Harriet Craig
Encyclopedia
Harriet Craig is a 1950 Columbia Pictures
film starring Joan Crawford
. The screenplay by Anne Froelick
and James Gunn
was based upon a 1925 Pulitzer Prize
-winning play by George Kelly. The film was directed by Vincent Sherman
and produced by William Dozier
. Harriet Craig is the second of three cinematic collaborations between Sherman and Crawford, the others being The Damned Don't Cry!
(1950) and Goodbye, My Fancy
(1951). The film has been released on VHS
home video. As of February 2009, it is only available on Region 2 DVD
(Japan
, Europe
, South Africa
, and the Middle East
, including Egypt
).
). When it appears he will receive a work assignment that will interfere with her status quo, she sabotages the plans and even succeeds in keeping his best friend Billy Birkmire (Allyn Joslyn
) away from the house. When her young cousin Clare (K. T. Stevens
) falls in love with Wes Miller (William Bishop
), Harriet puts an end to the romance. Eventually, her husband gains intimations of his wife's real nature. He smashes one of her beloved household possessions, a priceless Ming vase, and walks out, leaving Harriet to her one true love — her perfect house.
The supporting cast includes prolific character actress Ellen Corby
as a bullied maid. Corby later became widely known as Esther "Grandma" Walton on the popular TV series The Waltons
for seven seasons beginning in 1972.
by George Kelly. There were two previous film versions titled Craig's Wife, the first a 1928 silent film
directed by William C. DeMille
(Cecil B. DeMille's brother), and the second a 1936 film directed by Dorothy Arzner
and starring Rosalind Russell
.
commented, "Joan Crawford does a prime job of putting over the selfish title-character" and Otis Guernsey of the New York Herald Tribune
wrote, "[Crawford] remains, as always, a stylish performer in her clear and forceful characterization."
in numerous ways, chief among them is the elimination of the murder-suicide of one of Walter Craig's friend's and the friend's wife. Other differences include:
Finally, the matter of keeping her name out of the paper and associated with scandal was the telltale secret that Harriet kept in the 1936 version; in the 1950 Harriet Craig was discovered to have an unforgivable lie involving her marriage in an attempt to make her character appear more desperate. Prior to the release of the 1950 movie, the studio decided to use the phrase "What Was Harriet Craig's Lie?" as its hook on posters and lobby cards.
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
film starring Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
. The screenplay by Anne Froelick
Anne Froelick
Anne Froelick Taylor was an American screenwriter from 1941 to 1950, and later a playwright and novelist. Her screenwriting career ended when she was identified as a communist by two witnesses at a hearing before the HUAC....
and James Gunn
James Gunn
James Gunn may refer to:*Sir James Gunn of Scotland, explorer, member of Henry Sinclair's survey expedition in the 14th century*James Gunn , US Senator from Georgia...
was based upon a 1925 Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning play by George Kelly. The film was directed by Vincent Sherman
Vincent Sherman
Vincent Sherman was an American director, and actor, who worked in Hollywood. His movies include Mr. Skeffington , Nora Prentiss , and The Young Philadelphians ....
and produced by William Dozier
William Dozier
William Dozier was an American film and television producer and actor.He began in the film industry...
. Harriet Craig is the second of three cinematic collaborations between Sherman and Crawford, the others being The Damned Don't Cry!
The Damned Don't Cry!
The Damned Don't Cry! is a 1950 Warner Bros. drama film starring Joan Crawford, David Brian, and Steve Cochran tells of a woman's involvement with an organized crime boss and his subordinates. The screenplay by Harold Medford and Jerome Weidman was based on a story by Gertrude Walker. The plot...
(1950) and Goodbye, My Fancy
Goodbye, My Fancy
Goodbye, My Fancy is a 1951 Warner Bros. film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Young, and Frank Lovejoy in a light tale about a woman and her old flame. The screenplay by Ivan Goff was based upon a 1948 play by Fay Kanin. The film was directed by Vincent Sherman and produced by Henry Blanke...
(1951). The film has been released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
home video. As of February 2009, it is only available on Region 2 DVD
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
(Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, including Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
).
Plot and cast
Neurotic perfectionist Harriet Craig (Crawford) makes life miserable for everyone around her, especially her husband Walter (Wendell CoreyWendell Corey
Wendell Reid Corey was an American actor and politician.He was born in Dracut, Massachusetts, the son of Milton Rothwell Corey and Julia Etta McKenney . His father was a Congregationalist clergyman...
). When it appears he will receive a work assignment that will interfere with her status quo, she sabotages the plans and even succeeds in keeping his best friend Billy Birkmire (Allyn Joslyn
Allyn Joslyn
Allyn Joslyn was an American stage, film and television actor.-Biography:Allyn Joslyn was born in Milford, Pennsylvania, the son of a mining engineer...
) away from the house. When her young cousin Clare (K. T. Stevens
K. T. Stevens
K. T. Stevens , born Gloria Wood in Los Angeles, California, was an American film actress. The daughter of director Sam Wood, Stevens made her first film appearance when she was just two years old in her father's second 1921 silent film, Peck's Bad Boy. As an adult, she changed her name to...
) falls in love with Wes Miller (William Bishop
William Bishop (actor)
William Paxton Bishop was an American television and movie actor from Oak Park, Illinois. He was best known for his role as Steve Connors on the 1950s NBC comedy series It's a Great Life and for his roles in films including Harriet Craig, The Killer That Stalked New York and in numerous B-Movies...
), Harriet puts an end to the romance. Eventually, her husband gains intimations of his wife's real nature. He smashes one of her beloved household possessions, a priceless Ming vase, and walks out, leaving Harriet to her one true love — her perfect house.
The supporting cast includes prolific character actress Ellen Corby
Ellen Corby
Ellen Corby was an American actress. She is most widely remembered for the role of "Grandma Esther Walton" on the CBS television series The Waltons, for which she won three Emmy Awards...
as a bullied maid. Corby later became widely known as Esther "Grandma" Walton on the popular TV series The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
for seven seasons beginning in 1972.
Production notes
The movie was based on the 1925 play Craig's WifeCraig's Wife
Craig's Wife is a 1925 play written by American playwright George Kelly, uncle of actress and later Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly. It won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Harriet Craig was played by Chrystal Herne....
by George Kelly. There were two previous film versions titled Craig's Wife, the first a 1928 silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
directed by William C. DeMille
William C. DeMille
Willam C. deMille was an American screenwriter and film director from the silent movie era through the early 1930s. He was also a noted playwright prior to moving into film. Once he was established in film he specialized in adapting Broadway plays into silent films...
(Cecil B. DeMille's brother), and the second a 1936 film directed by Dorothy Arzner
Dorothy Arzner
Dorothy Arzner was an American film director. Her directorial career in feature films spanned from the late 1920s into the early 1940s, a time period in which there were very few—if any—other women working in the field.- Biography :Born in San Francisco, California, Arzner grew up in Los...
and starring Rosalind Russell
Rosalind Russell
Rosalind Russell was an American actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame...
.
Reception
VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
commented, "Joan Crawford does a prime job of putting over the selfish title-character" and Otis Guernsey of the New York Herald Tribune
New York Herald Tribune
The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald.Other predecessors, which had earlier merged into the New York Tribune, included the original The New Yorker newsweekly , and the Whig Party's Log Cabin.The paper was home to...
wrote, "[Crawford] remains, as always, a stylish performer in her clear and forceful characterization."
Difference in storyline
Beside's the title, the 1950 movie version differs significantly with the 1936 film Craig's WifeCraig's Wife
Craig's Wife is a 1925 play written by American playwright George Kelly, uncle of actress and later Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly. It won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Harriet Craig was played by Chrystal Herne....
in numerous ways, chief among them is the elimination of the murder-suicide of one of Walter Craig's friend's and the friend's wife. Other differences include:
- The relationship between Harriet and the supporting female role in the 1950 version introduces "Clare" as Harriet's cousin, while in the 1936 movie it is Harriet's niece Ethel. This was done in attempt to make star Joan Crawford appear to be younger than she was in real life.
- The 1950 film eliminates the role of Walter Craig's aunt (and the scene where Craig is warned about his wife's over-reaching control issues), but gives more time to the storyline involving the Craig's next door neighbor who is portrayed as a war widow and single mother instead of an aged grandmother.
- The 1950 film also eliminates the role of Harriet's ill sister, but introduces a work situation for Walter Craig.
- In the 1950 movie, the object of Harriet's mania for possessions is a Chinese vase to the 1936's movie which uses a Grecian urn - both of which are smashed by Walter Craig in his act of defiance against his controlling wife.
Finally, the matter of keeping her name out of the paper and associated with scandal was the telltale secret that Harriet kept in the 1936 version; in the 1950 Harriet Craig was discovered to have an unforgivable lie involving her marriage in an attempt to make her character appear more desperate. Prior to the release of the 1950 movie, the studio decided to use the phrase "What Was Harriet Craig's Lie?" as its hook on posters and lobby cards.
External links
- Review of Harriet Craig (1950) at TVGuide.com