MY FOOLISH HEART
US, 1949,98 minutes, Black and white.
Susan Hayward, Dana Andrews, Kent Smith, Robert Keith, Gigi Perreau, Lois Wheeler, Jessie Royce Landis.
Directed by Mark Robson.
My Foolish Heart is one of the best-known 'women's pictures' of the immediate post-war years. Based on a story by J. D. Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye), the film has the ingredients of many later soap operas. However, with Susan
Hayward and Dana Andrews, the soap opera is made highly enjoyable and emotional. This is aided by Victor Young's score and the popular song, 'My Foolish Heart'.
Susan Hayward was excellent at this kind of role and had many of them in the '40s and '50s? She is dressed by Edith Head - thus providing glamour as well as tears. Direction is by Mark Robson who began work with Orson Welles and directed a number of Val Lewton horror films. He had a long career making big budget entertaining films from popular novels e.g. Peyton Place, From the Terrace, The Prize, Valley of the Dolls. This film well illustrates the popular American movie of
around 1950.
1. Entertaining women's picture? The style of the 140s and '50s? The excellent Hollywood credentials for production? The popular material of soap operas? Entertainment value now?
2. Black and white photography, lush production? The stars? The musical score and theme song?
3. The story by J. D. Salinger? ordinary magazine material? The conventions of the love story and tragedy? The playing with audience sympathies? The leading lady who appears to be bad, then good, then victim? The audience suffering with her?
4. The opening and the rain. Mary Jane's arrival. the tension between Mary Jane and Eloise. the growing clash, Eloise hurting Lew on the phone, her drinking? Setting the tone for the flashback material and final judgment? Audience hostility towards Eloise? Sympathy for her love for her daughter? Sympathy for Mary Jane and Lew?
5. Eloise and the dress leading to the flashbacks? The change of audience attitude towards Eloise? Her memory of the chance meeting with Walt? The consequences of circumstances? Eloise and her coming to New York, character and background, opportunities. choices? The war and pressures? Truth and the concealment of the truth? Expectations? Public opinion? Errors, wasting people's lives? Atonement?
6. Eloise and the dance, Walt's behaviour towards Miriam Ball? Her tears? College life and her friendship with Mary Jane? Mary Jane's support all through - making worse her betrayal? Her parents? her mother's anxiety and avoiding issues, genial and wise father? The possibilities and hopes? Her waiting for Walt's phone call. going out with him, listening to his story? The date and listening to Mendelssohn? Her fears? Falling in love with him? His joining the Air Force? The romantic love, its depth? The outings?
7. The build up to the expulsion? Her mother's fear? Her father's support and discussion with Walt? Eloise returning with her parents, her father letting her go back to New York? His kindness towards her, but the tragic consequences? The continued dates, falling in love? Walt's not being able to commit himself to marriage? Her pregnancy and not telling Walt? Mary Jane's knowledge?
9. The build up of hopes, Pearl Harbor, the separation at the railway station, the phone calls, time together? Walt's letter proposing to her? His death and her grief?
10. Her father's support? Listening to her? Telling the story of his own marriage? Her mother supporting her at the difficult time?
11. The character of Walt ? ordinary American type, falling in love, unable to commit himself to marriage., joining the Air Force, his death? The contrast with Lew and his love for Eloise? Return? The party? Wanting to console Eloise? Eloise marrying him and betraying Mary Jane?
12. The return to the crisis situation? Audience understanding it better? Eloise deciding not to tell Lew the truth about Ramona? Her leaving? Lew and Mary Jane allowing her to keep her daughter?
13. The plausibility of the plot? Its realism? Contrived for soap opera? Audiences identifying with the characters? Themes of marriage, love, moral standards? Mistakes and hurt? War and circumstances? An entertaining romance?
