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 ende...
A coming out party for George Minafer (Tim Holt) spoiled heir of the wealthy Amberson family where h...
