GATSBY (1949)
by Michael B. Druxman on 06/08/11
June 9, 2011
Yesterday, I watched a film on YouTube that I had always wanted to see, but never had the opportunity.
I'm talking about the 1949 version of THE GREAT GATSBY with Alan Ladd and Betty Field. It's available on YouTube in 6 parts.
I'd always heard that this was the best film version of Fitzgerald's novel, certainly superior to the glossy Robert Redford/Mia Farrow picture that was released in the 1970s.
Frankly, I was not impressed. I've never been an Alan Ladd fan. He was a boring actor and his performance in this picture did not change my opinion.
But, the movie itself, which has never been released onto home video, nor (I believe) shown on television because of some sort of copyright legalities, is also lacking.
One of the major problems is the fact that it contains 3 flashbacks spaced throughout the picture.
Unless virtually the entire movie is a flashback, I detest them.
Why?
Because they stop the forward flow of the story.
The Redford/Farrow version of GATSBY may have also been dull, but it did avoid the mistake of flashbacks.
It's interesting how often "lost" movies that you've heard about and wanted to see for years turn out to be disappointing. Film buffs bemoan the fact that LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT with Lon Chaney is a "lost" film, but my hunch is that should a print of that silent movie ever be discovered, its legend would go down the drain. It's probably a real "turkey".
You have a creative day, and I'll be back tomorrow.
Michael
