The Magnificent Ambersons - "George’s Party"
A coming out party for George Minafer (Tim Holt) spoiled heir of the wealthy Amberson family where he meets the beautiful and down to earth Lucy Morgan (Anne Baxter) daughter of Eugene Morgan (Joseph Cotten) inventor and former beau of his mother Isabel Amberson Minafer (Dolores Costello). Released in 1942, Orson Welles’ second feature this overlooked masterpiece is unfortunately known more for his dispute with the studio, RKO, over their re-editing and re-shooting his original version due to unfavorable test screenings while he was in Brazil working on another film. Adapted by Welles from Booth Tarkington’s 1919 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Magnificent Ambersons brilliantly tells the story fading power of a wealthy family, while portraying the changing historical eras from 19th to 20th century. An excellent example of Welles’ genius as meticulous planning and endless rehearsals present the audience with scenes of casual perfection. Nominated for four Academy Awards, preserved at the National Film Registry and often listed among Hollywood’s top movies ever made, The Magnificent Ambersons obviously overcame the weakness to its ending wrought by the studio’s meddling. A stellar cast led by Joseph Cotton, Welles’ personal friend and most likely alter ego, who was never nominated for an Academy yet as he reminded people Welles’ favorite film was “Citizen Kane”, Hitchcock’s “Shadow of A Doubt”, and Carol Reed’s “The Third Man”, and he was in all three. Dolores Costello (Isabel Amberson) was a star of the silent era and part of Hollywood royalty. She came from a family of actors (her father, Maurice Costello, was one of the early silent film matinee idols). Acting with her family she gained her own fame and was known as “The Goddess of the Silent Screen.” She married Hollywood legend John Barrymore (1928) and is grandmother to contemporary movie star, actress Drew Barrymore. Though she overcame a lisp to make the transition to “talkies”, Costello’s career was ended due to the terrible after effects of early make-ups had on her skin. Anne Baxter, who plays Cotten’s daughter, Lucy, was the granddaughter of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and grew up in the world of New York luxury and sophistication. She caught the acting bug early and was encouraged by her family to pursue it to the fullest. At the age of sixteen she audition for the Alfred Hitchcock, but was deemed too young for the lead in his upcoming Rebecca. Instead she landed a contract with 20th Century Fox and began a long and productive career, including an Academy Award (1946 Razor’s Edge). Tim Holt, who plays the spoiled George Minafer was the son of a silent cowboy star, Jack Holt, followed in his father’s footsteps and became a professional actor. Was a decorated bombadier in the Pacific during World War II, and returned to work in Hollywood starring in numerous Westerns, but may well be best remembered starring opposite Bogart in the Treasure of Sierra Madre. He continued to make Westerns until the 50’s when the genre lost its popularity, and his career came to an end. He was managing a radio station in Oklahoma when he died of cancer at the age of 54 in 1973.
