Constant Nymph (1943)
Constant Nymph (1943)
I was most surprised to see a brief clip of this film in the documentary I'm watching about EW Korngold. Opinions seem to be that this is one of his finest scores, and it is available on a soundtrack recording. I had no idea of this, as in 30+ years of classic film viewing, I have never seen this film. My understanding is that due to legal issues, this cannot be shown on TV or released to video. So, I was wondering, have any of you here ever seen this movie? And, would the legal issues prevent this from being shown in a reperatory theatre or film festival?
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moira finnie
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I had no idea of this, as in 30+ years of classic film viewing, I have never seen this film. My understanding is that due to legal issues, this cannot be shown on TV or released to video. So, I was wondering, have any of you here ever seen this movie? And, would the legal issues prevent this from being shown in a reperatory theatre or film festival?
Yes, thanks to a generous friend abroad, I've recently seen The Constant Nymph(1943) and even on the shaky dvd transfer that I have, it is quite well-acted, especially by Joan Fontaine in the early part of the movie and in her last scene. Alexis Smith, as Charles Boyer's rejected wife, is also very effective in the second part of this Edmund Goulding adaptation of Margaret Kennedy's bohemian novel. It is my understanding that the estate of the author will not permit the exhibition of the film, though there is a possibility that the property could become part of the public domain eventually (some sources say around 2017), and be shown again. Apparently, this movie was shown on television in the '50s here in America.
Given the fact that the film, about a teenage girl whose intense love for an oblivious, much older man and her ability to act as his creative muse was made at all during the era of the production code is remarkable. Now, of course, such a film is affected by the prurient atmosphere of our society--I doubt if a movie could be made today in which the POV of a young girl could be captured in all its foolhardy delicacy.
The symphonic poem "Tomorrow" composed for The Constant Nymph is among one of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's greatest musical swoons on film. I actually enjoyed the piece more on the National Philharmonic Orchestra cd "The Sea Hawk", though it is used as a beautiful counterpoint throughout the film.
Jez, please see my private message to you.
Last edited by moira finnie on October 15th, 2007, 2:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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moira finnie
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Hi JohnM,
I find many of Joan Fontaine's portrayals to be awkward, strained, and hard to like, but feel that she did some exceptional work in the '40s, especially in Rebecca, The Constant Nymph, Ivy, the remarkable Max Ophuls' movie, Letter From an Unknown Woman, and September Affair. After that, alas, she apparently never met another director who could draw her out as effectively as those she worked with in that quintet of movies. She seemed to drift back into a lady-like stiffness that had afflicted her in her early roles and later tried a few parts that were beneath her before retiring.
I think she may surprise you in some of these films.
I find many of Joan Fontaine's portrayals to be awkward, strained, and hard to like, but feel that she did some exceptional work in the '40s, especially in Rebecca, The Constant Nymph, Ivy, the remarkable Max Ophuls' movie, Letter From an Unknown Woman, and September Affair. After that, alas, she apparently never met another director who could draw her out as effectively as those she worked with in that quintet of movies. She seemed to drift back into a lady-like stiffness that had afflicted her in her early roles and later tried a few parts that were beneath her before retiring.
I think she may surprise you in some of these films.
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feaito
"Letter from an Unknown Woman" is on my top five list. A haunting masterpiece and "The Constant Nymph" is my second favorite Fontaine film. Both deal with the same subject: Unrequited, intense love.
Joan Fontaine's mesmerizing constantly-frightened-insecure-frail look in this deeply haunting film totally bewitched me when I watched it. Her classic features are surrounded by an ethereal aura; her distinction and class are very apparent, even in waif-like roles like the one she plays here.
Young Tessa Sanger (Joan Fontaine) is deeply in love with much older composer Lewis Dodd (Charles Boyer), who hasn't been able to succeed as a musician. Tessa's father (another musician) played by Montagu Love, says that Lewis will have to love and suffer because of it, to attain an achievement as a composer.
The wondrous music by masterful German composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold is a marvel, pure poetry, which sets the perfect mood for this melancholic love story. It was really a privilege for Warner Brothers Pictures to have had the fortune of having him as one of the members of their staff. Korngold's music is an awesome contribution to motion pictures. I agree with Moira in that the "The Sea Hawk" CD has a great rendition of "Tomorrow", the film's central theme. In fact that CD has excellent versions of Korngold's best themes, including those he composed for "Juarez", "Anthony Adverse", "Kings Row", etc.
Joan Fontaine's perfect as the young Tessa. She was something like 26 years old when this movie was filmed and she portrays convincingly and believably the love-stricken teenager. Boyer is good as the composer and plays sensitively his scenes with Fontaine. Alexis Smith plays Florence, Tessa's older cousin, with great skill and sentiment.
Others in the magnificent cast are Charles Coburn as Tessa's lovable uncle, Brenda Marshall as Tessa's sister, Dame May Witty as a Dowager British Aristocrat, Peter Lorre as a friend of the Sanger family, Eduardo Ciannelli as Roberto, a faithful servant of the Sanger family, Jean Muir et al.
It's really a shame that this wonderful, utterly moving film is out of circulation due to legal issues, if they didn't exist it should belong to TCM's Library (just like "Letty Lynton").
BTW, I have read that the 1933 British version with Brian Aherne and Victoria Hopper is quite good in its own right. Has anyone seen it?
Joan Fontaine's mesmerizing constantly-frightened-insecure-frail look in this deeply haunting film totally bewitched me when I watched it. Her classic features are surrounded by an ethereal aura; her distinction and class are very apparent, even in waif-like roles like the one she plays here.
Young Tessa Sanger (Joan Fontaine) is deeply in love with much older composer Lewis Dodd (Charles Boyer), who hasn't been able to succeed as a musician. Tessa's father (another musician) played by Montagu Love, says that Lewis will have to love and suffer because of it, to attain an achievement as a composer.
The wondrous music by masterful German composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold is a marvel, pure poetry, which sets the perfect mood for this melancholic love story. It was really a privilege for Warner Brothers Pictures to have had the fortune of having him as one of the members of their staff. Korngold's music is an awesome contribution to motion pictures. I agree with Moira in that the "The Sea Hawk" CD has a great rendition of "Tomorrow", the film's central theme. In fact that CD has excellent versions of Korngold's best themes, including those he composed for "Juarez", "Anthony Adverse", "Kings Row", etc.
Joan Fontaine's perfect as the young Tessa. She was something like 26 years old when this movie was filmed and she portrays convincingly and believably the love-stricken teenager. Boyer is good as the composer and plays sensitively his scenes with Fontaine. Alexis Smith plays Florence, Tessa's older cousin, with great skill and sentiment.
Others in the magnificent cast are Charles Coburn as Tessa's lovable uncle, Brenda Marshall as Tessa's sister, Dame May Witty as a Dowager British Aristocrat, Peter Lorre as a friend of the Sanger family, Eduardo Ciannelli as Roberto, a faithful servant of the Sanger family, Jean Muir et al.
It's really a shame that this wonderful, utterly moving film is out of circulation due to legal issues, if they didn't exist it should belong to TCM's Library (just like "Letty Lynton").
BTW, I have read that the 1933 British version with Brian Aherne and Victoria Hopper is quite good in its own right. Has anyone seen it?
feaito - yes, I confess this is the subject of the majority of my favorite films, Letter from an Unknown Woman, unsurpassed in this genre."Letter from an Unknown Woman" is on my top five list. A haunting masterpiece and "The Constant Nymph" is my second favorite Fontaine film. Both deal with the same subject: Unrequited, intense love.
A cautionary note; it's best to share this film with others who are like minded. My sister and her husband enjoy classic films (mainstream) too, and when I go to visit them, I tend to bring along my favorite films to share, although I cannot get them to even try watching a silent film! So, at the end of viewing this, and I am drying my tears, my sister said she didn't like Joan Fontaine's character, couldn't understand why she just couldn't "get over" her feelings for Louis Jordan, and thought it weird someone would "stalk" the object of their affections in that way.
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feaito
You are right Jezebel. I'd rather watch this kind of films alone. I lent my copy of "Letter..." to my mother and she did not like it very much. Her reaction was similar than that of your sister and she said that Joan looked too old for the part, etc. I did not feel offended by her opinion, because everybody's entitled to have their own point of views, but I understood that she prefers uplifting films with happy, mainstream typical-Hollywood endings. "Letter..." has a much more European sensibility.Jezebel38 wrote:feaito - yes, I confess this is the subject of the majority of my favorite films, Letter from an Unknown Woman, unsurpassed in this genre."Letter from an Unknown Woman" is on my top five list. A haunting masterpiece and "The Constant Nymph" is my second favorite Fontaine film. Both deal with the same subject: Unrequited, intense love.
A cautionary note; it's best to share this film with others who are like minded. My sister and her husband enjoy classic films (mainstream) too, and when I go to visit them, I tend to bring along my favorite films to share, although I cannot get them to even try watching a silent film! So, at the end of viewing this, and I am drying my tears, my sister said she didn't like Joan Fontaine's character, couldn't understand why she just couldn't "get over" her feelings for Louis Jordan, and thought it weird someone would "stalk" the object of their affections in that way.
"Letter ..." was a favorite of my maternal grandmother, whose other favorites included "Imitation of Life" (Colbert version), "Madonna of the Seven Moons", "The Bitter Tea of General Yen" and "Smilin' Through"
It's strange, in spite of being a man and enjoying action and adventure films as well, is this type of film, like "Letter from an Unknown Woman", "Portrait of Jennie", "Love Letters", "Shadowlands" or "Constant Nymph" the ones that affect me the most in an emotional level. Maybe it's my melancholic nature
