WILL THERE REALLY BE A MORNING?

US, 1983, 150 minutes, Colour.
Susan Blakely, Lee Grant, John Heard, Melanie Mayron, Royal Dano.
Directed by Fielder Cook.

Will There Ever Be a Morning is a quotation from a poem by Emily Dickinson. It is read by Susan Blakely at the opening of this film as she portrays Frances Farmer from college age through her Hollywood career, her downfall and being institutionalised, her final comeback to life.

The film came out after Graham Clifford's award-winning Frances. In that film Jessica Lange and Kim Stanley gave powerful performances as mother and daughter. Susan Blakely is not as high-powered as Jessica Lang but gives a forceful performance. However, she is out-acted by Lee Grant as a monstrous mother, dominating, not realising how much she was projecting of her own life and problems onto her daughter, completely domineering. It is an excellent tour de force. The supporting cast is interesting, including Royal Dano as Frances's weak-willed father, John Heard as a very selfish Clifford Odets and Melanie Meyron as an enterprising stage director.

The film, designed for the television audience, does not have such horrifying institution sequences as did Frances. However, using the voice-over as autobiography by Frances Farmer, it shows her mental collapse and life in the institutions. It also gives some insight into Hollywood system and her filming of the Howard Hawks/William Wyler Come and Get It.

Direction is by Fielder Cook, director of many films and telemovies.

1.The impact of this story of Frances Farmer? A Hollywood actress? A person suffering? A family story? Media and show business?

2.The film based on Frances Farmer's autobiography, the emphasis on Frances wanting to be a writer, the tone of the quote from Emily Dickinson used by Frances and by her mother? The autobiographical perspective of the film?

3.The length of the film, audiences experiencing Frances's life, experiences, downfall? The period in the institution, helplessness? Mental illness? The period settings, Seattle in the '30s and '40s, Hollywood, New York, the mental institution? The musical score?

4.The portrait of Frances Farmer - audience knowledge of her career from the film Frances? From her own films? The prologue with her as a little girl and her mother's performance for collecting bonds, singing `Pack Up Your Troubles'? Sitting reading the poetry? Her life at school, her writing, winning the essay competition, her shunning publicity, her mother taking over? The award and her further wins - especially winning the trip to Moscow (and its only being suggested in dialogue)? To New York? Her ambitions to be a writer, going to college, the courses, the encounter with Sophie, acting, performing and being successful? Her relationship with her father and her devotion to him? Her friendship with Lottie, shared companionship at home? Her relationship with her mother, the dominance of her mother, her mother's continual commentary, criticisms, corrections, projections of her own problems? Interactions, her mother taking over, press conferences? Her mother's decision about Hollywood? Her going to New York, meeting Clifford Odets, the clashes with him, her interest in the plays? The screen test at Paramount, her reaction to this, meeting Bill Anderson, her marrying him, career, marriage, the marriage's collapse? His devotion to her? Screen tests, films, her enjoying acting in Come and Get It, her intensity on the lot, the discussions with Howard Hawks, antagonism towards William Wyler? The pressures of the studio? Her not wanting to go back home for the premiere, at home, her tantrums, resisting, her mother persuading her, the home town's reaction and its success? Further career in films? Her antagonism, not thinking much of films? Her mental disorder, drinking, drugs, men? Pick-ups? Her taunting her parents with this? Going to New York, performing in Golden Boy, living with Odets and his treatment of her, his betrayal of his wife? The effect of the group and acting? Her further collapse, return to Hollywood, drinking, driving, the arrest and her abuse, wardship of the state, her mother handing over custody? The treatment, going into the institution, the treatment there, the fellow sufferers, not being able to be rehabilitated, the shock treatment, other treatments? The interviews and the questions, people blaming her for her relationship with her mother? Demanding that her mother visit her? The difficulty, her mother telling her off, bringing the ladies in to see her and demanding that she smile? Eventually let out, returning home, her mother's loosening grasp on reality, her father's weakness yet her love for him? The treatment at home, her mother's tantrums, holding her authority over Frances? Frances discovering the documents, the humiliation and suffering of having to stay in the institution for so long, her parents' fears? Her turning the tables, living her own life, writing? The remainder of her life? Portrait of the collapse of a Hollywood star?

5.The portrait of Lillian Farmer, Lee Grant's performance? Selling bonds and her acting skills? Living through her daughter? The separation from her husband, coming back, dominating him? Continual criticisms as to even how to eat food, etc? Commands and demands? The essay, winning, the press conference? Approving of Hollywood? Going to Hollywood, making demands, approving of Bill? The premiere and her persuading Frances to go? The reaction with the press? Frances's collapse, her handing her over to the institution? The visit, her savage behaviour towards her daughter? Getting her out, her growing older and her own madness? Holding her daughter under her for so many years? The reversal of positions? Portrait of a woman living vicariously through her daughter?

6.The portrait of the father, love for his daughter, subjugation, quiet at the table, legal documents, unable to help his daughter, welcoming her home, his complicity with his wife?

7.Hollywood, the stars, the star's life, wealth, drinking, the police and their reaction, agents, press conferences, premieres?

8.Bill Anderson, the hopeful, the poor screen test, devotion to Frances, love, the collapse of their marriage?

9.Clifford Odets, his skill as a playwright, selfishness, marriage to Louise Rayner, dominating people, the affair with Frances, dropping her from the play?

10.Sophie, seeing the skills in Frances, the reviews, her directing her in the play, giving her a new sense of direction?

11.The portrait of the '30s and '40s, the media, Hollywood syndromes, stars? Family and relationships, dominance? The media?