Woman Obsessed
| Woman Obsessed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Henry Hathaway |
| Screenplay by | Sydney Boehm |
| Based on | The Snow Birch (1958 novel) by John Mantley[1] |
| Produced by | Sydney Boehm |
| Starring | Susan Hayward Stephen Boyd Barbara Nichols Dennis Holmes Theodore Bikel Ken Scott James Philbrook Florence MacMichael |
| Cinematography | William C. Mellor Leon Shamroy |
| Edited by | Robert L. Simpson |
| Music by | Hugo Friedhofer |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation |
Release date | May 27, 1959 |
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,730,000[2] |
| Box office | $1.3 million (est. US/ Canada rentals)[3] |
Woman Obsessed is a 1959 romantic DeLuxe Color drama film in CinemaScope directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Susan Hayward, Stephen Boyd, Barbara Nichols, Dennis Holmes, Theodore Bikel, Ken Scott, James Philbrook, and Florence MacMichael. The screenplay concerns the hardships faced by a widow and her eight-year-old son on a rugged Canadian ranch.
Plot summary
Mary Sharron (Susan Hayward) has lost her husband to a forest fire. To help her run the ranch, she hires Fred Carter (Stephen Boyd), a handy man. A handsome, but taciturn fellow who has known much tragedy, Fred works hard for her. Robbie Sharron (Dennis Holmes), the woman's son, resents him, and when he learns that his mother is planning to marry him to quell ugly rumors in town, the youth is most unhappy. After the wedding, the stepfather treats the boy harshly, not out of cruelty, but because he wants to prepare the boy to survive the tough life ahead. This creates friction and frustration. Sometimes Fred beats both Mary and Robbie. On the day the wife learns she is pregnant, Robbie and Fred get into a violent fight.
Afterwards Fred goes to the local saloon and ends up jailed for brawling. A month later he is released. When he gets home he finds Mary has moved his things to the barn. A natural disaster changes the family's lives and relationships and after much turmoil, honesty and pain gives them a chance to heal and start afresh.[4]
Cast
- Susan Hayward as Mary Sharron
- Dennis Holmes as Mary's son, Robbie Sharron
- Stephen Boyd as Fred Carter
- Barbara Nichols as Mayme Radzevitch
- Theodore Bikel as Dr. R. W. Gibbs
- Ken Scott as Sergeant Le Moyne
- James Philbrook as Henri
Production
Although Woman Obsessed is a non-musical film, in addition to Hugo Friedhofer, nine additional top-name musicians were involved in the creation of the score. They include Earle Hagen, orchestrator; Lionel Newman, conductor; David Buttolph, Leigh Harline and Alfred Newman, composers of additional music; and Alexander Courage, Gus Levene, Arthur Morton and Edward B. Powell, orchestrators.
The film was shot in Big Bear Lake, California.[5]
References
- ^ http://www.royalbooks.com/pages/books/132457/henry-hathaway-director-john-mantley-novel-sydney-boehm-screenwriter-stephen-boyd-susan-hayward/woman-obsessed-collection-of-8-stills-from-the-1959-film
- ^ Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p252
- ^ "1959: Probable Domestic Take", Variety, 6 January 1960 p 34
- ^ http://www.allmovie.com/work/woman-obsessed-130013
- ^ "Woman Obsessed". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Los Angeles, California: American Film Institute. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
