Becky Sharp (
1935-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .* Six year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty - MGM*Best Actor: Victor McLaglen - The Informer...
) is an
AmericanThe cinema of the United States has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
film directed by
Rouben MamoulianRouben Mamoulian was an Armenian-American film and theatre director.-Biography:Born in Tbilisi, Georgia to an Armenian family, Rouben relocated to England and started directing plays in London in 1922...
and starring
Miriam HopkinsEllen Miriam Hopkins was an American actress known for her versatility in a wide variety of roles.She was born in Savannah, Georgia and raised in Bainbridge, a town in the state's southwest near the Alabama border...
,
Frances DeeFrances Marion Dee was an American actress. She starred opposite Maurice Chevalier in the early talkie musical, The Playboy of Paris...
,
Cedric HardwickeSir Cedric Webster Hardwicke KBE was a noted English actor.-Biography:Hardwicke was born in the village of Lye, in Warwickshire, England, the son of Edwin Webster Hardwicke by his spouse Jessie . He attended Bridgnorth Grammar School in Shropshire and then trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic...
,
Billie BurkeMary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke was an American actress primarily known to modern audiences for her role as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the musical film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
,
Alison SkipworthAlison Skipworth was an English stage and screen actress.Skipworth made her first stage appearance at Daly's Theater in London in 1894, in A Gaiety Girl. Her first American performance came the following year at the Broadway Theater in New York City. She sang in light opera in The Artist's Model...
,
Nigel BruceWilliam Nigel Ernle Bruce was a British character actor on stage and screen, best known for his brilliant portrayal of Doctor Watson in a series of films and in the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes .-Biography:Bruce was the second son of Sir William Waller Bruce, 10th Baronet...
, and
Alan MowbrayAlan Mowbray MM, , was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood.Born Alfred Ernest Allen in London, England, he served with distinction the British Army in World War I, reaching the rank of major and being awarded the Military Medal for bravery...
. It is based on the play of the same name by Langdon Mitchell, which in turn is based on
William Makepeace ThackerayWilliam Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
'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.
Becky Sharp (
1935-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .* Six year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty - MGM*Best Actor: Victor McLaglen - The Informer...
) is an
AmericanThe cinema of the United States has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
film directed by
Rouben MamoulianRouben Mamoulian was an Armenian-American film and theatre director.-Biography:Born in Tbilisi, Georgia to an Armenian family, Rouben relocated to England and started directing plays in London in 1922...
and starring
Miriam HopkinsEllen Miriam Hopkins was an American actress known for her versatility in a wide variety of roles.She was born in Savannah, Georgia and raised in Bainbridge, a town in the state's southwest near the Alabama border...
,
Frances DeeFrances Marion Dee was an American actress. She starred opposite Maurice Chevalier in the early talkie musical, The Playboy of Paris...
,
Cedric HardwickeSir Cedric Webster Hardwicke KBE was a noted English actor.-Biography:Hardwicke was born in the village of Lye, in Warwickshire, England, the son of Edwin Webster Hardwicke by his spouse Jessie . He attended Bridgnorth Grammar School in Shropshire and then trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic...
,
Billie BurkeMary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke was an American actress primarily known to modern audiences for her role as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the musical film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
,
Alison SkipworthAlison Skipworth was an English stage and screen actress.Skipworth made her first stage appearance at Daly's Theater in London in 1894, in A Gaiety Girl. Her first American performance came the following year at the Broadway Theater in New York City. She sang in light opera in The Artist's Model...
,
Nigel BruceWilliam Nigel Ernle Bruce was a British character actor on stage and screen, best known for his brilliant portrayal of Doctor Watson in a series of films and in the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes .-Biography:Bruce was the second son of Sir William Waller Bruce, 10th Baronet...
, and
Alan MowbrayAlan Mowbray MM, , was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood.Born Alfred Ernest Allen in London, England, he served with distinction the British Army in World War I, reaching the rank of major and being awarded the Military Medal for bravery...
. It is based on the play of the same name by Langdon Mitchell, which in turn is based on
William Makepeace ThackerayWilliam Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
'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 literatureEnglish literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was born in Poland, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, V.S....
.
Becky Sharp was the first
feature filmIn the film industry, a feature film is a film made for initial distribution in theaters and being the "main attraction" of the screening...
to use the three-strip
TechnicolorTechnicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation , now a division of Thomson SA. Technicolor was the second major color film process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color motion picture process in Hollywood...
process, which created a separate film register for each of the three primary colors. The film is now in the
public domainThe public domain is a range of abstract materials—commonly referred to as intellectual property—which are not owned or controlled by anyone. The term indicates that these materials are therefore "public property", and available for anyone to use for any purpose...
.
Plot
Becky Sharp (
Miriam HopkinsEllen Miriam Hopkins was an American actress known for her versatility in a wide variety of roles.She was born in Savannah, Georgia and raised in Bainbridge, a town in the state's southwest near the Alabama border...
), a socially ambitious
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 HardwickeSir Cedric Webster Hardwicke KBE was a noted English actor.-Biography:Hardwicke was born in the village of Lye, in Warwickshire, England, the son of Edwin Webster Hardwicke by his spouse Jessie . He attended Bridgnorth Grammar School in Shropshire and then trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic...
), Joseph Sedley (
Nigel BruceWilliam Nigel Ernle Bruce was a British character actor on stage and screen, best known for his brilliant portrayal of Doctor Watson in a series of films and in the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes .-Biography:Bruce was the second son of Sir William Waller Bruce, 10th Baronet...
), Rawdon Crawley (
Alan MowbrayAlan Mowbray MM, , was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood.Born Alfred Ernest Allen in London, England, he served with distinction the British Army in World War I, reaching the rank of major and being awarded the Military Medal for bravery...
), and George Osborne (G. P. Huntley Jr).
She rises to the top of
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
society and becomes the scourge of the social circle, offending the other ladies such as Lady Bareacres (
Billie BurkeMary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke was an American actress primarily known to modern audiences for her role as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the musical film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
).
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
Ellen Miriam Hopkins was an American actress known for her versatility in a wide variety of roles.She was born in Savannah, Georgia and raised in Bainbridge, a town in the state's southwest near the Alabama border...
as Becky Sharp
- Frances Dee
Frances Marion Dee was an American actress. She starred opposite Maurice Chevalier in the early talkie musical, The Playboy of Paris...
as Amelia Sedley
- Cedric Hardwicke
Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke KBE was a noted English actor.-Biography:Hardwicke was born in the village of Lye, in Warwickshire, England, the son of Edwin Webster Hardwicke by his spouse Jessie . He attended Bridgnorth Grammar School in Shropshire and then trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic...
as Marquis of Steyne
- Billie Burke
Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke was an American actress primarily known to modern audiences for her role as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the musical film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
as Lady Bareacres
- Alison Skipworth
Alison Skipworth was an English stage and screen actress.Skipworth made her first stage appearance at Daly's Theater in London in 1894, in A Gaiety Girl. Her first American performance came the following year at the Broadway Theater in New York City. She sang in light opera in The Artist's Model...
as Miss Crawley
- Nigel Bruce
William Nigel Ernle Bruce was a British character actor on stage and screen, best known for his brilliant portrayal of Doctor Watson in a series of films and in the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes .-Biography:Bruce was the second son of Sir William Waller Bruce, 10th Baronet...
as Joseph Sedley
- Alan Mowbray
Alan Mowbray MM, , was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood.Born Alfred Ernest Allen in London, England, he served with distinction the British Army in World War I, reaching the rank of major and being awarded the Military Medal for bravery...
as Rawdon Crawley
- G.P. Huntley as George Osborne
- William Stack as Pitt Crawley
- George Hassell as Sir Pitt Crawley
- William Faversham
William Faversham was a legendary movie and stage actor from England who made his name on Broadway when he starred as Algernon in the original production of The Importance of Being Earnest in 1895...
as Duke of Wellington
- Charles Richman
Charles J. Richman was an American film actor who appeared in 66 films between 1914 and 1939.He was born in Chicago, Illinois and died in The Bronx, New York.-Selected filmography:*The Man from Home...
as Gen. Tufto
- Doris Lloyd as Duchess of Richmond
- Colin Tapley
Colin Tapley was a British actor. Born in New Zealand, he served in the Royal Air Force and an expedition to Antarctica before winning a Paramount Pictures talent contest and moving to Hollywood. He acted in several films before returning to Britain during the Second World War as a flight...
as Capt. William Dobbin
- Leonard Mudie
Leonard Mudie was a British-born character actor whose career ran many decades.His first film appearance was in 1921, and his last on-screen performance was in the Star Trek classic TV series....
as Tarquin
Production
- John Hay "Jock" Whitney
John Hay Whitney , colloquially known as "Jock" Whitney, was U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, publisher of the New York Herald Tribune, and a member of the Whitney family.-Family:...
and Cornelius Vanderbilt WhitneyCornelius Vanderbilt Whitney was an American businessman, film producer, writer, and government official, as well as the owner of a leading stable of thoroughbred racehorses....
formed Pioneer PicturesPioneer Pictures, Inc. was a Hollywood motion picture company, most noted for its early commitment to making color films. Pioneer was initially affiliated with RKO Pictures, whose production facilities in Culver City, California were used by Pioneer, and who distributed Pioneer's films...
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. SelznickDavid O. Selznick, born David Selznick , was one of the iconic Hollywood producers of the Golden Age. He is best known for producing the epic blockbuster Gone with the Wind which earned him an Oscar for Best Picture. Not only did Gone with the Wind gross the highest amount of money in the U.S...
formed Selznick International Pictures. Two Selznick International films,A Star Is BornA Star Is Born is a 1937 romantic drama film produced by David O. Selznick and directed by William A. Wellman, with a script by Wellman, Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell. It stars Janet Gaynor as an aspiring actress who travels to Hollywood to become a movie star...
and Nothing SacredNothing Sacred can refer to:You can order this CD's online at http://www.DavidAllanCoe.com* Nothing Sacred , a 1937 screwball comedy starring Carole Lombard and Fredric March...
(both 1937) were produced by Selznick, copyrighted by Pioneer Pictures, and released through United ArtistsUnited Artists Entertainment LLC is an American film studio. The current United Artists was formed in November 2006 under a partnership between producer/actor Tom Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, and Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer Studios Inc., an MGM company...
rather than RKO.
- Lowell Sherman
Lowell Sherman was an American actor and film director.Born in San Francisco, Lowell began his career as an actor, usually playing playboys or villains in films such as Way Down East , Ladies of Leisure , and What Price Hollywood?...
, the original director, developed pneumoniaPneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the lung. Frequently, it is described as lung parenchyma/alveolar inflammation and abnormal alveolar filling with fluid ....
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
The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the Lido, Venice,...
: Best Color Film, Rouben Mamoulian; 1935.
Nominations
- Venice Film Festival: Mussolini Cup, Rouben Mamoulian; 1935.
- Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is...
: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Miriam Hopkins; 1936.
External links