INVITATION
US, 1952, 84 minutes, Black and white.
Van Johnson, Dorothy Maguire, Ruth Roman, Louis Calhern, Ray Collins.
Directed by Gottfried Reinhardt.
Invitation can be seen in retrospect as a superior soap opera, a ‘women’s film’ of the 1950s.
While some of the dialogue sounds rather arch, on the whole the dialogue is very strong especially as spoken by Van Johnson, Dorothy Maguire and Louis Calhern. There is a strong literary tone as well as credibility to the dialogue.
The film was directed by German Gottfried Reinhardt who made a number of films in his Hollywood in the 50s and 60s including segments of A Story of Three Loves, Betrayed as well as Town Without Pity and Situation Hopeless But Not Serious in the 1960s.
The film offers a good opportunity for Dorothy Maguire who had emerged in the 1940s with such films as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Claudia, Gentleman’s Agreement and was a strong and dignified screen presence during the 1950s and into the 1960s – Mr 880, Friendly Persuasion. The film was a good vehicle for Van Johnson who was a light comedy and musical star – he is quite earnest and credible in this role. Ruth Roman is good as the venomous femme fatale. Louis Calhern has good moments as Dorothy Maguire’s father and Ray Collins appears as the family doctor.
The film shows Ellen Pierce as happily married, but with a heart ailment. It soon transpires that her doting father has organised her childhood friend, Daniel Pierce (Van Johnson) to marry her and make her happy for the remaining year of her life. Ruth Roman is in love with Pierce but is absent when the wedding is arranged and returns to speak vindictively to Ellen.
Eventually, Ellen begins to understand what has happened and there is a final confrontation between her husband and her father – with the possibility of a life-saving operation and a very happy ending.
The film is standard for the period – but compares favourably (especially in the strength of the screenplay and dialogue) with later soap operas.
1.The appeal of the film? Soap opera? ‘Women’s film’? Of the 1950s? Entertainment now?
2.MGM production values, the cast, the black and white photography, the musical score and its emotions?
3.The title, the invitation to Ellen to the dinner? Maude sending it? The purpose, the effect? Leading to the resolution of the problems?
4.The structure of the film: the focus on Ellen, her marriage to Dan, the flashbacks to Ellen and her illness, her friendship with Maude and Dan, to the proposal, to the wedding? The focus on Ellen and her visits to her father, her relationship to Dan, the meetings with Maude? The resolution of the problem – and Dan and his confession and the flashbacks? The cumulative effect of the melodrama?
5.Dorothy Maguire as Ellen, her screen presence, her supposedly being plain? Her manner, dignity, articulation? The rheumatic fever as a child, her love from her father, the help of the doctor? Her weak heart? The reports? Her feeling plain, unfulfilled, a spinster? Her father and the background of arranging the marriage and her not knowing? Her memories of her friendship with Dan, the tennis, the friendship with Maude? Her seeing Dan at her father’s office? Her not suspecting? The irony of her saying that he married her for her money? The wedding, her happiness, Maude’s visit, attack? The happiness of the honeymoon, Europe, the avalanche? The return home, her life, her illness? Checking with the doctor? Her visit to her father? His gifts? Her receiving the invitation? Agnes and her being in employment for a year? Her looking up the encyclopaedia about her illness? Phone call to her father, the truth? The confrontation with Dan, listening to his story, thinking that he was leaving, rushing out to the car, the resolution? Her agreement to the operation? Her future?
6.Van Johnson as Dan, his being devoted to Ellen? His work? Manner at home? Jokes about the money? The flashbacks, his presence in her past, friendship, the tennis games, the relationship with Maude? The proposal, the marriage? The honeymoon, his concern about her disappearance? The return home, his concern about her health? The meeting with Maude, at the station, Maude’s vindictiveness? His not loving her? His arranging the appointment? Discovering that she knew the truth, his decision to make the confession, the emotional confession? His packing, her asking him to stay, the operation?
7.Maude, in love with Dan, thinking he was in love with her? Her father and his skills? The tennis, the swim? Her return home for the wedding, her saying that she would have Dan after a year? Her meeting Dan, at the railway station, the coffee, his disgust with her? Her sending the invitation?
8.Ellen’s father, wealthy, concern, her illness, the doctors? The gift of the fur? The continued gifts? Her visit to him, playing croquet with the doctor? Her return home (and her visit to Maude)? The background of his wanting to do the best for her, giving her gifts, arranging the marriage? His upset, talking to Ellen, her forgiving him?
9.The doctor, his concern? Maude’s father and his expertise? The doctor in Europe, return to America, the possibility of the operation, the research? The appointment?
10.The social background of the families? Wealth? Audiences identifying with the characters, lifestyles?
11.Melodrama, the emotional issues, audiences identifying with the characters and situations? Wanting a happy ending?
