The Great Gatsby – Imprint

Director: Elliot Nugent
Writers: Richard Maibaum, Cyril Hume (screenplay) F. Scott Fitzgerald (novel)
Starring: ‎Alan Ladd, Betty Field, MacDonald Carey, Barry Sullivan, Ruth Hussey, Shelly Winters
Year: 1949
Duration: 91 mins
BBFC Certification: N/A

There is an intangible quality to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 literary masterpiece that manages to elude even the most talented of film directors. Several have certainly tried. Jack Clayton helmed an underwhelming 1970s effort with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, while Baz Luhrmann’s 3-D extravaganza starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in 2013, while certainly more successful, still failed to capture the vital essence of the novel that has been hailed by critics as one of the defining literary works of the 20th Century.

There have been two other, lesser known, adaptations of Fitzgerald’s work. The first is a silent film from 1926 that has sadly been lost (only the trailer survives). The other is Elliot Nugent’s 1949 adaptation starring Alan Ladd. Once considered as lost as its silent stablemate, a master for The Great Gatsby was thankfully found in 2012. More than ten years later, a newly restored version of the film has been released by Imprint on Blu Ray. Yet how successfully does the 1949 version fare compared to the two other, far better known, cinematic adaptations? 

The story of The Great Gatsby (on the surface at least) is relatively simple. Set in the Roaring Twenties, the story focuses on Nick Carraway (MacDonald Carey) a Yale graduate who moves to a bungalow on Long Island. His new residence happens to be next door to a luxurious estate owned by the mysterious Jay Gatsby (Alan Ladd). Nick attends one of the wild, debauched parties that Gatsby frequently holds, yet the mysterious owner himself never makes an appearance. Yet when Nick visits one of these parties with his rich cousin Daisy Buchanan (Betty Field) Gatsby finally reveals himself. Nick soon finds himself drawn into the centre of a morally complex web, where Gatsby’s mysterious past holds tragic consequences for the future…

While the story of The Great Gatsby can be viewed as both a tragic romance and an exploration of the American Dream, its roots run much deeper, dealing principally with the ideas of longing, desire and the conflict between fantasy and reality, themes which are elemental to the original novel but always seem to get lost in translation in cinematic adaptations. In this regard, Elliot Nugent’s attempt fares little batter than Clayton’s or Luhrmann’s. To be fair to Nugent, however, he had to try and circumnavigate the Hollywood Production Code, which seriously dulls the dark, razor sharp edges of Fitzgerald’s source material.

Dealing, as it does, with lust, adultery, bootlegging and murder, it is perhaps of little surprise that the Hayes Code stripes the film of much of its teeth. The faults are many and varied, as the dark amorality of the original story is twisted into an almost unrecognisable shape in order to appease the puritanical moral guardians of Golden Age Hollywood. The opening scene, for example, which  opens up on a gravestone (and was forced upon the film against the Producer’s wishes) completely sucks any suspense and tension out of the story. In the latter half of the film, characters desperately scramble to make amends in order to achieve some kind of moral equilibrium; needless to say, anyone familiar with the novel will be disappointed to see how blunt Fitzgerald’s story has become.

Yet not all the blame can be laid at the Production Code’s door. Screenwriters Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum (who also served as the film’s producer – and also went on to be a key writer of the James Bond films) make quite a few of their own, the most egregious being their treatment of Gatsby himself. Revealed front and centre within the film’s opening minutes, and then hobbled by several lengthy flashbacks, this cinematic version of Gatsby is stripped of his enigmatic quality, which was utilised so brilliantly by Fitzgerald in his novel. Coupled with the grating casting choice of Betty Field as Daisy Buchanan, and at points it seems that it might actually had been better if The Great Gatsby had remained lost like it’s earlier, silent counterpart.

Thank God then for Alan Ladd. Sadly never an actor who was confident in his own abilities, his Gatsby saves the film, offering what is arguably the most authentic on-screen depiction of Fitzgerald’s legendary character. Adding depth and mystery to a screenplay that was seemingly intent on stripping all of that away, Gatsby’s enigmatic charisma finds a safe haven in Ladd’s careful, subtle performance. Aside from Shane, Ladd’s acting career has never received much critical praise. Hopefully this release of The Great Gatsby will allow others to discover that he was capable of delivering depth and emotion outside of the famous titular cowboy that cemented his legend.

And to be fair, Ladd isn’t the only silver lining to this 1940s attempt. While the film certainly has its flaws, it is far from a failure. Briskly paced, entertaining and well acted, it captures the more overtly plot driven aspects of Fitzgerald’s narrative with understated skill. A young Shelly Winters nails the character of Myrtle Wilson despite her brief screen time, while Barry Sullivan’s Tom Buchanan cleverly balances arrogance and charm.  A car accident and shooting in the latter half of the film also feels particularly brutal and authentic, proving that while the film may be been seriously blunted by the Hayes Code, it was still able to drawn a little blood at least.

In fact, The Great Gatsby may be better appreciated simply as a taut, tragic film noir as opposed to an attempt to successfully adapt a literary masterwork. While it may disappoint in regards to the latter, if considered in the light of the former, it emerges as a dark story of unrequited love that can quite happily stand alongside the better film noirs of its day.

Film:

The Great Gatsby is out now on Region B Blu Ray via Australian label Imprint. The picture quality of the film (from a 4K scan of the original negative) looks very good for the most part. The picture is sharp and detailed with a decent, if not great, amount of contrast. There could have been some additional restoration work done (quite a lot of flecks, spots and print damage can be seen at various points) but for a film that was lost until 2012, The Great Gatsby looks far better than perhaps it had any right to. The mono soundtrack is also decent, coming through as crisp and clear.

Imprint have loaded their Blu Ray of The Great Gatsby with a host of substantial extras. Firstly, a commentary by Jason A. Ney, a professor of literature and film (and huge fan of book, believing it to be the great American novel) is very informative. Ney offers a great mix of production history and background, as well as brilliant, insightful comparisons between the film and the novel. A thoroughly entertaining listen.

Next up is an hour long documentary on Alan Ladd, made in 1999, that details his life and career and utilises interviews from co-stars and family. A slightly cheesy, hagiographic approach is a bit off-putting but this is still a great watch for those who want to know more about Ladd, a man who was ultimately defeated by his demons.

Imprint include two interviews with critics Sarah Churchwell and Christian Newland, both of whom discuss Fitzgerald’s novel and the 1949 adaptation. Of these, I found the 22 minute interview with Churchwell to be the more entertaining and informative. Newland covers some of the same ground, but it is interesting to hear different opinions on the film.

Rounding up the package is a 25 minute on-stage interview between film critic Alan K. Rode and David Ladd, Alan Ladd’s son, from 2012. This covers a fair amount of topics, from the initial failure of the film and how that affected Ladd, to a wider discussion of his father’s career. Rode is a great host and makes this yet another very interesting and worthwhile watch.

The first 1500 copies of The Great Gatsby will also come with a limited edition slipcase.

Disc/Extras:

Overall then, this stands as a great release from Imprint. While the film may not be perfect (with its flaws coming to light most aggressively when compared to the source material) it is still a great watch with some standout moments. Coupled with an absolutely fantastic collection of extras, which really help to contextualise the film and Ladd’s career, as well as offering numerous discussions and opinions on Fitzgerald’s novel, this is very easy to recommend both for fans of 1940s Hollywood and admirers of Fitzgerald’s work.