That Forsyte Woman

Plot summary

Irene (Greer Garson) is the wife of Victorian "man of property" Soames Forsyte (Errol Flynn), having married without love but after many proposals. Rebelling against her husband's preoccupation with material possessions, a list in which she is included, Irene falls in love with unconventional architect Philip Bosinney (Robert Young), who is engaged to Soames' niece June (Janet Leigh), one of Irene's closest friends. Soames learns of Irene's affair with Bosinney, and rather than allowing Irene to leave him, he reasserts his physical rights. When Soames and Bosinney discover that Irene has run away, Bosinney rushes out in the foggy London streets after her, only to be run over in an accident. After Irene learns of Bosinney's death she takes refuge with Soames' cousin Young Jolyon (Walter Pidgeon), who is June's estranged father but has sympathy for Irene's plight. Irene and Young Jolyon eventually marry, after Irene spurns Soames's attempts at reconciliation.

Cast

Background

MGM bought the film rights to The Forsyte Saga in 1937 after much negotiating over a long period of time. Initial plans were to make an all-star film in the vein of Dinner at Eight or Grand Hotel, with Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone mentioned as possible stars. Joseph L. Mankiewicz was assigned to the project, which at one stage was going to be turned into two films.

James Hilton wrote a screenplay in 1938 and in 1939 it was reported the film would be made as a vehicle for Myrna Loy. Clark Gable was going to star as Soames, in his follow up performance to Gone with the Wind.

This did not proceed. Then in July 1940 it was announced Greer Garson would star in the film, which would most likely use many of the support cast from MGM's 1940 version of Pride and Prejudice (which had starred Garson). Again, no film eventuated.

In 1945 it was announced that Robert Lord was going to produce the first in a series of proposed movies based on the series, from a script by Robert Nathan. Deborah Kerr and Garson were named as possible leads. Eventually Garson was set for the female lead. She had reservations about the script and threatened to pull out but changed her mind after further work on it. Compton Bennett signed to direct and eventually producing duties were taken over by Leon Gordon, who said the film would mostly concentrate on the story of A Man of Property (written between 1903–06).

(When the script went to credit arbitration with the American Writers Guild, it was revealed that thirteen writers had done seventeen adaptations in all. The writers included James Hilton, Richard Llewellyn, Robert Nathan, Ivan Tors, Robert Lord, Lawrence Weingarten, John Balderstone, Arthur Wimperis, Ann Cunningham, Franclien McConnell, John Collier, Jan Lustig and J. B. Williams. Under guild rules at the time only three writers could be credited. These ended up being Tors, Lustig and Williams.)

MGM wanted Michael Wilding for one of the leads but were unable to get him. In November it was announced Errol Flynn would join the cast – he was under contract to Warners, but MGM had had a one-picture call on his services ever since Warner Bros borrowed William Powell from MGM for Life with Father. Robert Young, Janet Leigh and Walter Pidgeon rounded out the main stars.

Reportedly, Flynn was originally cast as the bohemian artist Jolyon, and Pidgeon as the stuffy banker Soames. When they met on the set, and discovered that they both were tired of being typecast, they decided to switch roles. (This casting was publicly confirmed in December.)

Filming took place from January to March 1949. Flynn and Garson were recalled for reshoots in June.

Robert Young later claimed he developed his English accent from listening to records of Maurice Evans and Laurence Olivier.

Flynn and Garson got along surprisingly well during filming and discussed making another film together, such as a project about female pirate Mary Burns. However this did not eventuate.

Release

In August 1949 it was announced the film's US title would be That Forsyte Woman.

The movie was selected for the Royal Command Performance of 1949. This happened on 17 November, attended by the King, Queen and two princesses.

Critical reception

The Washington Post said "while it's long, talkative and musty, there is a certain lush sincerity about it." The Los Angeles Times said the casting of Errol Flynn as Soames "is about the only neat trick with which the filmmakers have succeeded in enlivening a photographed novel and one that is virtually without other surprises."

Box Office

The film was the 9th most popular movie at the British box office in 1949. It recorded admissions of 1,341,629 in France.

According to MGM records the film made $1,855,000 in the US and Canada and $1,855,000 overseas, ultimately earning the studio a loss of $574,000.