Daisy Kenyon
Encyclopedia
Daisy Kenyon is a 20th Century Fox
feature film
starring Joan Crawford
, Henry Fonda
, and Dana Andrews
in a story about a post-World War II romantic triangle. The screenplay by David Hertz was based upon a 1945 novel by Elizabeth Janeway
. The film was directed and produced by Otto Preminger
. Daisy Kenyon has been released to DVD. The movie features cameo appearances by Walter Winchell
, Leonard Lyons
, John Garfield
and Damon Runyon
.
) is a Manhattan
commercial artist having an affair with an arrogant and overbearing but successful lawyer
named Dan O'Mara (Dana Andrews
), who is married and has two children. He breaks a date with Daisy one night and she goes out with a widowed war veteran named Peter Lapham (Henry Fonda
).
O'Mara and his wife Lucille (Ruth Warrick
) fight constantly: about his job, the upbringing of their two daughters, about his cheating. That same night, Dan turns up at New York's Stork Club
with his wife and oldest daughter where Daisy and Peter are waiting to be seated. They leave immediately. At the end of the date, Peter announces that he loves Daisy, and then leaves. After Peter stands her up for their next date, he comes by unannounced and proposes to Daisy. She realizes that he is still in love with his late wife.
After a brief and hesitant courtship Daisy marries Peter, although she is still in love with Dan. Daisy supports Peter's post-war career. Peter is moody, sometimes quiet and withholding, sometimes wildly exuberant. Peter knows that Dan used to be in Daisy's life. Daisy feels like she's gotten over Dan. Dan's wife, finally fed up with his cheating, wants a divorce, using full custody of the children as leverage to hurt Dan.
Dan asks Peter and Daisy to allow him to reveal the full details of his former relationship with Daisy during the divorce proceedings. Peter states that he won't stand in Daisy's way, that when they first met he needed her, but that he doesn't anymore. He leaves. The trial begins, but Dan can see how much it's hurting Daisy, so he stops the proceedings. He asks Peter to sign divorce papers, even though Daisy did not request them.
Daisy goes away to think. She gets into a car accident. Dan and Peter are waiting for her at the cottage. She asks Dan to leave. Daisy realizes she no longer loves Dan and remains with Peter.
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
starring Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
, Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
, and Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
in a story about a post-World War II romantic triangle. The screenplay by David Hertz was based upon a 1945 novel by Elizabeth Janeway
Elizabeth Janeway
Elizabeth Janeway was an American author and critic.Born Elizabeth Ames Hall in Brooklyn, New York, her naval architect father and homemaker mother fell on hard times during the Depression, leading her to end her Swarthmore College education and help support the family by creating bargain basement...
. The film was directed and produced by Otto Preminger
Otto Preminger
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austro–Hungarian-American theatre and film director.After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura and Fallen Angel...
. Daisy Kenyon has been released to DVD. The movie features cameo appearances by Walter Winchell
Walter Winchell
Walter Winchell was an American newspaper and radio gossip commentator.-Professional career:Born Walter Weinschel in New York City, he left school in the sixth grade and started performing in a vaudeville troupe known as Gus Edwards' "Newsboys Sextet."His career in journalism was begun by posting...
, Leonard Lyons
Leonard Lyons
Leonard Lyons was an American newspaper columnist.Leonard Sucher grew up in a large family of Jewish immigrants from the town of Horodenka in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father Moses, a tailor, died when he was six. His mother sold cigarettes and candy on the Lower East Side...
, John Garfield
John Garfield
John Garfield was an American actor adept at playing brooding, rebellious, working-class character roles. He grew up in poverty in Depression-era New York City and in the early 1930s became an important member of the Group Theater. In 1937 he moved to Hollywood, eventually becoming one of Warner...
and Damon Runyon
Damon Runyon
Alfred Damon Runyon was an American newspaperman and writer.He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To New Yorkers of his generation, a "Damon Runyon character" evoked a distinctive social type from the...
.
Plot
Daisy Kenyon (Joan CrawfordJoan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
) is a Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
commercial artist having an affair with an arrogant and overbearing but successful lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
named Dan O'Mara (Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
), who is married and has two children. He breaks a date with Daisy one night and she goes out with a widowed war veteran named Peter Lapham (Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
).
O'Mara and his wife Lucille (Ruth Warrick
Ruth Warrick
Ruth Elizabeth Warrick , DM, was an American singer, actress and political activist, best known for her role as Phoebe Tyler on All My Children, which she played regularly from 1970 until her death in 2005....
) fight constantly: about his job, the upbringing of their two daughters, about his cheating. That same night, Dan turns up at New York's Stork Club
Stork Club
The Stork Club was a nightclub in New York City from 1929 to 1965. From 1934 onwards, it was located at 3 East 53rd Street, just east of Fifth Avenue...
with his wife and oldest daughter where Daisy and Peter are waiting to be seated. They leave immediately. At the end of the date, Peter announces that he loves Daisy, and then leaves. After Peter stands her up for their next date, he comes by unannounced and proposes to Daisy. She realizes that he is still in love with his late wife.
After a brief and hesitant courtship Daisy marries Peter, although she is still in love with Dan. Daisy supports Peter's post-war career. Peter is moody, sometimes quiet and withholding, sometimes wildly exuberant. Peter knows that Dan used to be in Daisy's life. Daisy feels like she's gotten over Dan. Dan's wife, finally fed up with his cheating, wants a divorce, using full custody of the children as leverage to hurt Dan.
Dan asks Peter and Daisy to allow him to reveal the full details of his former relationship with Daisy during the divorce proceedings. Peter states that he won't stand in Daisy's way, that when they first met he needed her, but that he doesn't anymore. He leaves. The trial begins, but Dan can see how much it's hurting Daisy, so he stops the proceedings. He asks Peter to sign divorce papers, even though Daisy did not request them.
Daisy goes away to think. She gets into a car accident. Dan and Peter are waiting for her at the cottage. She asks Dan to leave. Daisy realizes she no longer loves Dan and remains with Peter.
Cast
- Joan CrawfordJoan CrawfordJoan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
as Daisy Kenyon - Dana AndrewsDana AndrewsDana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
as Dan O'Mara - Henry FondaHenry FondaHenry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
as Peter Lapham - Ruth WarrickRuth WarrickRuth Elizabeth Warrick , DM, was an American singer, actress and political activist, best known for her role as Phoebe Tyler on All My Children, which she played regularly from 1970 until her death in 2005....
as Lucille O'Mara - Martha StewartMartha Stewart (actor)Martha Stewart is an American actress.-Filmography:-Film:*Surf Party *Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick *Convicted *In a Lonely Place *Are You with It? *Daisy Kenyon...
as Mary Angelus - Peggy Ann GarnerPeggy Ann GarnerPeggy Ann Garner was an American actress.A successful child actor, Garner played her first film role in 1938 and won the Academy Juvenile Award for her work in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn...
as Rosamund O'Mara - Connie Marshall as Marie O'Mara
- Nicholas Joy as Coverly
- Art Baker as Lucille O'Mara's attorney