The studio had “butchered” the legendary director’s 1942 film, having burned extensive footage without consulting him. The Magnificent Ambersons has been called Orson Welles’ “lost masterpiece”. Based on the 1918 novel by Booth Tarkington, the second in his Growth trilogy, tells the story about the declining fortunes of a wealthy Midwestern family, and later won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction the following year after it was released. In 1942, it was made into The Magnificent Ambersons film written and directed by Orson Welles but heavily edited against his wishes. While the movie is still considered a masterpiece, around 45 minutes worth of footage was cut, deleting some of the more “downbeat” scenes and giving it a happy ending. A devasted Welles later lamented: “They destroyed Ambersons and it destroyed me.”
However, fans are still raving about the film 83 years later and the US period drama is avaliable to stream on BBC iPlayer. The Magnificent Ambersons charts the fading success and eventual misery of the upper-class midwestern Amberson family during an extended turn-of-the-century period. The acclaimed drama follows two generations in a well-to-do Indianapolis family. Isabel Amberson receives a proposal from dashing Eugene (Joseph Cotten), but opts instead to marry boring Wilbur. Time passes, and Wilbur and Isabel’s only son, George (Tim Holt), is loathed as a controlling figure in the town. When Wilbur dies, Eugene again proposes to Isabel, but George threatens the union. As George in turn courts the woman he wants to marry, a string of tragedies befalls the family.
With a Rotten Tomato score of 89 per cent the period drama is still a must watch for fans of the genre, as one fan praised: “The best, GREATEST movie ever made!”
Another agreed: “The ensemble cast is pitch perfect and Welles’ assured direction is as good as can be expected, The Magnificent Ambersons fares well in the ranks of Welles’ consistently brilliant filmography.”
“It’s astonishing that Orson Welles’ second feature is as good as it is, even with the studio’s shortened length and modified ending,” a third gushed.
A fourth echoed: “A masterpiece, beautiful cinematography and great acting.”
A fifth added: “While it is not quite perfect, I absolutely loved The Magnificent Ambersons. The story is very interesting, nostalgic and decently paced with a wonderful idea to work from but choppy at times and the tacky happy ending- fault of the executives rather than Welles- is a let down.
On the other hand, Welles’s direction is superb, the film with its luscious costumes and settings and striking cinematography is very well made, beautifully scored and intelligently scripted. The characters do engage, and the acting is marvellous with Joseph Cotten and especially Agnes Moorhead faring best. All in all, a fine movie and my definition of a flawed masterpiece.”
The Magnificent Ambersons is available to stream on BBC iPlayer