Wuthering Heights
(1939)
Starring
Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon
Director
William Wyler
Awards
Academy Awards
Best Cinematography - Gregg Toland
Academy Award Nominations
Best Actor - Laurence Olivier
Best Director
Best Picture
Best Screenplay
Plot Synopsis
Laurence Olivier gives an unforgettably passionate portrayal of
the dark and troubled Heathcliff in this lavish, romantic adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic Victorian novel.
When Mr. Earnshaw encounters Heathcliff, a ragamuffin orphan, he kindly brings the boy
into his home and makes him part of the family. And from the start, Heathcliff falls
hopelessly in love with the daughter of the house, the beautiful, headstrong Catherine.
She adores him, too, but when a wealthy neighbor woos her, Catherine's material instincts
get the better of her, and she agrees to marry the man. However, Catherine discovers that
she cannot forget Heathcliff so easily... and that not even death can make them part.
Film Notes
One of the most compelling tragic romances ever captured on film,
Wuthering Heights is an exquisite tale of doomed love and miscalculated intentions.
Though only half of Emily Bronte's classic tale of
Heathcliff and Catherine was filmed by director William Wyler, it lacks for nothing. The
story begins when a Yorkshire gentleman farmer brings home a raggedy gypsy boy,
Heathcliff, and raises him as his son. The boy grows to love his stepsister Catherine,
with catastrophic results. Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon were perfectly cast as the
mismatched lovers, with Olivier brooding and despairing, Oberon ethereal and enchanting.
This won cinematographer Gregg Toland a much-deserved Oscar for his haunting and evocative
depiction of mid-19th century English moors. (Quite a trick, as this was shot in
California!) Though nominated for seven other Oscars, it won none of them, as it was
released in 1939, one of the best years in Hollywood history and the same year as Gone with the Wind. Interestingly, the script
was written by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht, best known for their witty 1931 flick, The
The Front
Page." (Rochelle O'Gorman, Amazon.com)
Actors considered for the role of Heathcliff were James Mason,
Tyrone Power, Robert Newton, Ronald Colman, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Sir Laurence
Olivier tried to persuade the producer to cast his then-girlfriend, actress Vivien Leigh,
in the role of Cathy. Co-stars Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon did not get along well
during filming. Actress Bette Davis asked Jack Warner to buy the property for her. Other
titles considered for the film were: Gypsy Love, Fun on the Farm, and He
Died for Her. Additional cast: Romaine Callender (Robert), Rex Downing (Heathcliff as
a child), Sarita Wooten (Cathy as a child), Alice Ahlers (harpsichordist). Additional
credits: Jack Crosby (dances), Blagoe Stephanoff (makeup artist).
Rated: NR
Rated: NR