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Reconstructing Henry James: The Heiress (1949)
Literature Film Quarterly, 2002 by Raw, Laurence
An example of this kind of alteration can be seen early on in The Heiress, when Morris Townsend first encounters Catherine. James contrives the meeting at a small soiree given by Mrs. Almond, where the two of them sit "on a little sofa that seemed meant only for two persons" (James 31 ). The subsequent conversation is mostly in reported speech, with Morris doing all the talking, while Catherine leans back, admiring his ability to be "so sincere, so natural" in his conversation (31). The emphasis throughout is on Catherine's gradually increasing affection for Morris, which gradually overcomes her natural tendency toward "self-effacement and sacrifice" (51). For her, the notion of being in love "yielded her a happiness in which confidence and timidity were strangely blended" (62). By contrast, the Goetzes show two of them meeting for the first time at a party given at Catherine's house:
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Marian crosses to Arthur and sits down R. There is a pause. Sloper pats Catherine's hand. She mistakes his meaning, and curtsies to Morris and Arthur
How do you do, sir? How do you do, sir?
SLOPER: No, Catherine. (He loosens her hand from his arm.) The young gentlemen cannot take chairs until you do.
CATHERINE: I'm sorry, Father. (She moves down L. and sits). (Goetz 10-11)
The major focus here is on Catherine's shyness and her lack of social grace. She is someone who, as her father observes, is a "defenceless young woman with a large fortune" (29), easily fooled by Morris's flattery:
MORRIS: (smiling at her) You make me very happy. Do you love me?
CATHERINE: Yes.
MORRIS: Dear Catherine! (He kisses her)
CATHERINE: (holding him) I love you! I love you!
MORRIS: I will cherish you for ever. (26)
While there is little suggestion here of the blend of "confidence and timidity" described by James, this alteration paves the way for the climax to the first act. Catherine's love for Morris inspires her to resist her father's wishes - perhaps for the first time - by resolving to "marry him [Morris], to stay by him, no matter what comes" (45).
The film version of The Heiress (based on a screenplay also written by the Goetzes)3 restores some of the scenes omitted from the stage adaptation of James's novel, but in a different form: for example, the clandestine first meeting between Morris and Catherine, which takes place not on "a little sofa" but in a gazebo, in the middle of a party celebrating the engagement of Arthur Townsend and Marian Almond. The emphasis here is on the awakening of Catherine's (Olivia de Havilland's) feelings for Morris (Montgomery Clift), which is emphasized through a series of tight close-ups. At first Catherine uses her fan to cover up her embarrassment at being alone with an unmarried man. As he speaks, however, she steals a glance at his unmarked dance-card; like herself, he appears not to be a popular partner. This gives her the confidence to look directly into his eyes, as he talks about himself and his past life, it is evident, as James suggests, that this first encounter has prompted her to think that "no one who had first seen him [Morris] would ever forget him" (32).
