LITTLE GLORIA - HAPPY AT LAST

US, 1982, 179 minutes, Colour.
Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, Lucy Guttredge, Martin Balsam, Christopher Plummer, Glynnis Johns, Michael Gross, John Hillerman, Barnard Hughes, Maureen Stapleton.
Directed by Waris Hussein.

Little Gloria - Happy at Last is an interesting telemovie, lavishly made. It focuses on affluent American families in the '20s and '30s, especially the Vanderbilts. The film has given great attention to the style of the period in decor and costumes.

The film was directed by Waris Hussein (director of films in England like A Touch of Love, Melody, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, and telemovies in America - Callie and Son). The film has an impressive case led by Bette Davis as the matriarch, Alice Vanderbilt. Christopher Plummer has an effective role in the early part of the film as ailing playboy Reggie Vanderbilt. Angela Lansbury sustains the film as the competent Gertrude Vanderbilt. Lucy Guttridge is very good in the central role of Gloria Morgan. There are excellent vignettes from such actors as John Hillerman as a caustic gossip columnist and Glynnis Johns as Gloria's eccentric mother.,

The film is based on a best-seller by Barbara Goldmsith.

1. An entertaining and interesting telemovie? For American audiences? Non-Americans? Interest in the plot, characters, situations? The visual flair of the film?

2. Production values: re-creation of period in the United States, Europe? The lifestyles of the rich? The strong attention to period detail? Contemporary musical score? The length of the film and the sustaining of interest?

3. Americana: the facts about American families, their behaviour, standards? Their dreams and ambitions? Consequences? Success and failure? The differing generations? Power, manipulation, selfishness and their consequences?

4. The title and its irony? The family background, G1drials birth, upbringing, custody case? Her experiences in later life and coping with the controversies? The failure of reconciliation with her mother? The irony of the title: happy at last..., if ever?

5. The portrait of the Vanderbilts: their status as an East Coast family, their name, pride? wealth, business interests, political and social influence? Mansions? Typical? 'WASPS'? Their narrow attitudes e.g. towards Catholics, Jews? The matriarch and her dignity, severity, love for her children, understanding them, willingness to relent? Her love for Gloria? Reggie as the affable middle-aged man, divorced, charm, ill-health, gambler? Gertrude and her competence, kindness, pride, wanting to do the right thing? Bette Davis' style as Alice; age, dress, her not favouring Gloria, meeting her, change of heart, later helping her?~ Her grief at Reggie's death? His charm and her understanding it? Her confrontation with Gertrude about her life? The impact of her death? Reggie as affable, charming, serious? Falling in love with Gloria? The hope for the child, the will? Gloria's plans for travel and Reggie's death?

6. Gertrude and her style: sophisticated, wealthy, a sculptor? Her husband, advisers, affairs and her private discretion? Discussions with her mother? Her belief in the family, supporting it? Interest in little Gloria, concern about her upbringing, minding her, decisions about her education? Discussions with the trustees, the judge? information from the nurse? Investigations and court case? Her motivation?

7. Gloria as young and ingenuous? Her experience? Her travelling upbringing, her sisters and their affluent marriages and divorces, her mother and her notions of grandness, living at the Waldorf, Spanish ancestry and nobility? Her pushy mother? Separated from the diplomat father? The Catholic tradition in name? Gloria falling in love, meeting the Vanderbilts. lyrical interludes with Reggie, the marriage, plans, the will and his debts, the birth of their daughter? Her coping with his death? Under-age, inability to cope? The support of her sisters? Her mother and the growing antagonism?

8. Gloria and her daughter: legal arrangements. the judge? Doing her best but inadequately? Her love of travel, wealth, Europe? Loving her daughter - but at a distance? Thoughtless. affluent lifestyle, scandals? Servants' animosity? The parallel with her sisters, the influence of her mother? Distance from the Vanderbilts and feeling inferior to them? Her ousting her mother from her home? Employing the nurse and Gloria’s affection for the nurse? A build-up to confrontation?

9. Little Gloria as a pampered and favoured baby, heiress, news headlines, pampered? Always seen as special? The Vanderbilts, the travel to Europe? England and her dislike of tastes? Her schooling, writing letters home, an eccentric little girl animosity towards her mother? The bond with her nurse? The Catholic baptism, saying her prayers (and later not being able to remember then, well)? Her return to America and the Lindbergh kidnap headlines, her phobia about kidnapping, nightmares? The visits to the various doctors, the health regimes? Her attitudes being poisoned by the nurse? Fearing her mother? The nurse and little Gloria running away?

10. Maureen Stapleton's portrait of the nurse: employed, Irish, narrow, strong Catholic? Sleeping in the same room as little Gloria for years? Bitter, possessive, despising the mother? Poisoning the daughter's mind? Keeping in touch with Laura, the venomous letters? Influence with Gertrude? Taking little Gloria away? Her hostile reaction to being sacked? Her viciousness in the court? What harm had she done Gloria?

11. Laura and her eccentric manner, behaviour, way that she brought up her children, lack of support from Gloria, keeping in touch with the nurse, turning on her daughter, exposing her to scandalous accusations, friendship with Gertrude?

12. The custody trial: the lawyer, wanting the truth from Gloria, behaviour in the court, legal aspects, scandal and evidence, servants' testimony? The impression that he made? His lack of success in the case?

13. Maury as a chorus commenting on Gloria's behaviour? The bitchy gossip columnist - being at society functions, his manner of speaking, wit, incisiveness? His dictating his articles? The changing opinions via his chorus comments?

14. The judge, the pressure of the case, his cantankerous behaviour, sympathies, growing erratic comments, the history of madness?

15. The decision of the court, the effect on little Gloria? The effect on her mother? On Gertrude, on the nurse? Happy at last - and the final information given?

16. The audience interest in the doings of families with wealth and in high places? The glamorising of universal problems? Exploration of behaviour, manipulation and motives?