The Heiress (DVD, 2007, Universal Cinema Classics)

Olivia De Havilland won her 2nd Best Actress Academy Award for this movie, in which she plays the title character Catherine Sloper--at first a shy, plain daughter of a doctor in 1840s New York's Washington Square. She has lived her whole life in the shadow of her deceased mother, who was adored by her father. And he never lets her forget it! The doctor, played by Ralph Richardson, (who later played Tonia's father in Doctor Zhivago) has never gotten over the death of his wife but is concerned that his daughter has no suitors. Still, he contributes to Catherine's shyness because of his constant downgrading of her social abilities.

Enter Mildred Hopkins, whom nobody seems to notice. She is like the Aunt Pittypat of "Gone With the Wind." She is Dr. Sloper's widowed sister, Aunt Lavinia, who arrives to grieve but gets involved with Catherine's dilemma of having no suitors. When Catherine's cousin gets engaged to Arthur Townsend, his cousin Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift) shows interest in the socially aloof Catherine and with hardly any courtship proposes to her. Dr. Sloper is right on the money when he insinuates that Morris is a gigolo--he has squandered a small inheritance by traveling in Europe and has no job. But Catherine, who now has a suitor, believes the best in Morris. And so does Aunt Lavinia.

The climax of the movie shows Catherine all in love and blooming with confidence at last. She kisses Morris with gusto and plans an elopement. WOW what a switch! But what happens next I won't tell. There is a second climax at the end which compliments the first climax.

Ralph Richardson also was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for this movie. Mildred Hopkins should have been nominated, as she always plays a character with lots of personality. Aaron Copland won an Oscar for Best Score. The haunting song played by Montgomery Clift on the piano in the movie resonates throughout the movie. It goes something like this: The thrill of love lasts but a short time, but the pain of love lasts a lifetime. I think that this is the theme of this movie.