filming, they also wanted Bette Davis but her falling out with Jack Warner left her out of the running).According to Elia Kazan a nervous Charles Feldman re-cut the film thus somewhat compromising its integrity. However even with its flaws it is the only filmed version which fully captures the tragic atmosphere of Williams' brilliant play.

Gertrude Lawrence only made 13 films in her career, but she was beloved for her stage performances in England and on Broadway. The English-born actress does a fantastic job with her southern accent as Amanda Wingfield. She plays the perfect nagging yet doting mother in "The Glass Menagerie."

Jane Wyman plays her daughter, Laura, and Arthur Kennedy is her son, Tom. The cast of this first film of the play is rounded out with Kirk Douglas as Jim O'Connor and Ralph Sanford as Mendoza. With this superb cast, this may be the best film rendition of the Tennessee Williams story on which the film is based.

One drawback is its revised ending that leaves a question in the viewers mind. So, what eventually happened to Amanda and Laura? And, I agree with observations by some that the effort to make Lawrence appear younger is a negative. Especially when she gets dolled up for the dinner evening with their guest, Jim O'Connor.

Lawrence was well liked by audiences as a dramatic and comedy performer. Besides the stage and films, she played nightclubs and sang. She won a Tony for her starring role in the original Broadway production of "The King and I" opposite Yul Brynner.

But, Lawrence made so few films, that there aren't many examples of her acting talent available otherwise. This version of "The Glass Menagerie" may be the best example for movie buffs to see a performance by this fine British star of stage and screen.

Lawrence died at age 52 of cancer. She lived a high life, well beyond her substantial means, and was deeply in debt most of her life.

Here's a favorite line from the film. Jim O'Connor, Ah, when you first meet Mendoza, you don't like him. But, when you get to know him, you hate him."