The Heiress (1949)

Featured Audience Ratings

• AJ V

  
  This movie explores the question: is it better to be happily married to someone who just wants your money, or to live a lonely life and keep your millions? Most of the movie is annoying and boring, and I don't like their answer to the question.

• First L

  
  What a great closing scene, Morris (Montgomery Clift) pounding on Catherine's (Olivia de Havilland) door as the credits start to roll. Is he just the craven gold digger her father thinks he is, or does he really love her? Catherine isn't exactly loaded with social graces,… More
  What a great closing scene, Morris (Montgomery Clift) pounding on Catherine's (Olivia de Havilland) door as the credits start to roll. Is he just the craven gold digger her father thinks he is, or does he really love her? Catherine isn't exactly loaded with social graces, nor do people find her very attractive or personable. Her father (Ralph Richardson) humors her to a degree, but he knows a lost cause when he sees one. That's why she's so surprised when Morris shows such a keen interest in her. Morris is outgoing, attractive, intelligent and warm. Aunt Lavinia (Miriam Hopkins), ever the romantic, pleads Morris' case to the father, but it's to no avail. De Havilland's transformation is so gradual and yet so drastic that by the end, the Catherine from the opening of the movie is scarcely recognizeable. The Heiress inherits a great deal more than money from those who surround her. As she says "Yes, I can be very cruel. I have been taught by masters". The Heiress deals with the confrontation of one's own reality, and what effect that has on the psyche. Could Catherine be happy deceiving herself, trying to forget Morris only wants her for her money? The father wants Catherine to free her life of allusions, but is it always best to protect those you love from being hurt? In the end, everyone's lives are made up of a little bit of fantasy and a little bit of reality. We're all stars of our own stories, and sometimes it's better to live a lie, especially when the truth hurts.

• Randy T

  
  Not only is Olivia de Havilland utterly brilliant as the 'plain' heiress who may or may not be falling victim to an unscrupulous suitor, but the entire cast (especially Montgomery Clift) seems perfectly suited for their respective roles. An underrated CLASSIC from director… More
  Not only is Olivia de Havilland utterly brilliant as the 'plain' heiress who may or may not be falling victim to an unscrupulous suitor, but the entire cast (especially Montgomery Clift) seems perfectly suited for their respective roles. An underrated CLASSIC from director William Wyler.

• Mark H

  
  Wealthy, but painfully shy woman is romanced by charming young man whose motives are questioned by her father. Extraordinary adaption of Henry James' novella <I>Washington Square</I> is cinematic perfection. Olivia de Havilland is electrifying in her… More
  Wealthy, but painfully shy woman is romanced by charming young man whose motives are questioned by her father. Extraordinary adaption of Henry James' novella <I>Washington Square</I> is cinematic perfection. Olivia de Havilland is electrifying in her character's metamorphosis and Ralph Richardson has a commanding presence as her domineering father. Spectacular production values complement this compelling drama that remains one of the best films of the 40s.

• Veronique K

  
  "the heiress" is william wyler's adaption from henry james' novella "washington square", featuring montgomery clift in his utmost of gracious beauty and a mature olivia dehavilland who still preserves a girlish coyness despite she's reached into… More
  "the heiress" is william wyler's adaption from henry james' novella "washington square", featuring montgomery clift in his utmost of gracious beauty and a mature olivia dehavilland who still preserves a girlish coyness despite she's reached into matron-hood. it's one of those marvellous examples of dialogue-driven movies based upon the stage plays like "long day's journey into night" or wyler's another work "little fox" starring bette davis. now wyler's on his way to catapult another major warner-studio actress, olivia dehavilland, into further award-winning niche of accomplished actress like he did with bette davis in earlier years. dehavilland is a rich spinster whose lack of glamour has dwarfed her from being the charming socialite her father wishes her to be, just like her absolutely gracious late mother who has been immortalized by her worshipping dad. the silhouette of her mighty gorgeous mother has intimidated her from blossoming into a genuine womanhood since father always makes woeful comparison between the fabulous mom and the plain-jane daughter. so she's never in love until a handsome playboy who secretly covets her fortune sets his eyes on her..then her timid virginal heart is stirred with rejoice until she discovers the cruel truth of life about her father and her lover's mercenary motive. clift's social climber has an overlayered parallel with his another role in "the place in the sun", but he just has a sort of boyish naivete and some beguiling refinement to make you hesitate whether you should hate him or accept his warming embrace. there's a very blurred and grey dubiety in his performances as if you could detect some gentleness in him even when he's conniving some bad schemes in his mind. when he's making love to de havilland, you're aware he's mainly after the money but his gestures are so sincere that you tend to fall into his trap. you cannot see any apparent vileness in a character who's supposed to be vile by purpose. that's the so called "elegant rotten-ness".. somehow you almost want to pity him in the end when he knocks the door desperately like a panic child even he just gets what he deserves. in a nutshell, olivia de havilland sheds off her swashbuckler sweetheart halo and proves to you that she could also be hardened, cruel and callous and she's not just a bundle of sugary water. ralch richardson could pull off any heavy task of stage-play kind of movie like his another success in katherine hepburn's "long day's journey into night" and the imaginative glamour of the protagonist's late mother totally relies upon richardson's nifty expressions, needless to say, it requires subtlety and culture in his blood to channel a fluent suaveness to deliver those lines of classic plays in a stagy movie like this.

• Stella D

  
  how've i missed this classic? it's a great adaptation of henry james' washington square. devastating stuff. fine work by all the cast especially ralph richardson!

• Arash X

  
  Of course a well-made movie but there is something interesting & unique about its portrayal that was really exciting for me

• Jennifer X

  
  Olivia de Havilland dominates the screen, while Montgomery Clift is appropriately slimy yet charming. It's heavy and ponderous but that's ok because it's supposed to be.

• Brandon W

  
  The Heiress is one of the most cynical, heartless and cold films in history - and I mean that in the best way possible. What starts out as a very passionate romance soon leads to a very cold-hearted, compelling drama. I usually am not fond of period pieces, especially ones about… More
  The Heiress is one of the most cynical, heartless and cold films in history - and I mean that in the best way possible. What starts out as a very passionate romance soon leads to a very cold-hearted, compelling drama. I usually am not fond of period pieces, especially ones about wealthy people (since I find it hard to feel sorrow for them), and I've never actually been impressed by a William Wyler film enough to give it any more than an 80%, but The Heiress is an exception to both rules. Like Bette Davis, Olivia De Havilland isn't exactly what you would call a "classic beauty" in the same sense as Rita Hayworth or Marilyn Monroe, but she makes up for that with her awe-inspiring talents as an actress. The Heiress, which she won her second Academy Award for, displays De Havilland at her all-time best, proving herself to be one of the most talented actresses of the Golden Age. Montgomery Clift's performance is a little stale, but supporting actors Miriam Hopkins and Ralph Richardson's performances surely compensate for Clift's shortcomings. That, combined with a razor sharp script, filled with many interesting plot twists, makes for a very memorable film.

• Dannielle A

  
  This is such a heart wrenching movie, even moreso with each time I see it. I still can't figure out if Morris is for real or not. I guess the end is left up to you to figure out.

• Laura C

  
  A shining part of film history as far as I'm concerned. Olivia de Havilland, who is beautiful, manages to downplay her beauty, transforming herself into a reticent Heiress. I found her naiveity and lack of social graces to be incredibly endearing and while I did not want to see… More
  A shining part of film history as far as I'm concerned. Olivia de Havilland, who is beautiful, manages to downplay her beauty, transforming herself into a reticent Heiress. I found her naiveity and lack of social graces to be incredibly endearing and while I did not want to see her taken advantage of, Montgomonery Clift is so gorgeous that I would have gladly been in her place! The plot is actually quite simple, but masterfully so. It's lean and manages to shy away from the melodramatic. Immensely statisfying!

• Mike T

  
  This is a film whose grip tightens as the dramatic tension builds, and the pacing is masterfully approached by director William Wyler. The writing, performances, and glossy production make this a compelling watch, and Wyler gives it the strong backbone it needs. Contrary to popular… More
  This is a film whose grip tightens as the dramatic tension builds, and the pacing is masterfully approached by director William Wyler. The writing, performances, and glossy production make this a compelling watch, and Wyler gives it the strong backbone it needs. Contrary to popular opinion, I believe that Montgomery Clift delivers the most textured and impressive performance in the picture.

• Audrey L

  
  Is the delusion of "love" better than living without love? An excellent film by William Wyler in 1949, starring Montgomery Clift and Olivia de Haviland. An awkward,plain unmarried (mature) woman is swept off her feet by a handsome young man with an eye to her fortune. He… More
  Is the delusion of "love" better than living without love? An excellent film by William Wyler in 1949, starring Montgomery Clift and Olivia de Haviland. An awkward,plain unmarried (mature) woman is swept off her feet by a handsome young man with an eye to her fortune. He makes her happy-almost transforming her into a vibrant and happy woman. Her shot at love is sabataged by her father who suspects the young man's motives, but more importantly,cannot believe that any man could love his dull, plain daughter.De Haviland is excellent in portaying a woman transformed, again and again.The ending was spectacular.

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