IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
Love among the Forsytes is strange, full of tradition, melancholy and gold digging in this film treatise on Victorian-age rigidity and vestiges of a flawed society.Love among the Forsytes is strange, full of tradition, melancholy and gold digging in this film treatise on Victorian-age rigidity and vestiges of a flawed society.Love among the Forsytes is strange, full of tradition, melancholy and gold digging in this film treatise on Victorian-age rigidity and vestiges of a flawed society.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 1 nomination total
Jimmy Aubrey
- Cabby
- (uncredited)
Frank Baker
- Lord Dunstable
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOriginally Pidgeon was cast as Soames and Flynn as young Jolyon, but the actors felt they wanted to go against type and agreed to switch roles.
- GoofsIn an era of corset-wearing ladies, there is a scene where Irene confronts Soames in his office about going on vacation. Greer Garson is dressed in a Victorian nightgown and robe, but in various scenes of her seated, her bra straps are visible.
- Quotes
Irene Forsyte: [Seeing Soames for the first time in years in a Parisian gallery] Five years! It's quite a long time! How is London?
Soames Forsyte: [Sadly] Just as gray as ever. Perhaps a little grayer... now.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership (1949)
- SoundtracksThe Lancer's Quadrilles: La Dorset
Composed by Spagnoletti
[the first dance at June's ball]
Featured review
Greer Garson is "That Forsyte Woman" in a 1949 film that also stars Errol Flynn, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Young and Janet Leigh. The story is told in flashback. Garson is Irene, a beautiful but poverty-stricken woman who marries Soames Forsyte (Flynn), admitting from the first that she does not love him. Soames isn't the only Forsyte in whom Irene has an interest - she loves the paintings done by Jolyon Forsyte (Pidgeon), though she learns quickly that he is the family outcast, not even permitted to see his daughter, June (Leigh). Irene seeks to bring Jolyon back into the family and to reunite him with June, who is about to be married to an architect, Philip Bosinney (Young) - while she herself is falling for Philip, and he with her.
MGM spared not one cent in giving "That Forsyte Woman" primo attention - the cost of Garson's gorgeous costumes alone could have probably paid for three lesser films; the Technicolor, sets, and photography are all stunning; and in Flynn and Garson, you have two top stars.
Unfortunately, the superficial gloss can't cover the film's flaws. For an adulteress, Greer Garson is pretty ladylike - there is no unbridled passion - and zero chemistry - between Irene and Philip. In fact, the inference is that while she loves Philip in her heart, nothing except a few kisses has actually happened. Not being familiar with the source material, I don't know if this was the case or not. And I'm sorry - if I had to pick between the handsome Flynn and Robert Young wearing some sort of curly hairpiece, I know which way I'd go. Philip Bosinney is described as a little older than June - well, Janet Leigh was 21 or so at the time of the filming and probably playing an 18-year-old. Young was about 40. And looked it. Fond as I am of Young's work, this was blatant miscasting. The role needed to be sexed up a little so we see what the fuss is about - Robert Mitchum, Burt Lancaster, someone hot and in that 30-ish age range.
Errol Flynn does an excellent job as the angry, frustrated and jealous Soames. It seems that with a few exceptions, by the late '40s, Flynn no longer played roles that exhibited what made him Errol Flynn - charm, dash, a devilish smile, and natural athleticism. While this is certainly a better role than he had in "Cry Wolf," again, it does not play to Flynn's strengths. Walter Pidgeon is very good as Jolyon and of course he's great with Garson. He should be, considering all the films they made together.
Though the story isn't that absorbing, I still recommend this film for its sheer beauty - not only in its look, but for the beauty of Garson, Flynn and Leigh, and the sturdy handsomeness of Pidgeon. "That Forsyte Woman" is a cake with an incredible icing, but the cake is pretty dry.
MGM spared not one cent in giving "That Forsyte Woman" primo attention - the cost of Garson's gorgeous costumes alone could have probably paid for three lesser films; the Technicolor, sets, and photography are all stunning; and in Flynn and Garson, you have two top stars.
Unfortunately, the superficial gloss can't cover the film's flaws. For an adulteress, Greer Garson is pretty ladylike - there is no unbridled passion - and zero chemistry - between Irene and Philip. In fact, the inference is that while she loves Philip in her heart, nothing except a few kisses has actually happened. Not being familiar with the source material, I don't know if this was the case or not. And I'm sorry - if I had to pick between the handsome Flynn and Robert Young wearing some sort of curly hairpiece, I know which way I'd go. Philip Bosinney is described as a little older than June - well, Janet Leigh was 21 or so at the time of the filming and probably playing an 18-year-old. Young was about 40. And looked it. Fond as I am of Young's work, this was blatant miscasting. The role needed to be sexed up a little so we see what the fuss is about - Robert Mitchum, Burt Lancaster, someone hot and in that 30-ish age range.
Errol Flynn does an excellent job as the angry, frustrated and jealous Soames. It seems that with a few exceptions, by the late '40s, Flynn no longer played roles that exhibited what made him Errol Flynn - charm, dash, a devilish smile, and natural athleticism. While this is certainly a better role than he had in "Cry Wolf," again, it does not play to Flynn's strengths. Walter Pidgeon is very good as Jolyon and of course he's great with Garson. He should be, considering all the films they made together.
Though the story isn't that absorbing, I still recommend this film for its sheer beauty - not only in its look, but for the beauty of Garson, Flynn and Leigh, and the sturdy handsomeness of Pidgeon. "That Forsyte Woman" is a cake with an incredible icing, but the cake is pretty dry.
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- La dinastía de los Forsyte
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $3,710,000
- Runtime1 hour 53 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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