Possessed (1947 film)
| Possessed | |
|---|---|
 Original theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Curtis Bernhardt |
| Produced by | Jerry Wald |
| Written by | Silvia Richards Ranald MacDougall Rita Weiman (Story) |
| Starring | Joan Crawford Van Heflin Raymond Massey Geraldine Brooks |
| Music by | Franz Waxman |
| Cinematography | Joseph Valentine |
| Editing by | Rudi Fehr |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | July 26, 1947 |
| Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Possessed is a 1947 Warner Bros. film starring Joan Crawford, Van Heflin, and Raymond Massey in a tale about an unstable woman's obsession with her ex-lover. The screenplay by Ranald MacDougall and Silvia Richards was based upon a story by Rita Weiman. The film was directed by Curtis Bernhardt and produced by Jerry Wald. Possessed received one Academy Award nomination for Best Actress (Crawford).[1]
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Plot [edit]
A woman is found wandering Los Angeles, unable to say anything other than "David." Admitted to hospital, she is coaxed into recounting her life.
Louise Howell is an emotionally unstable woman working as a nurse to the invalid wife of Dean Graham in the Graham home. Louise is in love with neighbor David Sutton, an engineer, who loathes her smothering obsession with him; he ends the relationship and leaves the area to Louise's great hurt. Shortly after, Graham's wife drowns. Louise remains in the home to care for the two Graham children: young Wynn and college-age Carol.
Time passes and David re-enters the scene, having taken an engineering job with Graham. He is surprised to find Louise with the family. Louise — still obsessed with David — makes a pass and is rebuffed. Moments later, Graham proposes to Louise and she accepts to salvage her pride.
Carol takes a fancy to David, much to the consternation of Louise, who tries to dissuade Carol from establishing a relationship with him. Louise's mind begins to decline with her obsession over David; she hears voices, has hallucinations, and believes her husband's first wife is still alive.
When David and Carol consider marriage, Louise tries to end their relationship. Graham is concerned about Louise's mental state and tries to persuade her to see a doctor. Believing her husband, David, and Carol are all against her and trying to put her away, Louise bursts into David's apartment and kills him in a schizophrenic episode.
The psychiatrist to whom Louise has recounted her story pronounces her insane and not responsible for her actions. He laments that he had not seen her sooner, as he is sure that if he had, the tragedy could have been avoided. He tells Graham that he intends to help Louise back to sanity, though the process will be long and arduous, with much pain and suffering in store for her. Graham pledges his full support and vows that he always be there for her, no matter how difficult it becomes.
Cast [edit]
- Joan Crawford as Louise Howell
- Van Heflin as David Sutton
- Raymond Massey as Dean Graham
- Geraldine Brooks as Carol Graham
- Stanley Ridges as Dr. Willard
- John Ridgely as Chief Investigator
- Moroni Olsen as Dr. Ames
- Erskine Sanford as Dr. Sherman
Production notes [edit]
Crawford spent time visiting mental wards and talking to psychiatrists to prepare for her role,[1] and said the part was the most difficult she ever played.
During production director Curtis Bernhardt accidentally kept referring to Crawford as "Bette" as he had just finished filming A Stolen Life with Bette Davis. Crawford tried unsuccessfully to convince Warner Bros. to change the film's title to The Secret since she had already starred in a film by the same name earlier in her career.[1]
Box office gross [edit]
The movie was a hit earning $3,027,000 at the worldwide box office on a budget of $2,592,000.[2]
Reception [edit]
James Agee in Time wrote, "Most of it is filmed with unusual imaginativeness and force. The film is uncommonly well acted. Miss Crawford is generally excellent", while Howard Barnes in the New York Herald Tribune argued, "[Crawford] has obviously studied the aspects of insanity to recreate a rather terrifying portrait of a woman possessed by devils."[3]
The film was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.[4]
Awards and nominations [edit]
Academy Award nomination (1947) for Best Actress: Joan Crawford.[1]
Analysis [edit]
Film Noir notes, "By developing the plot from the point-of-view of a neurotic and skillfully using flashback and fantasy scenes in a straightforward manner, the distinction between reality and Louise's imagination is blurred. That makes Possessed a prime example of oneirism, the dreamlike tone that is a seminal characteristic of film noir."[5]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d Quirk, Lawrence J. (2002). Joan Crawford: the essential biography. 0813122546. pp. 139–41. ISBN 0-8131-2254-6.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039725/business
- ^ Quirk, Lawrence J.. The Films of Joan Crawford. The Citadel Press, 1968.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Possessed". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
- ^ Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward (1992). Film Noir An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style. The Overlook Press. ISBN 0-87951-479-5.
External links [edit]
- Possessed at the Internet Movie Database
