F. SCOTT FITZGERALD AND THE LAST OF THE BELLES.

US, 1974, 98 Minutes, Colour.
Richard Chamberlain, Blythe Danner, Susan Sarandon.
Directed by George Schafer.

F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Last of the Belles is an original telemovie written by James Costigan. He was the writer of the Hepburn, Olivier, George Cukor telemovie Love Among the Ruins. He also wrote another telemovie, F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood. Richard Chamberlain is Fitzgerald in this film with Blythe Danner as his wife. (In the second film Jason Miller is the author with Tuesday Weld as his wife and Julia Foster as Sheila Graham.) This film is a glimpse of Fitzgerald and his life and work in 1928. A vain, drinking man, he tries to grapple with his creativity along with his love for and worry over his wife Zelda's increasing withdrawal from reality. Intercut with this is a dramatisation of his writing of the short story The Last of the Belles which echoes some of his own life and his perceptions of Zelda. It is an interesting experiment to visualize the story within the life of the author. It is done in separate acts for television presentation and is quite a good glimpse of the life and work of the author.

1. How interesting a telemovie? Quality, production values, the presentation of an American literary genius for home viewing?

2. The importance of the structure: the various acts? The Scott Fitzgerald story, the Last of the Belles story, the parallels, the intertwining? The comment of each on the other?

3. The re-creation of the 20s, its colour, atmosphere, the jazz age? American society? The atmosphere of America, wealthy homes? The private world of F. Scott Fitzgerald? The public image, the houses, the parties? The musical commentary and the use of popular songs of the 20s? The comment on and reflection of the world of Fitzgerald's literature?

4. The presentation of Scott Fitzgerald's world, of the world of his composition? The influence of his own life and character on the characters of his stories? How much of himself was in his story? The title of the telemovie and Scott Fitzgerald in his own short story?

5. The quality of Richard Chamberlain’s portrait of Scott Fitzgerald? Stature, character, strengths and weaknesses? Seeing him on the ship and his attitude towards Zelda and her silence, calling the waiter Cyril instead of Sidney, his drinking, vanity? The importance of the drive home and the explanation of what had happened prior to this visit? How much appropriate information for the background to understanding Fitzgerald? His love for his daughter? His love for Zelda and yet her remoteness? His sarcastic comments on her behaviour? Her remoteness, the importance of her ballet dancing and the frequent referring to this throughout the film? Scott Fitzgerald's relationship with the chauffeur, the speaking in French, his explanation of himself to the chauffeur? The chauffeur's understanding him, going out, the Speak-easy and the fight? The discussion about the war and Scott Fitzgerald's disappointment about his not being able to be involved? The periods of sterility in his creative writing? The inspiration to write and the zest with which he wrote and the frequent scenes portraying him composing? His love for Zelda and yet his despair for her sanity? Her insights and his understanding her insights? Their clashes, reconciliation? Zelda and her insanity? Zelda herself as the Last of the Belles? The devices the film used for editing Fitzgerald's own voice taking up the voice of Andrew in the story? The overlap of the two stories?

6. The portrait of Zelda and her silence on the ship, her going home, what drove her? Her explanation of her trying to be someone, her dancing? Her love for her daughter? The use of the music, especially Valencia,? Her capacity for insight? As the model for Ailey? As giving insight for the character of Earle in the story? Her final comment on the rewriting of the same story and the hope for a happy ending ? the comment on the Fitzgerald's?

7. The portrait of friends, American society, the chauffeur, the people at the Speak-easy? Filling in the background of the Fitzgeralds?

8. The interest in the short story itself? Its insight into Scott Fitzgerald, into Zelda?

9. The character of Andrew in the story? Fitzgerald's persona? Youth, enthusiasm, reserve? An observer? His place in the Army and yet his not being involved in the war? His friendship for Bill? His fascination with Ailey and loving her without realizing it? A strong admirer? His courting her and the humorous sequence of his returning home from various outings? His being unnoticed by her and taken for granted? The war, his rejection? The six years of study and his return? The nostalgia for time past and his return to the site of the camp? Looking at Ailey with the insight of youth and experience? How did he see the change in her? The effect of his experience with her? The proposal, his rejection? His return? The remoteness of Ailey and Andrew paralleling Scott Fitzgerald, Ailey and Zelda.

10. Ailey as the Last of the Belles? A Georgia type, gentlemen callers, scatty, society? Hopes? Her low image of herself? Her enjoyment of the dances, Bill, taking Andrew for granted, fascination with Earle? The insight that he was a streetcar man? How did she change over the years? Her not marrying in the six years? The reasons for her rejection of Andrew? Was she really engaged? A symbol of a faded and fading world?

11. The portrait of Bill, Earle and his zest and vanity? His rejection?

12. The insights into human nature? Strengths and weaknesses? The enthusiasm of youth, missed opportunities, low self-image, false masks? Withdrawal from reality?

13. The portrait of America in the 20s? As painted by Fitzgerald, as painted by this film? A satisfying experience of Americana?