Of Human Bondage (1964 film)

Of Human Bondage is a 1964 British drama film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Kim Novak and Laurence Harvey in the roles played by Bette Davis and Leslie Howard three decades earlier in the original film version. This MGM release, the third screen adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's 1915 novel, was written by Bryan Forbes from the novel by Somerset Maugham.

Of Human Bondage
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKen Hughes
'additional scenes by
Henry Hathaway
Uncredited:
Bryan Forbes
Written byBryan Forbes
Based onOf Human Bondage
1915 novel
by W. Somerset Maugham
Produced byJames Woolf
StarringKim Novak
Laurence Harvey
CinematographyOswald Morris
Denys Coop
Edited byRussell Lloyd
Music byRon Goodwin
Production
company
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • 23 September 1964 (1964-09-23)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1,750,000 (US/ Canada)[1]

Plot

After two unsuccessful years pursuing an art career in Paris, clubfooted Philip Carey decides to study medicine. He meets and falls in love with Mildred Rogers, a low-class waitress who takes advantage of his feelings for her.

When she leaves him to marry another man, Philip falls in love with Nora Nesbitt, a writer who encourages him to complete his studies. Mildred returns, pregnant and abandoned by her husband, and Philip takes her in and cares for her, ending his relationship with Nora.

While staying with Philip, Mildred has an affair with his best friend Griffiths, and when Philip confronts her, she tells Philip she's repulsed by him and walks out.

After earning his degree, Philip becomes a junior doctor at a London hospital. He learns Mildred is working as a prostitute and seeks her out at the brothel where she's living with her ailing child.

He takes the two under his wing, but once again Mildred leaves him. When he finally finds her in a clinic for the indigent, he discovers her child has died and Mildred, in the advanced stages of syphilis, dies in her spurned lover's arms.

Cast

Production

Development

The first screen adaptation of Maugham's novel, made thirty years prior, starred Leslie Howard and Bette Davis. Paul Henreid and Eleanor Parker co-starred in the 1946 remake for Warner Bros.

In December 1961 it was announced that Laurence Harvey would play the male lead in a third screen version of Of Human Bondage. It was to be made in conjunction with Seven Arts Films with James Woolf to produce the following year; Peter Glenville was being pursued to direct.[2] In February 1962 Orin Jennings was reportedly writing the script.[3] The following month Harvey said he would make the movie after Running Man.[4] Harvey went to visit Somerset Maugham in France to get the author's advice on how to play the role.[5]

In July 1962 Ray Stark, head of Seven Arts, said he had turned down an offer from a leading female star to appear in the movie on the grounds she was too expensive; he said she would have led to them requiring a further $3 million to break even.[6]

In November Seven Arts announced the director would be Henry Hathaway who had tried to make the film four years previously with Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift as the leads. Hathaway said "I firmly believe that she [Monroe] would still be alive today if she had played Of Human Bondage. It would have given her the roles she longed for and which I know she could have done."[7]

In December 1962 it was announced Kim Novak would play the female lead.[8]

Bette Davis was offered a support role that would have taken two days to shoot. She turned it down.[9]

Seven Arts wanted to shoot the move at Ardmore Studios in Ireland.[10] English trade unions insisted their members be brought from England to work on the film.[11] There was considerable unrest involving the union prior to filming.[12][13] This led to legal proceedings after the film had been made but did not stop production.[14]

Shooting

Henry Hathaway arrived in Dublin on 9 February 1963 and filming began later that month.[15] Hathaway quit the film in late March after conflict with Kim Novak.[16] Hathaway said that the time. "I never raised my voice at Kim; she never raised her voice to me. It's just like marriage - sometimes the partners are incompatible."[17] However, Tony Booth, who had a small role in the film, said Hathaway routinely disparaged Novak's performance and acting ability, particularly her cockney accent.[18] Novak said Hathaway never complained to her about her accent, but said the director "tried to make me into a sexy symbol rather than the complicated person Mildred was. It backfired."[19]

Screenwriter Bryan Forbes then briefly tackled the job of directing, while Seven Arts looked for a replacement. They considered John Huston and Richard Quine before deciding on Ken Hughes, who had made Trials of Oscar Wilde with Seven Arts.[17] Hathaway claims Forbes "was sort of going" with Novak at the time and "only last four days" before they called in Ken Hughes.[20]

Ken Hughes arrived in early April. Kim Novak failed to show up on set one morning, going on a 48 hour shopping trip to London, leading to rumours she would be replaced by Elizabeth Taylor.[21] Novak told the press she was unhappy on the film and that while she was willing to honour her contract, she would prefer to leave the film. She said that Hughes was rewriting the script and she was afraid she would have to reshoot scenes she had already done. "Things aren't easy on this film," she said. "There's been a bit of confusion and it's very wearying. Am I happy about things now? No not really. I'd sooner see someone else take over if the whole thing is going to be done again."[22]

"I've never worked on a film about which there's been so many rumours," said Hughes. "Most of them are nonsense. Everything is hunky-dory."[23] Novak returned to the film and the shoot was completed by June.[24] Booth worked on the Hughes-directed portion and says Hughes did not get along with Laurence Harvey.[25] Novak said Hughes "was really a case. I tried to talk about the character with him, but he just wasn't interested. He walked around the set constantly pounding a set of bongo drums - you would ask him a question and he would slap the drums."[19]

Producer James Woolf, a long time supporter of Harvey's as well as his occasional lover, took an overdose of barbiturates during the making of the film, but survived.[26]

The film was denied a Production Code Seal due to some brief nudity.[27]

Bryan Forbes later sued Seven Arts claiming they owed him £5,000 from a £10,000 acting fee.[28]

Critical reception

A. H. Weiler of The New York Times called the film a "surface, stoic old-fashioned tale" and added, "The pitiful meagerness of heartfelt dialogue, direction and acting, so essential in transporting Maugham's three-dimensional figures from book to screen, is noticeable almost from the start of this largely unemotional drama. These are not classically tortured people who emerge whole and alive on film but are, instead, artificially quaint Edwardians who are simply play acting and speaking lines that seem alien to them and the viewer ... Laurence Harvey and Kim Novak ... seem painfully miscast. Mr. Harvey's portrayal is, at best, a succession of basically vacuous, woebegone attitudes. He appears to be more distracted than heartsick or emotionally undone. One wonders what he ever saw, aside from an occasional physical view, in Miss Novak's conception of the ill-fated, blonde Cockney whose East End accent and actions are often a laughable parody of the real articles ... Most of the time, this pallid drama constitutes bondage for a discerning observer."[29]

Time said, "As portrayed by actress Novak, Mildred giggles a lot and speaks cockney like a girl who learned the sound of Bow bells from somewhere in South Chicago."[30]

TV Guide says, "As the doomed pair, Novak and Harvey are passable, but little more than that. Harvey looks too old for the role, and fails to give his character much life, while Novak, although making a valiant attempt, never conveys enough passion to make her role believable. Further denying any dramatic potential is Forbes' uninspired adaptation of Maugham's novel. Rather than probe the psychological make-up of the characters, the script consistently focuses on superficial motivations with all the emotional intensity of a high-school drama-society production."[31]

Filmink claimed "The resulting film is interesting, and contains one of Harvey’s best performances, but isn’t that good. Novak’s performance doesn’t help and, more seriously, Hughes doesn’t get – or didn’t have time to capture – the essential DNA of the story."[32]

The film was condemned by the National Legion of Decency for its sexual content and masochism.

Awards and honours

References
  1. "Big Rental Pictures of 1964", Variety, 6 January 1965, p. 39. Please note this figure is rentals accruing to distributors not total gross.
  2. Of Local Origin New York Times15 Dec 1961: 46.
  3. Vadim's Sexploits Plumb New Depths: 'Liaisons' Formed With Evil Pair in Music Hall Import Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 22 Feb 1962: C21.
  4. Records in March Broken by Old Vic: Harvey, a Member in 1958, Has Been Running Ever Since Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 30 Mar 1962: C19.
  5. Only Proof of Film Is in the Screening: Prophets of Doom Rapped; How Bound Is 'Bondage'? Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 21 June 1963: D9.
  6. MOVIE PRODUCER DESCRIBES CREDO: Stark of 7 Arts Cites Quick Decisions and Investing Hold the Most Stock Disagree Occasionally By MURRAY SCHUMACH Special to The New York Times.5 July 1962: 20.
  7. Curtis Insists His Films Be Done Here: Jerry Lewis Sought to Play Best Man in 'His and His' Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 30 Nov 1962: C11.
  8. Kim Gets Present: Role in 'Of Human Bondage' Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 7 Dec 1962: b14.
  9. 'Bondage' Bit Offer Amuses Bette Davis: Star Proud of Polite Refusal; Miss Crowley May Do 'Zenda' Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 10 Apr 1963: C14.
  10. Ardmore film to be shot in Hollywood? Irish Times Reporter. The Irish Times 12 Jan 1963: 1.
  11. AN IRISHMAN'S DIARY The Irish Times (1921-Current File); Dublin, Ireland [Dublin, Ireland]11 Jan 1963: 8.
  12. Agreement is reached on Ardmore film Irish Times Reporter. The Irish Times 19 Jan 1963: 1.
  13. TRADE UNION CONGRESS REFUSES TO CO-OPERATE WITH E.T.U.(I.) Irish Times Reporter. The Irish Times 8 Feb 1963: 1.
  14. FILM STUDIO BREACH WITH TRADE UNION: "Government involved" The Irish Times 18 July 1963: 11
  15. Director arrives to-day The Irish Times 9 Feb 1963: 7.
  16. Hathaway leaves Ardmore film The Irish Times 30 Mar 1963: 1.
  17. DIRECTOR LEAVES BRAY FILM AFTER "INCOMPATIBILITY " WITH KIM NOVAK Irish Times Reporter. The Irish Times 30 Mar 1963: 6.
  18. Booth p 130-133
  19. Brown, Peter H (1986). Kim Novak--reluctant goddess. St. Martin's Press. p. 225.
  20. Eyman, Scott (September–October 1974). "'I made movies' an interview with Henry Hathaway". Take One. p. 12.
  21. Kim Novak is not leaving Ardmore film The Irish Times 3 Apr 1963: 7.
  22. KIM NOVAK WANTS TO LEAVE ARDMORE FILM Irish Times Reporter. The Irish Times 5 Apr 1963: 1.
  23. EVERYTHING HUNKY-DORY, SAYS ARDMORE DIRECTOR Irish Times Reporter. The Irish Times 8 Apr 1963: 9.
  24. FINAL SHOTS IN ARDMORE FILM The Irish Times 15 June 1963: 7.
  25. Booth p 134-135
  26. Sinai, Anne (2003). Reach for the top : the turbulent life of Laurence Harvey. Scarecrow Press. pp. 285–288.
  27. OF HUMAN BONDAGE' IS DENIED FILM SEAL Special to The New York Times. New York Times 27 Jan 1964: 20.
  28. Actor claims £5,000 The Guardian 8 Aug 1964: 10.
  29. Review, New York Times
  30. Time review
  31. TV Guide review
  32. Vagg, Stephen (14 November 2020). "Ken Hughes Forgotten Auteur". Filmink.

Notes
  • Booth, Tony (1997). Labour of love. Blake.
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