Dragonwyck - Gene Tierney

directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
USA 1946

Based upon the bestselling novel “Dragonwyck” by Anya Seton, this is Joseph L. Mankiewicz’ directorial debut.

It tells the story of the naïve farm girl Miranda (Gene Tierney). When she gets an invitation from a distant cousin, Nicholas Van Ryn (Vincent Price), to stay at his mansion. After much persuasion, she talks her father into letting her leave and thus she leaves her very religious family to live a life with the terribly rich and elegant.

But life at Dragonwyck is not quiet what she expected. Van Ryn is cold and tyrannical, and both his wife and daughters starve for affection. When his wife dies, he asks for the hand of Miranda, but she declines and returns home. However Van Ryn is set to marry Miranda, and after a few months he pays the family a visit and asks for her hand once more.

Returning to Dragonwyck, his kindness towards her soon turns into cold. Not only does their newborn son die, but a new law also allows the tenants to buy their land, which leaves Van Ryn without income. Soon Miranda falls ill, and her doctor suspects her of being poisoned, the same way Van Ryn poisoned his former wife. When Van Ryn is confronted, he reveals himself as mad and is shot. The doctor accompanies Miranda to her home.

Originally to be directed by Ernest Lubitsch, he fell ill and Mankiewicz, who wrote the adaptation, was offered the directors chair. From a production point of view, a very safe first film. The book was a bestseller and the chemistry between Gene Tierney and Vincent Price had already been proven solid twice before in “Laura” by Otto Preminger in 1944 and in “Leave her to Heaven” by John Stahl in 1945, for which Tierney got an Oscar nomination.

It is not really a Mankiewicz, or for that matter a Lubitsch, type of film, being a somewhat ordinary gothic romantic drama, but Mankiewicz takes full advantage of his leading actors, even though one can argue, that Tierney perhaps is miscast, even though she plays her naivety brilliantly. On the other hand, Price is superb as the mad Dutch aristocrat, who hates his wife for not giving him a son, and blames Miranda for the death of his newborn son.

The result is a haunting classic gothic tale and a must-see for all lovers of Tierney, Price and Mankiewicz. Highly recommended.

Henrik Sylow

Posters

Theatrical Release: April 10, 1946

Reviews DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

Optimum - Region 2 - PAL vs. Carlotta Films - Region 2 - PAL*

*This DVD is only available in the Mankiewicz Boxset which also includes A Letter to Three Wives (compared HERE) and 5 Fingers.

Big thanks to Vincent L. and Henrik Sylow for captures!

(Optimum - Region 2 - PAL LEFT vs. Carlotta Films - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)

DVD Box Cover		*This DVD is only available in the Mankiewicz Boxset which also includes A Letter to Three Wives (compared HERE) and 5 Fingers.
Distribution	Optimum Region 2 - PAL	Carlotta Films Region 2 PAL
Runtime	1:39:00 (4% PAL speedup)	1:38:33 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.40 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.0 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate : Optimum
Bitrate - Carlotta Films
Audio	2.0 Dolby Digital English	2.0 Dolby Digital English
Subtitles	none	French, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Optimum Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • none DVD Release Date: April 4, 2005 Keep Case Chapters 12	Release Information: Studio: Carlotta Films Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Interview of Pascal Mérigeau (12:03 / French) • Interview of J. P. Berthomé (12:30 / French) • Audio commentary on selected scenes by J. P. Berthomé (10:25 / French) • Gene Tierney (8:10 / French) • Part 1 of an Interview with J. L. Mankiewicz (51:41 / English with removable French subtitles) DVD Release Date: November 17th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters 12

Comments

ADDITION: Carlotta Films - PAL - Dec 05' - Image quality appears equal. Although the majority of the Carlotta extras are in French (including the commentary), the 51 minute Mankiewicz interview is in English with optional French subs. It seems like a decent boxset for the three Mankiewicz titles, but for frugality - the Optimum is the way to go fore this film.

****

The image lacks sharpness in details, especially in long shots, there are occasional edge enhancements and colour banding, but overall a decent image, especially considering this to be a DVD-5 release. Blacks are solid and the darker the scenes, the better the image.

Sound is 2.0 Dolby Digital and is clear without any noise.

As a discount release from Optimum, it lacks any extras and subtitles. But considering how rare this film is, it is a most welcomed release.

- Henrik Sylow

DVD Menus

(Optimum - Region 2 - PAL LEFT vs. Carlotta Films - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)

Screen Captures

Captures in 768px native resolution