SPLENDOUR

US, 1935, 75 minutes, Black and white.
Joel Mc Crea, Miriam Hopkins, David Niven, Helen Westley, Billie Burke.
Directed by Elliot Nugent.

A thirties soap opera par excellence. A Samuel Goldwyn production, directed by actor-director Elliott Nugent who was to direct many entertaining films in the forties like The Male Animal and Welcome Stranger, the film teams Joel Mc Crea and Miriam Hopkins who had been in so many films together in the thirties. David Niven also appears in an early role.

The treatment is solemn especially in its presentation of American wealthy families and their snobbery and the contrast with the poor. The film shows the effect of the influence of the Hayes Office and while the story has its sordid tones, these are merely suggested. The popularity of this kind of film has continued over the decades and is in many ways very little different from the soap operas of the sixties and seventies. However, the title and the language of the screen play give it a ‘noble’ tone.

1. The qualities of thirties' soap opera, its appeal at the time, its impact now? How dated? The perennial values and the perennial themes for interest? How seriously did it take itself at the time?

2. The title. its tone and significance, Phyllis's statement of it at the end? Its reinforcement of her moral stances?

3. Black and white photography, production values, score? The stars in their time?

4. An American story - the parallels with similar British stories? The contrast of the wealthy class with the working class? The presentation of snobbery, the idle rich, gambling and their manipulating others? The contrast with the working families? The attitude of the screenplay towards the family? Its critique?

5. The mother and her push, her background, the wealth that she inherited from her husband, the style of life she was used to, her attachment to her home? Her expectations about her children's marriages? Her disappointment with her daughter, her manoeuvring of Brighton? Her daughter's bitterness? Clancy and his gambling and his offhanded attitude towards her? Her manipulation throughout the film especially her twisting Phyllis and forcing into situations and then not taking the blame? The contrast with her daughter and her bitterness and her moral stances? Clancy and his gambling, arrogance, comparison with Brighton, borrowing from Phyllis? Brighton's punching him at the end? How did the audience want to see this family get its ‘comeuppance’?

6. Joel McCrea’s? style an Brighton? As the hero, his capacity for writing, the reasons for his marrying Phyllis, the possibility of his marrying Edith? His preoccupation with career, money, goals? His motives? His blindness towards Martin and Phyllis? The Mexican job and his self-satisfaction? His realization of the truth, his being hurt, the clash with Phyllis? His finally leaving her out? A credible hero? The moral behind his portrait?

7. Phyllis as heroine? Her background, love for Brighton, her reception into the family, the questioning of her motives? Her attempts to show her love for Brighton? Her being caught by the family and their pressures? Her succumbing? Relationship with Martin, enjoyment of his company, for example the car ride? How much choice did she have? The treatment of the affair by innuendo and suggestion rather than explicitly in the screenplay? The rumours, Brighton's mother and her disregard of these, the daughter and her criticism? The pain in her giving in to Martin for Brighton's sake? Her telling the truth? her work, friendship with Edith? The end and her statement about splendour? A credible heroine? The moral in her character?

8. Audience interest in the basic situation, career and wealth, the moral choices for Phyllis? The response to the suggested treatment?

9. The portrait of Martin - divorced, businessman, no illusions, his propositioning of Phyllis, his love for her, using her? His coming to visit her while she was working and his proposal?

10. The social set in which the family moved, the gossiping and giggling woman? The critique of the family by showing their behaviour and exaggerating it?

11. Themes of society, wealth and luxury versus the ordinary? How real is this picture of society, how much the fantasy world of American soap opera?