"THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET" (1934) Review
"THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET" (1934) Review
I first learned about the mid-19th century British poets, Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, from an obscure history book about Great Britain during the 1850s. The latter had provided only a brief peek into the pair's lives and work. And that peek included their courtship and the difficulties it faced due to the former's tumultuous relationship with her father.
There have been other books on the pair's biographies and works. However, the Dutch/English dramatist Rudolf Besier wrote a stage play about their romance and the difficulties they had encountered from her domineering father, Edward Moulton-Barrett. The play, "The Barretts of Wimpole Street", became a hit at the Malvern Festival and in London's theater district in the West End in 1930. A year later, actress Katherine Cornell produced and starred in the American production on Broadway. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios acquired the film rights to the play. In 1934, MGM executive Irving Thalberg produced and released the film version, which starred Norma Shearer, Fredric March and Charles Laughton to critical acclaim and box office success.
"THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREETS" opens with Elizabeth Moulton-Barrett consults with her doctor in early 1845. Elizabeth is in the process of recovering from an illness that has kept her bedridden for a long period of time. In fact, the published poet has suffered from ill health since the age of 15, due to head and spinal pain and the use of laudanum. Elizabeth loves socializing with others, especially with her surviving eight siblings. But Mr. Barrett, who never hesitates to remind Elizabeth of her frail health, seems to go out of his way to maintain a tight control over his children's lives and especially Elizabeth's. In fact, Mr. Barrett has forbidden for all of his children to marry. This edict first ends up being challenged by his second child Henrietta, who is secretly courted by an Army officer named William Surtees Cook. Elizabeth becomes the second offspring to challenge Mr. Barrett when she meets and falls in love with fellow poet Robert Browning.
I can recall encountering negative opinions of "THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET", in which critics accused it of being a creaky melodrama based on a creaky stage play. I had these criticisms in mind when I first watched the movie. But I was surprised to discover that "THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET" proved to be a lot more interesting. Yes, there were moments when Sidney Franklin's direction made the movie seemed more like a stage play than a movie. Many films produced and released during the first decade following the advent of sound films had possessed this particular flaw. More MGM films seemed to have this flaw, especially if the movie was an adaptation of a stage play. However, thanks to
the screenplay written by Donald Ogden Stewart, Ernest Vajda and Claudine West; along with William H. Daniels photography of the Barretts' London home, "THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET" proved to be a lot more than a creaky movie, based on a creaky stage play. In fact, I have doubts that Besier's stage was no more creaky than the movie, thanks to the main narrative.
Speaking the main story, I have to confess . . . it pretty much blew me away in the end. Who would have thought a movie about a possessive and tyrannical patriarch could be so interesting? The idea of a father attempting to maintain a tight control over a daughter's love life or sexuality is one thing. But Moulton-Barrett also tried to do the same to his sons. Out of his nine surviving children by 1845, at least three of them had married before his death. That is simply odd. But the movie mainly focused on his relationship with two of his daughters - Henrietta and especially Elizabeth. I wish I could give away the plot. All I can say is that in this tale, Elizabeth Barrett's romance with Robert Browning proved to be not enough to defy her father. It took two mind-blowing scenes - one that featured Mr. Barrett's bullying of Henrietta and his . . . um, confession to his oldest child to finally encourage the latter to make her escape from the Wimpole Street townhouse.
Looking past the costumes, Sidney Franklin's direction, and the movie's screenplay; I came to the conclusion that the real backbone of "THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET" may have been its cast. I find it odd that many had doubted Norma Shearer's ability to portray the Victorian poet, Elizabeth Barrett. By 1934, she was already an Oscar winner and had starred in at least two or three period dramas. Someone had credited Franklin's direction for her Oscar-nominated performance. Personally, I believe a director can only do so much. I believe Shearer proved she had the talent and presence to do justice to the Victorian poet, struggling to escape her father's tyranny . . . especially in the last scene featuring daughter and father together.
Shearer had a strong cast to back her up. Fredric March, with whom she had co-starred in 1931's "SMILIN' THROUGH" portrayed poet Robert Browning. And he did so with an American accent, a great deal of energy and a lot of charm without resorting to hammy acting. I felt more than surprised by Charles Laughton's portrayal of the tyrannical Edward Moulton-Browning. I have accused Laughton of the occasional hammy acting in some of his earlier films. Laughton had plenty of opportunities to ham it up in this film, and yet he managed to project his character's complex and strong emotions with a great deal of skill and self-control. The movie also featured excellent support from the likes of Una O'Connor, Ralph Forbes, Katherine Alexander, Marian Clayton, Ian Wolfe and Leo G. Carroll.
I have two minor issues with "THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET". One of them proved to be Maureen O'Sullivan's portrayal of Henrietta Barrett. I am not claiming that O'Sullivan gave a bad performance. Overall, I thought she was excellent as the emotional Henrietta. She was impressive in the scene that featured Henrietta's clash with her father, later in the film. However . . . there were moments when O'Sullivan's portrayal of the emotional Henrietta had edged toward over-the-top acting. My second issue featured the costumes designed by Hollywood legend, Adrian. If I must be honest, I found his mid-Victorian costumes rather beautiful, despite the film's black-and-white photography. However, the film was supposed to be set between 1845 and 1846. Then I found myself noticing Adrian's costumes in the images below:
They seemed to hint the mid-1850s. The wide skirts, flounces and ruffles practically screamed the mid-1850s. Ironically, the men's costumes struck me as more historically accurate.
Although I had a few issues with "THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET", I found myself surprised that I managed to enjoy it very much. Between Sidney Franklin's competent direction, William H. Daniels' photography, an excellent cast led by Norma Shearer and Fredric March, and a surprisingly powerful screenplay written by Ernest Vajda, Claudine West, and Donald Ogden Stewart; the Oscar nominated "THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET" proved to be far from "creaky", despite being at least 90 years old.