The Heiress

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1h 55m

Drama

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100%

14 Reviews

Tomatometer

93%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Catherine (Olivia de Havilland), a young woman who stands to inherit her father's large fortune, falls in love when she meets Morris (Montgomery Clift), who gives her the love and affection her father doesn't, and which she desperately needs. Catherine's father (Ralph Richardson), believing Morris is only after the money, tells Catherine she will be disinherited if she marries him. Morris' true intentions are put to the test when he finds out about the amended will.

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

The Heiress is a splendid job of recreating a century-old era and three characters thereof. William Wyler has made a fine film, avoiding the pitfalls of costume drama.

Jul 25, 2019

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 5/5

Nov 12, 2004

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

Her transformation was so surprising! Very entertaining

Oct 11, 2020

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Tim Dirks

Filmsite

The Heiress (1949), as the theatrical poster declared, is "a truly great motion picture" - a bleak tale of crushed, heartbroken expectations and incisively-harsh retribution. The top-line, prestige production was directed by William Wyler...

Rated: A+

Sep 29, 2019

Full Review

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

The film works so well because those surging emotional currents, although often pushed just below the surface, give it a constant tension that draws you in like a thriller.

Rated: 4/4

May 17, 2019

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A deft psychological drama powered by superlative performances.

Rated: 4/4

May 11, 2019

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Georgan G

Her character perfectly played by Olivia de Havilland, added to my love of watching the timid, brow-beaten woman become self-assured. So much so that she gets perfect revenge against the two men who betray her.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/07/23

Full Review

Red T

All Time Classic. The acting is really good across the board. The only issue is while I found each character riveting I didn't love most of them. I found Catherine & her father to be sympatheitc and well acted but never did I root for them. Clift was the best thing in this. Any scene he shares with Olivia is riveting. Everything else about this is pretty much flawless. The music is super memorable and distinct. The deep focus and subtle camera movement along with lavish set design is amazing to watch. This has a very distinct pacing to it that can feel a bit slow and dry a times but always makes up for it with scenes of Catherine & Morris together which are amazing and moving to watch. This blends melodrama and romance in a great coming of age tragedy seamlessly. I love how their scenes hold on long take close ups. The ending I didn't see coming also and made it worth while watching this and tragic. This is something everyone should give a try once. While I think it may not be loved by everyone I think its something everyone will find well made and interesting at the very least and riveting at best.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/03/23

Full Review

Matthew B

It has been a while since I read Washington Square, and I cannot fully comment on how far William Wyler's adaptation is true to the book. There is one important change in emphasis however. Henry James wrote his work with detachment and irony. We may feel a little sorry for Catherine Sloper, but we are never really invited to identify with her. Wyler's movie version is suffused with ideas of post-war feminist empowerment, and he therefore encourages the viewer to take Catherine's side. Whether or not this is an improvement on the book depends on one's viewpoint. It might be felt that this feminist triumphalism is a simplification of James' novel. Curiously the film's story about an unappreciated heroine rising in strength had a real-life echo. Catherine Sloper is played by Olivia de Havilland, and she too met with discouragement from her male co-stars. While the director fully believed in her, Ralph Richardson sought to upstage her, and Montgomery Clift sneered at her abilities as an actress. In the event, the film is de Havilland's. She went on to win an Oscar, while Clift walked out of a showing of the film because he was unhappy with his own performance. While The Heiress shares the same ending as the original book, there is a sharp change in tone that makes the story seem more modern. I wrote a longer appreciation (with spoilers) of The Heiress on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2018/07/12/the-heiress-1949/

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/24/23

Full Review

Liam D

An absolutely underrated movie from William Wyler (The Big Country, Friendly Persuasion) impressive and historical filmography

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Tom M

Another one of those old films this is highly regarded that I found to be entertaining enough and reasonably well done, but I really don't understand why it is so highly regarded.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Mark A

Olivia De Havilland gives a very moving performance, especially toward the end.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/16/22

Full Review

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William Wyler

Director

Olivia de Havilland

Catherine Sloper

Montgomery Clift

Morris Townsend

Ralph Richardson

Dr. Austin Sloper

Miriam Hopkins

Lavinia Penniman

Vanessa Brown

Maria

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Synopsis

Catherine (Olivia de Havilland), a young woman who stands to inherit her father's large fortune, falls in love when she meets Morris (Montgomery Clift), who gives her the love and affection her father doesn't, and which she desperately needs. Catherine's father (Ralph Richardson), believing Morris is only after the money, tells Catherine she will be disinherited if she marries him. Morris' true intentions are put to the test when he finds out about the amended will.

Director: William Wyler
Distributor: MCA, Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 6, 1949, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Feb 6, 2007
Runtime: 1h 55m