Becky Sharp (film)
| Becky Sharp | |
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| Directed by | Rouben Mamoulian |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Kenneth Macgowan Rouben Mamoulian |
| Written by | Story: William Makepeace Thackeray Langdon Mitchell Screenplay: Francis Edward Faragoh |
| Starring | Miriam Hopkins Frances Dee Cedric Hardwicke |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
| Cinematography | Ray Rennahan |
| Editing by | Archie Marshek |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 28, 1935 |
| Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
Becky Sharp (1935) is an American film directed by Rouben Mamoulian[1] and starring Miriam Hopkins, Frances Dee, Cedric Hardwicke, Billie Burke, Alison Skipworth, Nigel Bruce, and Alan Mowbray. It is based on the play of the same name by Langdon Mitchell, which in turn is based on William Makepeace Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair. The screenplay was written by Francis Edward Faragoh.
The film recounts the tale of a lower-class girl who insinuates herself into an upper class family, only to see her life and the lives of those around her destroyed. The ruthless, self-willed and beautiful Becky is one of the most famous characters in English literature.
Becky Sharp was the first feature film to use the three-strip Technicolor process, which created a separate film register for each of the three primary colors.[2] The film is now in the public domain.
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Plot
Becky Sharp (Miriam Hopkins), a socially ambitious English young lady manages to survive during the years following Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. In her efforts to advance herself, she manages to link up with a number of gentlemen: the Marquis of Steyne (Cedric Hardwicke), Joseph Sedley (Nigel Bruce), Rawdon Crawley (Alan Mowbray), and George Osborne (G. P. Huntley Jr).
She rises to the top of British society and becomes the scourge of the social circle, offending the other ladies such as Lady Bareacres (Billie Burke).
Finally, Sharp falls into the humiliation of singing for her meals in a beer hall. But Becky never stays down for long.
Cast
- Miriam Hopkins as Becky Sharp
- Frances Dee as Amelia Sedley
- Cedric Hardwicke as Marquis of Steyne
- Billie Burke as Lady Bareacres
- Alison Skipworth as Miss Crawley
- Nigel Bruce as Joseph Sedley
- Alan Mowbray as Rawdon Crawley
- G.P. Huntley as George Osborne
- William Stack as Pitt Crawley
- George Hassell as Sir Pitt Crawley
- William Faversham as Duke of Wellington
- Charles Richman as Gen. Tufto
- Doris Lloyd as Duchess of Richmond
- Colin Tapley as Capt. William Dobbin
- Leonard Mudie as Tarquin
Production
- John Hay "Jock" Whitney and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney formed Pioneer Pictures specifically to produce color films, and signed a contract to release Pioneer films through RKO Radio Pictures. After producing La Cucaracha, Becky Sharp, and Dancing Pirate (1936), the Whitneys and David O. Selznick formed Selznick International Pictures. Two Selznick International films,A Star Is Born and Nothing Sacred (both 1937) were produced by Selznick, copyrighted by Pioneer Pictures, and released through United Artists rather than RKO.
- Lowell Sherman, the original director, developed pneumonia and died early in the filming of Becky Sharp. His replacement, Rouben Mamoulian, scrapped all of the original footage and started again.
Awards
Wins
- Venice Film Festival: Best Color Film, Rouben Mamoulian; 1935.
Nominations
- Venice Film Festival: Mussolini Cup, Rouben Mamoulian; 1935.
- Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Miriam Hopkins; 1936.
References
- ^ Becky Sharp (film) at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Technicolor's earlier processes did not include a blue register, just green and red.
External links
- Becky Sharp at Film Reference web site.
- Becky Sharp at Rotten Tomatoes
- Becky Sharp at the Internet Movie Database
- Becky Sharp at Allmovie
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