Forever Amber (film)

The film was based on the debut novel by Kathleen Winsor published three years earlier. Macmillan, which had published Gone with the Wind, were excited about the book's commercial possibilities and launched it with an initial run of 175,000 copies.[11][12] The New York Times called Winsor a "born storyteller".[13] The same paper called the book "one of the most expertly packaged bundles of literature in years".[14] It became a best seller.[15]

The book was banned in a number of countries including Australia.[16]

There was film interest in the book from the moment it reached the publisher. Winsor's agent suggested she not enter a competition MGM were running for novels because the agent felt they could get more than the prize money offered of $125,000.[17]

In November 1944, 20th Century Fox bought the screen rights for $200,000, one of the largest amounts paid for a novel. This money was contingent on Hays Office approval of a screen treatment of the book.[18] (By way of comparison, Edna Ferber received $175,000 for Saratoga Trunk; MGM paid $125,000 for Green Dolphin Street and $200,000 to A. J. Cronin for The Green Years; Ernest Hemingway was paid $150,000 for For Whom the Bell Tolls)."[19]

The following month, Winsor announced she had signed a contract with Fox to work on the script for the film, provide technical advice, and do a screen test. Jerome Cady was going to write the script and William Perlberg would produce.[20]

Cady finished the script by March.[21] Eventually Philip Dunne did the script and John Stahl was assigned to direct.[22] Dunne was one of the studio's top screenwriters and Stahl had just made the hugely popular Leave Her to Heaven for Fox.[7]

Dunne later called the novel "worthless" and believed in any adaptation "it would be foolish to try to recover the intent of the author which is to please that part of the public that likes to lick its lips while reading."[23]

The script had to make a number of changes to get past the censor. "We had to be more straitlaced with Amber than we would with another picture", said Perlberg. ""Everyone is waiting for a chance to jump on us."[7]

Amber's lovers were reduced from over 30 in the novel to five in the film.[24] Winsor had little involvement in the script and the film in the end.[7]

There was an extensive, well publicised talent search for the performer who would play the lead role along the lines of David O. Selznick's challenge to find an actress to cast as Scarlett O'Hara. In November 1944, Gene Tierney was reported as being the front runner.[25] Maureen O'Hara who was a redhead and under contract to Fox, lobbied hard for the role, even wearing a period dress in the studio commissary.[26][27] Paulette Goddard also wanted to do the part.[28]

Numerous actresses were tested. Perlberg said he was looking for "a young Vivien Leigh" or "an English Lana Turner." Peggy Cummins, an Irish actress who had been on stage in Junior Miss, was (reportedly) the 37th tested and soon established herself as a favourite in October 1945.[29] Annette Simmonds was also a front runner.[28][30]

Richard Green, a Fox contract player who had not worked in Hollywood since 1940 due to war service, was an early favourite for the role of Bruce Carlton.[31] James Mason, then starring in the hugely popular The Seventh Veil, was offered the role but turned it down because he thought it was "a silly book" and the "script didn't improve it".[32][33]

The first actors announced for the film were Reginald Gardiner who was cast as Charles II by December 1945[34] and Glenn Langan who was cast by January 1946.[35]

In February 1946, Daryl Zanuck of Fox said the lead would be played by Peggy Cummins, with Cornel Wilde (a studio contract star) to play her main love interest.[36] Wilde was, after Tyrone Power, the leading "swashbuckling" style star under contract to Fox at the time. Richard Greene was the other leading contender for the part, and Wilde was under suspension at Fox to a dispute over roles, but Zanuck decided on Wilde, and the suspension was lifted.[37]

Vincent Price was cast in a support role as Lord Almsbury, friend of Bruce Carleton.[38][39]

Filming started in March 1946. The budget was $3 million, making it the most expensive film in the history of Fox. (The previous had been Wilson.) The film was expected to take 103 days of filming and Cummins had to appear in every scene but one.[22] Winsor was paid $85,000 when filming started.[40]

Cummins collapsed on set on March 30 due to illness.[41] Filming was halted two times, reportedly due to illness on Cummins' part. Then on April 30, after 39 days of filming and $1 million had been spent, Fox announced that the shoot would be halted for three months and that Cummins and Stahl would be assigned to other projects.[42] Zanuck, head of Fox, said the film "has failed to measure up to the standards planned."[43][44]

The reason given later was that it was felt Cummins was very good as the young Amber – she had been extensively tested for these scenes – but looked too young to play Amber as she grew up. In the words of The New York Times "they found that Miss Cummins as grown up seductress looked more like Fluffy wearing her mother's old clothes and smearing on mom's lipstick when she wasn't looking."[45]

Fox did not give up on Cummins and put her into The Late George Apley, Moss Rose and Escape.[46] However, she would leave the studio after three years.[47]

In June 1946, Fox announced that Otto Preminger would take over from Stahl as director, and that the film would resume production in September. Preminger said he would use the same script as Stahl (which the censor had approved). It was estimated that if none of the Stahl-Cummins footage could be used, it would cost the studio $300,000.[48][49]

Preminger said the film had been stopped because "somehow all the elements didn't jell".[50] He later said in his memoirs that he did not want to make the film because he disliked the novel but Zanuck forced him under his contract.[51]

He supervised a rewrite of the script by Dunne and Ring Lardner Jr.[24] Dunne later recalled he and Lardner "both had great distaste for the material... We divided it up because the steam was on... They wanted to get it restarted as soon as possible."[52]

In July, Linda Darnell was announced as Cummins' replacement.[53] "I'm pinching myself", said Darnell.[54] Preminger later said that he did not want Darnell, and would have preferred someone like Lana Turner who he felt could have been borrowed from MGM. However he says Zanuck wanted Darnell.[55] Darnell's casting meant she had to miss out on a role in Captain from Castile; she was replaced by Jean Peters.

By now the budget was up to $4.5 million. Two million went on physical production. Because mostly contract actors were used, the cast only cost $350,000 (sets cost $380,000).[7]

There were other cast changes. Richard Greene (making his first Hollywood film in seven years) replaced Vincent Price.[56] George Sanders replaced Reginald Gardiner as Charles II.[57] John Russell, who the studio was grooming for stardom, was cast as Black Jack Russell.[58]

Wilde was reluctant to return to the film. Fox considered replacing him with Stewart Granger, though this would have been difficult due to Granger's other commitments.[59]

In October, right before filming was to resume, Wilde announced he would not return to the role unless he was given an increase in salary. He was being paid $3,000 a week for forty weeks a year but wanted an arrangement comparable to Betty Grable, who made two films a year at $150,000 a film. Wilde said "My agent said that since I am leading the whole Fox lot in fan mail I should be getting money comparable to that received by the top people at the studio. I am worth much more to the company than I was a year ago [when his contract was renegotiated] and an actor must insure himself against the time when he is no longer wanted."[60] The dispute was ended when the studio increased his salary to $5,000 a week.[61]

Filming resumed in October 1946 and ended in March 1947. The budget by the end was $6.5 million.[62]

George Sanders was filming a part in The Ghost and Mrs Muir at the same time.[63]

The film played 451 dates in its first week and Fox claimed that it had achieved the biggest box-office opening figures in the entire industry.[65] Variety reported the opening receipts were by far the largest raised by one picture first week since they had been tabulating grosses across the country in 1946. In the 17 theatres they received reports from, they claimed it had grossed slightly better than $700,000.[66]

The film played with increased admission prices compared to most films ($1.20).[67] It set a house record at the Roxy in New York ($180,589). In the following week, Variety's reporting had 27 theatres playing the movie which in total grossed close to $800,000 taking its gross to $1.5 million in two weeks.[68]

The film was condemned by Cardinal Francis Spellman and the Legion of Decency who threatened a boycott of Catholic theatregoers. Fox originally decided to fight the ban claiming the ruling was "harsh" and "unfair" considering all the effort they put in to get the movie past the censors.[69]

The studio changed its mind. A number of changes were made to the film, including adding a prologue which criticised Amber, saying, "the wages of sin is death" and adding an epilogue where Cornel Wilde says "may God have mercy on both of us for our sins." The film was re-released in December 1947.[70]