This 1956 drama was directed by the re known Robert Aldrich. He brings the old and the new to this film. The old, being the professionalism and experience of Joan Crawford and matching her with the new, up and coming young talented Cliff Robertson. This was his first starring role. Coming from Broadway he brought a very strong presence to the part. He and Joan were splendid together. In one of her rare underplayed roles, where she isn't playing the queen bee, she gives a sensitive and honest portrayal of a lonely woman who accidentally meets a young man and falls in love. Crawford and those wonderful expressive eyes are beautifully photographed with shadows in glorious black and white. Playing opposite her and definitely holding his own, Robertson goes from nice guy to a sort of psychotic mess. His slow changing from one to the other was masterful. He showed his abilities and what was yet to come his way, including his Academy Award performance in CHARLY. Together Joan and Cliff light up the screen in an almost melodramatic way, yet quite realistic. Reminded me of another Crawford film and another new young actor, Jack Palance in SUDDEN FEAR. Rounding out the cast is Lorne Greene as Cliff's no good father, Vera Miles as the wife asking for a divorce and veteran actor Shepperd Strudwick playing the doctor who heals our hero. Look for two well played supporting roles in this. Bringing comedy relief to the drama is veteran actress Ruth Donnely, as the manager of the apartment building Joan lives in. She just walks into the apartments, picks up newspapers and magazines and makes herself at home bringing all the gossip with her. She's a hoot. There's also a cameo performance by Marjorie Bennett as the waitress of a diner. Just her facial expressions as she waits on our lovers is worth the entire scene. She walks off with it. Remember her as the mother of Victor Buono in BABY JANE? Hats off to a seldom seen movie and one of Crawford's best.
65 Reviews
A fine film and a fine performance by Joan
AlsExGal18 November 2009
Joan Crawford aged like fine wine, and even at 51 she is quite believable as the romantic lead here. She plays Millicent Wetherby, a lonely 40ish woman who has sacrificed her youth taking care of her invalid father. Now he is gone and she feels like life has passed her by until Burt Hanson (Cliff Robertson in only his second film appearance) interrupts her chicken salad one night at a diner. He practically pries open her life, and they begin dating even though he is over ten years younger than she. She tries to be practical, but he sweeps her off her feet and the two elope to Mexico. Then she starts to notice little things...he has told her he was from Racine, now he says he is from Chicago. Burt meets Joan's employer and talks about all of the battles he saw in the military when he has told her previously that he was a supply clerk and never saw action during his time in the service, but the final straw is when an ex-wife she didn't even know about shows up at her door.
This is a hard film to characterize. It's definitely not a soaper, but it has aspects of that. It has romance, dealing with mental illness, and even elements of a thriller to it. It deals with the self-doubt we all have about the choices we have made in life. No high-camp Johnny Guitar is this film. Although, don't get me wrong, I love Joan in her campy 50's films too.
Cliff Robertson is almost at the bottom of the bill on this one, even though he really is the male lead. This is only his second film, yet he pulls off the part of the child-like Burt like a pro. It's also good to see Ruth Donnelly as Milly's ever-supportive older neighbor twenty years after she was a contract player over at Warner Brothers. I highly recommend this film for anyone who even remotely enjoys Joan Crawford's films. You don't have to be a big fan to appreciate this one.
This is a hard film to characterize. It's definitely not a soaper, but it has aspects of that. It has romance, dealing with mental illness, and even elements of a thriller to it. It deals with the self-doubt we all have about the choices we have made in life. No high-camp Johnny Guitar is this film. Although, don't get me wrong, I love Joan in her campy 50's films too.
Cliff Robertson is almost at the bottom of the bill on this one, even though he really is the male lead. This is only his second film, yet he pulls off the part of the child-like Burt like a pro. It's also good to see Ruth Donnelly as Milly's ever-supportive older neighbor twenty years after she was a contract player over at Warner Brothers. I highly recommend this film for anyone who even remotely enjoys Joan Crawford's films. You don't have to be a big fan to appreciate this one.
Spring-Autumn Romance gets complicated
barryrd22 January 2013
There's something very rewarding about discovering a well-acted mid-20th century movie you never heard about, in this case, Autumn Leaves starring Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson, which I saw on TCM. In some ways dated, this movie shines with excellent acting by the two leads - one a star of the film noir era, and the other, a future star making his film debut. The story involves a romance that work-at-home secretary Joan Crawford only reluctantly embraces because her lover is a much younger man. Cliff Robertson falls head over heels in love with her and they marry. Of course, you know the wheels are going to come off this match. The young man becomes traumatized by the appearance of his father, played by a distinguished looking but thoroughly evil Lorne Green and his femme fatale, Vera Miles. Crawford is confused by the bizarre situation and her husband suffers a complete mental breakdown. There is some surprisingly strong language and domestic violence for a movie of the 1950's. Crawford and Robertson deliver strong performances, particularly as the movie moves to its climax. For his first movie, Robertson shows surprising range and strength as an actor. Presented with a husband who is now unhinged, Crawford, takes action to help him, knowing it might have unintended consequences for both of them. This is a movie that keeps its momentum and doesn't disappoint. Highly recommend.
I must be more sensitive than I thought.
sadie_thompson3 October 2003
I thought this movie was fabulous. It is a woman's picture, but the tag line made it seem like some William Castle horror flick. By no stretch of the imagination is this a silly little weepy. Parts of it seem to be designed to disturb (the typewriter scene), and even the tender moments are edgy to me. (I just used the word "tender" in a sentence. Kill me now.)
Joan Crawford (one of my favorites) plays Millicent Weatherby, a 40ish spinster who spent most of her life taking care of her invalid father and bemoaning her ridiculous name. Score one for Joan already, as she was not 40ish, but 50ish. Cliff Robertson (I tell everyone "Uncle Ben" from "Spiderman") is the 20ish fella she meets in a restaurant. I think he was 20ish, but score one for him too; he's adorable. Cliff hides some horrible secret, and he's a major liar, but Joan falls for him anyway. He takes her to the beach, where they make out in the sand. (I love it when the surf comes crashing up against Joan and boy! does she flinch. Must have been chilly out that day.) They trot off to Mexico and get hitched. Then Joan starts to realize that maybe she doesn't know Cliff as well as she thought she did. He lies and then tells the truth, and who's to know the difference? Even he doesn't. Eventually Cliff's relatives get involved and then things get really sticky. Is Joan out to get Cliff? Tune in to the next episode to find out!!! Seriously, I felt for Joan. She had a rough time. First the invalid father that caused her to lose all contact with the outside world, and then this guy who can't get his lies straight. Oh, but she manages beautifully. At this point in her career, Joan believed that acting and hand gestures didn't have to go together. You sometimes begin to wonder if her arms even function. (I suspect this was a jab at the arm-flailing Bette Davis, but that's just a hunch.) Just watching her stand there, all broad-shouldered and strong, makes you realize that of course she is going to get through. Former chorus girls always do, because they've got guts and know how. Best moment--after Joan decides she's no good for Cliff, she goes back to that aforementioned beach and just sits there. It's a lovely shot, and Joan looks less ironclad than usual.
By the by, a note to the other reviewer whose name I can't remember. Joan Crawford would not DARE say "And you, YA slut." She says, very precisely, "And you, YOU slut." Enunciation was very important to the Texas-born Lucille LeSueur/Joan Crawford. Bette Davis might say "ya slut," but never Joan Crawford.
Joan Crawford (one of my favorites) plays Millicent Weatherby, a 40ish spinster who spent most of her life taking care of her invalid father and bemoaning her ridiculous name. Score one for Joan already, as she was not 40ish, but 50ish. Cliff Robertson (I tell everyone "Uncle Ben" from "Spiderman") is the 20ish fella she meets in a restaurant. I think he was 20ish, but score one for him too; he's adorable. Cliff hides some horrible secret, and he's a major liar, but Joan falls for him anyway. He takes her to the beach, where they make out in the sand. (I love it when the surf comes crashing up against Joan and boy! does she flinch. Must have been chilly out that day.) They trot off to Mexico and get hitched. Then Joan starts to realize that maybe she doesn't know Cliff as well as she thought she did. He lies and then tells the truth, and who's to know the difference? Even he doesn't. Eventually Cliff's relatives get involved and then things get really sticky. Is Joan out to get Cliff? Tune in to the next episode to find out!!! Seriously, I felt for Joan. She had a rough time. First the invalid father that caused her to lose all contact with the outside world, and then this guy who can't get his lies straight. Oh, but she manages beautifully. At this point in her career, Joan believed that acting and hand gestures didn't have to go together. You sometimes begin to wonder if her arms even function. (I suspect this was a jab at the arm-flailing Bette Davis, but that's just a hunch.) Just watching her stand there, all broad-shouldered and strong, makes you realize that of course she is going to get through. Former chorus girls always do, because they've got guts and know how. Best moment--after Joan decides she's no good for Cliff, she goes back to that aforementioned beach and just sits there. It's a lovely shot, and Joan looks less ironclad than usual.
By the by, a note to the other reviewer whose name I can't remember. Joan Crawford would not DARE say "And you, YA slut." She says, very precisely, "And you, YOU slut." Enunciation was very important to the Texas-born Lucille LeSueur/Joan Crawford. Bette Davis might say "ya slut," but never Joan Crawford.
As Much Maternal As Romantic
bkoganbing17 December 2008
Autumn Leaves finds Joan Crawford as fortyish unmarried woman living alone in a court bungalow with landlady Ruth Donnelly for occasional company. A chance meeting with young Cliff Robertson at a concert brings two people with needs together.
Cliff's needs are much bigger than her's however. For all his surface charm, the man has some deep issues. Part of which is that he's grown up without a mother another part of which his father Lorne Greene did him one terrible hurt.
The film was Cliff Robertson's breakout role and he does a fine job, running the whole emotional alphabet from the charming and shallow young man who overcompensates a lot to his mental breakdown with Crawford which is terrifying. Crawford gets one of her best late career roles as well. Not much is said about her mental state, but the way she interprets the part, Joan's needs are as much maternal as romantic and Robertson seems to fill the bill.
For those of you who expect to see wise and patriarchal Ben Cartwright, that is not the Lorne Greene you see here. In fact before being cast in Bonanza, Greene played a nice variety of nasty people in such films as The Buccaneer, Tight Spot, and this one. Vera Miles is also here as Robertson's ex-wife and a piece of work herself.
Robert Aldrich does a good job with Joan Crawford and the rest of the cast. But the film really belongs to Cliff Robertson, after this performance, his career was assured.
Cliff's needs are much bigger than her's however. For all his surface charm, the man has some deep issues. Part of which is that he's grown up without a mother another part of which his father Lorne Greene did him one terrible hurt.
The film was Cliff Robertson's breakout role and he does a fine job, running the whole emotional alphabet from the charming and shallow young man who overcompensates a lot to his mental breakdown with Crawford which is terrifying. Crawford gets one of her best late career roles as well. Not much is said about her mental state, but the way she interprets the part, Joan's needs are as much maternal as romantic and Robertson seems to fill the bill.
For those of you who expect to see wise and patriarchal Ben Cartwright, that is not the Lorne Greene you see here. In fact before being cast in Bonanza, Greene played a nice variety of nasty people in such films as The Buccaneer, Tight Spot, and this one. Vera Miles is also here as Robertson's ex-wife and a piece of work herself.
Robert Aldrich does a good job with Joan Crawford and the rest of the cast. But the film really belongs to Cliff Robertson, after this performance, his career was assured.
Delirious and intoxicating soaper
moonspinner5522 January 2006
Trashy delight about the ill-fated marriage of a naïve middle-aged woman and an enigmatic younger man. Director Robert Aldrich worked surprisingly well with a latter-day Joan Crawford, taming the Hollywood queen bee and bringing her volatile personality down to scale. This gusty, absorbing nonsense gives Crawford a solid role as a single, stay-at-home typist who falls for shifty Cliff Robertson, a pathological liar. Florid melodrama filled with overripe dialogue, overheated set-ups (like the infamous thrown typewriter), fluttering hands and fluttering eyelashes. Aldrich keeps it all simmering nicely, and the entertaining results are certain to please soap buffs. *** from ****
May/December Dearest
Panamint18 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Joan Crawford was a great screen actress and her performance in this otherwise routine melodrama is terrific. But her eyebrows are yikes- in at least one scene they are not smooth across but spiked, the result is unintentionally frightening. Oh well, thats just Joan being Joan.
Usually Anthony Perkins would have played the confused ex-soldier part, but I guess he was busy. So we fortunately have Cliff Robertson in the role. Robertson was at that time a virile and vibrant young New York stage actor who is perfect for this role. Crawford and Robertson work well together.
While the actual character emotions are intense, the methods and practice of psychiatry is rather shallow and obviously just there to up the melodrama quotient. Shallow, skimmed-over psychiatry in a melodrama that is at the same time so definitely intense with Robertson's fine portrayal of suffering is a dichotomy I find detrimental to the film. And in a desperate attempt by the film-makers to enhance the melodrama effect, they actually carry the May/December angle into Mommie territory, emphasizing Crawford's motherly qualities (to the extent she had any).
If you view "Autumn Leaves" strictly for its performances and dramatic attributes while ignoring its implausibility and unnecessary references to May/December Mommie relationships you will certainly enjoy this highly dramatic film. Look for Lorne Green and Vera Miles in excellent portrayals of an unhealthy relationship- and wow does Crawford verbally chew them out in a magnificently acted scene by Ms.Crawford.
Overall "Autumn Leaves" is a noteworthy accomplishment by Aldrich and a great example of his ability and skill.
Usually Anthony Perkins would have played the confused ex-soldier part, but I guess he was busy. So we fortunately have Cliff Robertson in the role. Robertson was at that time a virile and vibrant young New York stage actor who is perfect for this role. Crawford and Robertson work well together.
While the actual character emotions are intense, the methods and practice of psychiatry is rather shallow and obviously just there to up the melodrama quotient. Shallow, skimmed-over psychiatry in a melodrama that is at the same time so definitely intense with Robertson's fine portrayal of suffering is a dichotomy I find detrimental to the film. And in a desperate attempt by the film-makers to enhance the melodrama effect, they actually carry the May/December angle into Mommie territory, emphasizing Crawford's motherly qualities (to the extent she had any).
If you view "Autumn Leaves" strictly for its performances and dramatic attributes while ignoring its implausibility and unnecessary references to May/December Mommie relationships you will certainly enjoy this highly dramatic film. Look for Lorne Green and Vera Miles in excellent portrayals of an unhealthy relationship- and wow does Crawford verbally chew them out in a magnificently acted scene by Ms.Crawford.
Overall "Autumn Leaves" is a noteworthy accomplishment by Aldrich and a great example of his ability and skill.
Superb Aldrich melodrama.
benjulia4 July 2003
Fine performances from Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson give this taught drama more emotional resonance than might be expected from the plot summary. Crawford is superb - all huge eyes and trembling lips, she makes the relationship with Robertson's character believable and moving. The tentative start to the relationship is especially effective.
Burt Hanson's mental deterioration is quite graphically portrayed and at one point, I have to admit, I was peering through my fingers at the screen. It was purely by chance that I stumbled across this movie on late night television. Despite being a fan of classic movies all my life, I had never heard of this one and I have to say that I'm surprised. It deserves to be better known.
Burt Hanson's mental deterioration is quite graphically portrayed and at one point, I have to admit, I was peering through my fingers at the screen. It was purely by chance that I stumbled across this movie on late night television. Despite being a fan of classic movies all my life, I had never heard of this one and I have to say that I'm surprised. It deserves to be better known.
They fell in love over a chicken salad
sol-kay15 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
(There are Spoilers) Five handkerchief plus soap opera With the legendary queen of that movie genre Joan Crawford really outdoing herself as the forty some year-old spinster Millcent "Milly" Wetherby who just about gave up on romance until her knight in shinning armor young sensitive and taking no for an answer Burt Hanson, Cliff Robertson, walked into her life.
At first not at all impressed with Burt, who gentlemanly offered to share a chicken salad with her, Milly just couldn't keep him out of her hair, or booth at the restaurant, with Burt refusing to sit somewhere else! In no time at all the two lovebirds were passionately smooching in front of Milly's condo apartment not at all caring who saw them.
Milly's life changed for the worse some thirty years ago when she was saddled with caring for her ailing father, Selmer Jackson, who eventually died on her. This act of unselfish kindness caused Milly to lose the person whom she was planning to marry Paul, Robert Sherman. Paul just got sick and tired of waiting for Milly to accept his proposal of marriage and just walked out of her life. Now after all these long and lonely years Milly finally found the man that she was willing to spend the rest of her life with handsome young and extremely sensitive Burt Hanson. As things soon turned out Burt was a lot more sensitive then even Milly could have hoped for in a husband. He was far more sensitive in the head then in the heart! Where for Milly is where, in having a loving and successful marriage, it really counted!
As soon as the couple were married Milly started to find things out about Burt that greatly disturbed her. Burt in fact was not the manager of the department store that he work in but a tie salesman who was stealing merchandise from the store to impress Milly! Milly was also shocked to find out that Burt originally came from Chicago not Wisconsin like he always told her. And the biggest surprise of all that Milly got about her now deceitful husband is that he was already married to the young, some 20 years her Junior, and pretty Virginia Hudson, Vera Miles, making her marriage to Burt not only illegal but Burt a bigamist!
With his shady past exposed Burt suddenly became both violent and schizophrenic going off the handle and becoming not only a danger to Milly but himself as well. We, as well as Milly, soon find out the reason for Burt's mental instability. That's when Milly spots Burt's estrange wife Virginia and his swinger dad Mr. Hudson, Loren Green, acting like two star struck young lovers or newlyweds at the hotel pool that Mr. Hanson was staying at!
***SPOILER ALERT*** One of Joan Crawford's best later films, when she was too old to play romantic parts, "Authumn Leaves" leaves you almost in tears in how Joan, as Milly Wetherby, had to suffer and put up with her mentally unstable husband throughout the entire movie. Never giving up on Burt, even after he belted her a couple of times, Milly finally had to have her very sick in the head husband institutionalized for his own good as well as safety. Burt who in his confused and unbalanced mind thought that Milly was trying to get back on him, in the pain and suffering he caused her, in having him committed in a sanitarium for the rest of his life found out in the end that she did it to help not to punish him.
More then anything else it was Burt who was to cure himself of the mental aberrations that he was suffering from more then the psychiatrists and shock treatment that he was getting at the sanitarium. But by far most of all Burt had to finally realize that Milly was not only his wife but good and caring friend as well in her helping him to cure himself on his severe mental illness. And in that Burt passed with flying colors!
At first not at all impressed with Burt, who gentlemanly offered to share a chicken salad with her, Milly just couldn't keep him out of her hair, or booth at the restaurant, with Burt refusing to sit somewhere else! In no time at all the two lovebirds were passionately smooching in front of Milly's condo apartment not at all caring who saw them.
Milly's life changed for the worse some thirty years ago when she was saddled with caring for her ailing father, Selmer Jackson, who eventually died on her. This act of unselfish kindness caused Milly to lose the person whom she was planning to marry Paul, Robert Sherman. Paul just got sick and tired of waiting for Milly to accept his proposal of marriage and just walked out of her life. Now after all these long and lonely years Milly finally found the man that she was willing to spend the rest of her life with handsome young and extremely sensitive Burt Hanson. As things soon turned out Burt was a lot more sensitive then even Milly could have hoped for in a husband. He was far more sensitive in the head then in the heart! Where for Milly is where, in having a loving and successful marriage, it really counted!
As soon as the couple were married Milly started to find things out about Burt that greatly disturbed her. Burt in fact was not the manager of the department store that he work in but a tie salesman who was stealing merchandise from the store to impress Milly! Milly was also shocked to find out that Burt originally came from Chicago not Wisconsin like he always told her. And the biggest surprise of all that Milly got about her now deceitful husband is that he was already married to the young, some 20 years her Junior, and pretty Virginia Hudson, Vera Miles, making her marriage to Burt not only illegal but Burt a bigamist!
With his shady past exposed Burt suddenly became both violent and schizophrenic going off the handle and becoming not only a danger to Milly but himself as well. We, as well as Milly, soon find out the reason for Burt's mental instability. That's when Milly spots Burt's estrange wife Virginia and his swinger dad Mr. Hudson, Loren Green, acting like two star struck young lovers or newlyweds at the hotel pool that Mr. Hanson was staying at!
***SPOILER ALERT*** One of Joan Crawford's best later films, when she was too old to play romantic parts, "Authumn Leaves" leaves you almost in tears in how Joan, as Milly Wetherby, had to suffer and put up with her mentally unstable husband throughout the entire movie. Never giving up on Burt, even after he belted her a couple of times, Milly finally had to have her very sick in the head husband institutionalized for his own good as well as safety. Burt who in his confused and unbalanced mind thought that Milly was trying to get back on him, in the pain and suffering he caused her, in having him committed in a sanitarium for the rest of his life found out in the end that she did it to help not to punish him.
More then anything else it was Burt who was to cure himself of the mental aberrations that he was suffering from more then the psychiatrists and shock treatment that he was getting at the sanitarium. But by far most of all Burt had to finally realize that Milly was not only his wife but good and caring friend as well in her helping him to cure himself on his severe mental illness. And in that Burt passed with flying colors!
A darkly melodramatic autumn
TheLittleSongbird12 February 2020
Saw 'Autumn Leaves' as somebody who admires Joan Crawford, 'Mildred Pierce' being a prime example of what made her such a good actress. It was interesting seeing Cliff Robertson in an early role and a large part of me was very intrigued in seeing how he would fare alongside the more experienced Crawford. Also seeing how one of Robert Aldrich's earlier films would rank with his other films. Melodrama does vary in execution and always has done, but there has never been any personal bias against it as there are some great ones out there.
'Autumn Leaves' is not going to connect with everybody, am aware that some respected critics and fellow prolific reviewers didn't care for the film. For me though, it was very good and a near-must see for anybody that likes Crawford, Robertson and Aldrich. Can totally see why Crawford herself thought highly of the film and her reasoning mirrors my feelings on it (also agree with her that it should be better known), and to me it is among Aldrich's better films if not quite in the same league as the likes of 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' and 'Attack'.
It is not a perfect film. With my biggest reservation being the ending, which for me and some others was too abrupt and tonally was completely at odds with what came before. For a quite dark story to end on such a jarringly pat note was a shame.
Maybe the film is a little too long as well.
Crawford on the other hand is in a role that she was born to play and pulls out all the way. Robertson gives a very distinguished turn in a not easy role to play and actually appreciated that he doesn't go over the top, a big trap for a character that changes as much as he does here. He works very well together with Crawford and personally didn't think that they were too much of a mismatch together in age and acting style and that their styles of acting didn't clash too much, actually thought that the more understand acting of Robertson contrasted well with Crawford's. Lorne Green and particularly Vera Miles are very good in support and Aldrich directs beautifully with material that he is completely at ease with, thematically this is already classic Aldrich.
Visually, 'Autumn Leaves' is handsomely mounted and photographed with a real sense of atmosphere. The music is haunting and sears in intensity, without intruding too much. The script is soap opera but intelligently written and naturally flowing soap opera that doesn't get too overwrought or heavy-handed. The story deserved a much better ending, but the psychological aspect is hard-hitting and pulls no punches (regardless of any debate on how well it has dated) and it is very intense and moving.
On the whole, very good with a lot of things that come off greatly. 8/10
'Autumn Leaves' is not going to connect with everybody, am aware that some respected critics and fellow prolific reviewers didn't care for the film. For me though, it was very good and a near-must see for anybody that likes Crawford, Robertson and Aldrich. Can totally see why Crawford herself thought highly of the film and her reasoning mirrors my feelings on it (also agree with her that it should be better known), and to me it is among Aldrich's better films if not quite in the same league as the likes of 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' and 'Attack'.
It is not a perfect film. With my biggest reservation being the ending, which for me and some others was too abrupt and tonally was completely at odds with what came before. For a quite dark story to end on such a jarringly pat note was a shame.
Maybe the film is a little too long as well.
Crawford on the other hand is in a role that she was born to play and pulls out all the way. Robertson gives a very distinguished turn in a not easy role to play and actually appreciated that he doesn't go over the top, a big trap for a character that changes as much as he does here. He works very well together with Crawford and personally didn't think that they were too much of a mismatch together in age and acting style and that their styles of acting didn't clash too much, actually thought that the more understand acting of Robertson contrasted well with Crawford's. Lorne Green and particularly Vera Miles are very good in support and Aldrich directs beautifully with material that he is completely at ease with, thematically this is already classic Aldrich.
Visually, 'Autumn Leaves' is handsomely mounted and photographed with a real sense of atmosphere. The music is haunting and sears in intensity, without intruding too much. The script is soap opera but intelligently written and naturally flowing soap opera that doesn't get too overwrought or heavy-handed. The story deserved a much better ending, but the psychological aspect is hard-hitting and pulls no punches (regardless of any debate on how well it has dated) and it is very intense and moving.
On the whole, very good with a lot of things that come off greatly. 8/10
Joan Crawford marries a much younger man with fatal consequences.
clanciai27 January 2015
Something is very wrong here. How is it possible for such an intelligent woman of high presence and awareness not to see from the beginning that something is wrong with this so much younger and immature man so persistently making love to her without even knowing her? The story is not credible, and it gets worse all the time. It is a cinematic masterpiece, one of both Robert Aldrich's and Joan Crawford's best, and the splendid direction and cinematography conceals the psychological flaws. Worst of all is the end, which gives you the impression of pasting up a psychological failure. Of course, if the story had been more realistic, it would not have made the same brilliant and fascinating film, which indeed at least keeps you on edge until the dreadful final scene, which ruins everything. I am sure Hitchcock would have called this false ending a disaster. Lorne Greene and Vera Miles add to the story and make it really interesting, but they are too soon disposed of. It's definitely worth seeing for the sake of Joan Crawford, her beauty and splendid acting, but everything else is just put there for the enhancement of her performance.
"Being in love is never easy..."
zetazap810 July 2017
(A line from one of the characters of the movie)
Wow! I watched this on TV on a lark - the movie had a "To Be Announced" and no description, so I didn't know what to expect; I didn't know the story line. My only previous experience with Joan Crawford as an actress was "Baby Jane", and I really don't know much about her.
This was an unexpected treat - the acting throughout is superb, and since it is B&W, the use of dramatic lighting and use of unusual camera angles adds depth and drama to the story.
When Millicent begins to realize that Burt is a pathological liar, it made me want to say, "Run, girl, RUN!". But then, the villains appear on the scene (Vera Miles and Lorne Greene), and the awful truth is revealed. (BTW, I only knew Greene as Ben Cartwright, but when he was younger, he was HOT! And, that VOICE! But, I digress...). One of the best lines - that made me laugh out loud - that other viewers have mentioned, "And YOU....you SLUT!" - is so good because of how Crawford delivers it. Such dignity.
It is a true phenomenon that when a mind is faced with an unspeakable trauma, the creation of a 'fantasy life' can be created to make the trauma more "manageable". Burt's breakdown is understandable, but the horrific truth of how most psycho-therapy was conducted back in the day (drugs and electro-shock therapy) makes the sanitarium scenes difficult to watch.
But...the deep strength of Millicent is the true face of love. To love another so much that she wanted Burt to have a happy future, even if it didn't include her, is what this reviewer sees as the very heart of love. Although actors are trained to portray a wide range of characters and emotions, I believe that a woman must be truly strong to be able to portray Millicent - and that gives one insight as to Joan Crawford's own character.
And, how does it end? That is for you to find out. Watch it - it's gripping, entertaining, engaging - and the kind of movie you can watch with someone special. And, watching how they respond to this movie will give YOU some insights!
Wow! I watched this on TV on a lark - the movie had a "To Be Announced" and no description, so I didn't know what to expect; I didn't know the story line. My only previous experience with Joan Crawford as an actress was "Baby Jane", and I really don't know much about her.
This was an unexpected treat - the acting throughout is superb, and since it is B&W, the use of dramatic lighting and use of unusual camera angles adds depth and drama to the story.
When Millicent begins to realize that Burt is a pathological liar, it made me want to say, "Run, girl, RUN!". But then, the villains appear on the scene (Vera Miles and Lorne Greene), and the awful truth is revealed. (BTW, I only knew Greene as Ben Cartwright, but when he was younger, he was HOT! And, that VOICE! But, I digress...). One of the best lines - that made me laugh out loud - that other viewers have mentioned, "And YOU....you SLUT!" - is so good because of how Crawford delivers it. Such dignity.
It is a true phenomenon that when a mind is faced with an unspeakable trauma, the creation of a 'fantasy life' can be created to make the trauma more "manageable". Burt's breakdown is understandable, but the horrific truth of how most psycho-therapy was conducted back in the day (drugs and electro-shock therapy) makes the sanitarium scenes difficult to watch.
But...the deep strength of Millicent is the true face of love. To love another so much that she wanted Burt to have a happy future, even if it didn't include her, is what this reviewer sees as the very heart of love. Although actors are trained to portray a wide range of characters and emotions, I believe that a woman must be truly strong to be able to portray Millicent - and that gives one insight as to Joan Crawford's own character.
And, how does it end? That is for you to find out. Watch it - it's gripping, entertaining, engaging - and the kind of movie you can watch with someone special. And, watching how they respond to this movie will give YOU some insights!
Cliff and Joan -- Valiant but Mismatched
dinky-430 July 2004
Cliff Robertson's film career began on a high note with the 1955 movie version of William Inge's "Picnic." He had only a supporting role but he was co-starred with Oscar-winner William Holden and he got to kiss leading lady Kim Novak. In some ways "Autumn Leaves" was a bit of a come-down but he now moved up to leading-man status and he played opposite, (and kissed), another Oscar winner, Joan Crawford. He also had the opportunity, in a beach scene that grows reminiscent of "From Here to Eternity," to display a fair amount of "beefcake." He stood shirtless next to William Holden in a locker-room scene in "Picnic" but in that movie, both actors shaved their chests. In "Autumn Leaves" his chest hair has been left intact but the clear peak of his "beefcake" footage came three years later in the colorful "Gidget" which showed off his suntanned torso to memorable effect.
"Autumn Leaves," of course, is very much a Joan Crawford vehicle and it's at its best in the early sequence which shows her attending, all by herself, a performance in a concert hall. Rarely has middle-aged loneliness been better depicted on the screen. Things become a bit "soapy" after that but in a way that satisfies rather than disappoints.
The main problem is that the approximately 20 years which separate Joan from Cliff is simply too great a gulf to make this a plausible romance. This problem became even more pronounced in the 1967 "Berserk" in which Joan played opposite the far-younger Ty Hardin. Come to think of it, Ty had a nifty "beefcake" scene in "Berserk" but that, as they say, is another story.
"Autumn Leaves," of course, is very much a Joan Crawford vehicle and it's at its best in the early sequence which shows her attending, all by herself, a performance in a concert hall. Rarely has middle-aged loneliness been better depicted on the screen. Things become a bit "soapy" after that but in a way that satisfies rather than disappoints.
The main problem is that the approximately 20 years which separate Joan from Cliff is simply too great a gulf to make this a plausible romance. This problem became even more pronounced in the 1967 "Berserk" in which Joan played opposite the far-younger Ty Hardin. Come to think of it, Ty had a nifty "beefcake" scene in "Berserk" but that, as they say, is another story.
Joan Crawford Stands By Her (Psycho) Man
xyzkozak25 September 2014
As the opening credits of "Autumn Leaves" are benignly rolling by, the viewer is treated to listening to the golden, mellow voice of Nat "King" Cole as he effortlessly sings this melodrama's title song.
And even though there were no autumn leaves anywhere to be found in "Autumn Leaves", this song and its lulling effect played (surprising enough) a somewhat significant part when it came to setting the pace and mood of this film's stormy plot-line.
Many years following this picture's 1956 release, Joan Crawford stated, in an interview, that of her later films, "Autumn Leaves" was, indeed, her #1 favourite.
I think that that was kind of a funny thing for Crawford to say, since, from my perspective, I clearly found her to be miscast in her role as Millie Wetherby, the longing, lonely, middle-aged typing-dynamo who finally finds her man (who's half her age) only to discover that an unbalanced mind lurks behind those twinkling, baby-blue eyes of his.
From my point of view, even though "Autumn Leaves" had all the makings of being a fairly intriguing picture and its subject matter was certainly handled in a mature fashion, I found that a lot of the story (especially the ending) just didn't ring true.
Like I said earlier, Joan Crawford just wasn't well-suited for her role as a woman who would allow a man (regardless of how cute he was) to slap her around and brutalize her. And, then, after all was said and done, actually come crawling back for more. (Oh? Yeah!?)
Yes. "Autumn Leaves" was a decidedly flawed affair and its dead-serious dramatics contained some unintentionally humorous moments, but, all the same, I think that this 1950's Chick Flick was certainly well-worth a view just to see how mental illness was looked upon in the realm of Hollywood movies nearly 60 years ago.
Filmed in b&w, "Autumn Leaves" was directed by Robert Aldrich whose other notable films included - Kiss Me Deadly, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane and The Dirty Dozen.
And even though there were no autumn leaves anywhere to be found in "Autumn Leaves", this song and its lulling effect played (surprising enough) a somewhat significant part when it came to setting the pace and mood of this film's stormy plot-line.
Many years following this picture's 1956 release, Joan Crawford stated, in an interview, that of her later films, "Autumn Leaves" was, indeed, her #1 favourite.
I think that that was kind of a funny thing for Crawford to say, since, from my perspective, I clearly found her to be miscast in her role as Millie Wetherby, the longing, lonely, middle-aged typing-dynamo who finally finds her man (who's half her age) only to discover that an unbalanced mind lurks behind those twinkling, baby-blue eyes of his.
From my point of view, even though "Autumn Leaves" had all the makings of being a fairly intriguing picture and its subject matter was certainly handled in a mature fashion, I found that a lot of the story (especially the ending) just didn't ring true.
Like I said earlier, Joan Crawford just wasn't well-suited for her role as a woman who would allow a man (regardless of how cute he was) to slap her around and brutalize her. And, then, after all was said and done, actually come crawling back for more. (Oh? Yeah!?)
Yes. "Autumn Leaves" was a decidedly flawed affair and its dead-serious dramatics contained some unintentionally humorous moments, but, all the same, I think that this 1950's Chick Flick was certainly well-worth a view just to see how mental illness was looked upon in the realm of Hollywood movies nearly 60 years ago.
Filmed in b&w, "Autumn Leaves" was directed by Robert Aldrich whose other notable films included - Kiss Me Deadly, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane and The Dirty Dozen.
And you, you SLUT! You're both so consumed with evil...
Stormy_Autumn11 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I first saw this movie, as a teenager, in 1965. It broke my heart then and I didn't even know or understand a third as much as I do now. But I did understand hurt, anger and violence.
Lorne Greene and Vera Miles were just plain evil in this movie.
Virginia (Vera Miles) married Burt Hanson (Cliff Robertson), to get at his his loving, doting and very wealthy father (Lorne Greene).
Burt, left, totally disillusioned. But, down the road a bit, he met Millicent Wetherby (Joan Crawford) in a diner where she was having dinner. She was sitting alone at a table, he needed a place to set and insisted on joining her. Milly, finally, agreed.
A bit of history on Milly. She didn't like her full name. She had stayed at home to care for her ailing, invalid father. Milly's job was an at-home-typist. She was a hard worker though somewhat reclusive.
A beginning history on Burt. He was younger than Milly, 15 or so years. He was a sweet looker and a romantic talker. In spite of not knowing him or his past, he romanced her off her feet and they ran off to Mexico to get married.
After their wedding, life became very uncomfortable very fast. Milly became the target of rage that Burt had pent up inside of him. She couldn't do anything right. There were beatings and the famous typewriter scene that left her hand smashed. It was obvious he was mentally ill.
Burt's illness was the direct result of finding his wife in the arms of another man...his father. (I don't think it takes much imagination to figure out what was going on.) Of course, Milly didn't know any of this.
After a period of time the 'wife who never was', Virginia, knocked on Milly's door. The 'father who was dead', Mr. Hanson, showed up, too. They wanted to talk to Burt. At that time Burt broke down. Milly learned exactly what happened to him. She became very protective of Burt no matter what he had done to her. She now understood.
Milly came to realize that Burt was destroyed by the actions of his 'wife' and 'father'. She, also, came to realize that he needed more healing than her love alone could give. The look on her face as she followed Burt's doc's advice told all. Milly was letting go of Burt to receive the healing he deserved. She committed him to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. She knew that once healed he might never return. That would be Burt's decision but she loved him!
Meanwhile, before making the decision, Milly had it out, in a big way, with Mr. Hanson and, especially, dear Virginia.....Milly's angry words to her: "And you, you SLUT! You're both so consumed with evil, so ROTTEN!" (Quote from the "Autumn Leaves" fight scene.)
Curious about the ending? See the movie if at all possible. It's worth it.
"Autumn Leaves" directed by Robert Aldrich. Cliff's first starring role along side a pro. Joan is amazing. It stretched both of their emotional abilities. Lorne and Vera are people you usually love, not this time. Unusual hate-filled roles for 2 excellent actors.
"Theme from Autumn Leaves" sung by Nat 'King' Cole! It's beautiful.
Lorne Greene and Vera Miles were just plain evil in this movie.
Virginia (Vera Miles) married Burt Hanson (Cliff Robertson), to get at his his loving, doting and very wealthy father (Lorne Greene).
Burt, left, totally disillusioned. But, down the road a bit, he met Millicent Wetherby (Joan Crawford) in a diner where she was having dinner. She was sitting alone at a table, he needed a place to set and insisted on joining her. Milly, finally, agreed.
A bit of history on Milly. She didn't like her full name. She had stayed at home to care for her ailing, invalid father. Milly's job was an at-home-typist. She was a hard worker though somewhat reclusive.
A beginning history on Burt. He was younger than Milly, 15 or so years. He was a sweet looker and a romantic talker. In spite of not knowing him or his past, he romanced her off her feet and they ran off to Mexico to get married.
After their wedding, life became very uncomfortable very fast. Milly became the target of rage that Burt had pent up inside of him. She couldn't do anything right. There were beatings and the famous typewriter scene that left her hand smashed. It was obvious he was mentally ill.
Burt's illness was the direct result of finding his wife in the arms of another man...his father. (I don't think it takes much imagination to figure out what was going on.) Of course, Milly didn't know any of this.
After a period of time the 'wife who never was', Virginia, knocked on Milly's door. The 'father who was dead', Mr. Hanson, showed up, too. They wanted to talk to Burt. At that time Burt broke down. Milly learned exactly what happened to him. She became very protective of Burt no matter what he had done to her. She now understood.
Milly came to realize that Burt was destroyed by the actions of his 'wife' and 'father'. She, also, came to realize that he needed more healing than her love alone could give. The look on her face as she followed Burt's doc's advice told all. Milly was letting go of Burt to receive the healing he deserved. She committed him to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. She knew that once healed he might never return. That would be Burt's decision but she loved him!
Meanwhile, before making the decision, Milly had it out, in a big way, with Mr. Hanson and, especially, dear Virginia.....Milly's angry words to her: "And you, you SLUT! You're both so consumed with evil, so ROTTEN!" (Quote from the "Autumn Leaves" fight scene.)
Curious about the ending? See the movie if at all possible. It's worth it.
"Autumn Leaves" directed by Robert Aldrich. Cliff's first starring role along side a pro. Joan is amazing. It stretched both of their emotional abilities. Lorne and Vera are people you usually love, not this time. Unusual hate-filled roles for 2 excellent actors.
"Theme from Autumn Leaves" sung by Nat 'King' Cole! It's beautiful.
Cliff in pursuit of Joan? You've got to be kidding!
dglink4 August 2007
The unconvincing romance between an older woman and a younger man in "Autumn Leaves" might have been improved with different casting. Unfortunately, credibility is strained beyond the breaking point when a young Cliff Robertson supposedly falls for the explicitly mature Joan Crawford. Crawford's age is not the critical problem, but her makeup, coiffure, and hard character certainly are drawbacks to affection. Crawford's ominous black eyebrows and mannish hair would have intimidated Attila the Hun. Although only 19 years separated the two actors, Robertson seems younger than his years, while Crawford appears much older than hers. A softer, warmer actress such as Jane Wyman or Loretta Young might have made this melodramatic fluff more compelling.
Despite the miscasting, Crawford offers a brave performance and perhaps realized the absurdity of her role. She is strong and independent in the mold of Mildred Pierce and not the nurturing maternal woman that young Robertson needs. Cliff Robertson, however, is quite effective and convincing as the handsome suitor with a ton of baggage that begins to spill out soon after he has captured Crawford's affections. Hinting at his later success as "Charley," Robertson shows range in his performance that evolves from the appealing boyish stranger, who works his way into Crawford's life, to the enigmatic husband, whose personality cracks widen into chasms. Unfortunately, dated mumbo-jumbo about psychiatric treatment and Freudian malarkey about incestuous relationships further destroy what little credence the melodramatic proceedings retain.
Fans of Joan Crawford will likely revel in her performance here, because she displays all of her trademarks from the thick eyebrows to the teary-eyed self-sacrifice. While not at the level of camp, "Autumn Leaves" does get the eyes rolling at times, and the syrupy title song, which is echoed during the film and reprised at the end, will provoke a gag reflex in sensitive viewers. However, the pleasures of watching Cliff Robertson at the beginning of his career and a wonderful Ruth Donnelly nearing the end of hers may be enough to warrant a viewing. For Crawford devotees, however, "Autumn Leaves" is essential.
Despite the miscasting, Crawford offers a brave performance and perhaps realized the absurdity of her role. She is strong and independent in the mold of Mildred Pierce and not the nurturing maternal woman that young Robertson needs. Cliff Robertson, however, is quite effective and convincing as the handsome suitor with a ton of baggage that begins to spill out soon after he has captured Crawford's affections. Hinting at his later success as "Charley," Robertson shows range in his performance that evolves from the appealing boyish stranger, who works his way into Crawford's life, to the enigmatic husband, whose personality cracks widen into chasms. Unfortunately, dated mumbo-jumbo about psychiatric treatment and Freudian malarkey about incestuous relationships further destroy what little credence the melodramatic proceedings retain.
Fans of Joan Crawford will likely revel in her performance here, because she displays all of her trademarks from the thick eyebrows to the teary-eyed self-sacrifice. While not at the level of camp, "Autumn Leaves" does get the eyes rolling at times, and the syrupy title song, which is echoed during the film and reprised at the end, will provoke a gag reflex in sensitive viewers. However, the pleasures of watching Cliff Robertson at the beginning of his career and a wonderful Ruth Donnelly nearing the end of hers may be enough to warrant a viewing. For Crawford devotees, however, "Autumn Leaves" is essential.
Even Aldrich can't spark up sodden melodrama about May-September marriage
bmacv2 January 2004
Self-employed typist Joan Crawford gets more than chicken salad when she decides to treat herself to a post-concert snack. The only empty seat is in her booth, and Cliff Robertson wants to sit there. Proper down to her white gloves, she rather frostily discourages him, but he's not one to take a hint. She thaws a bit, and he walks her back to her shabby-genteel courtyard bungalow. Next they're spending afternoons at the beach and evenings at the movies.
Still Crawford, who missed several marital boats while caring for her invalid father and has resigned herself to spinsterhood, encourages him to date women more his `age' (at the time of filming, Crawford was 52, Robertson 31). But she succumbs to his persistence and marries him in Mexico. Soon, however, she catches him in little white lies, some of which turn out to be not so little, such as the fact that he was married before, to Vera Miles, and that his supposedly dead father (Lorne Green) is very much alive.
When confronted with the truth, Robertson goes wacko, sobbing in the bedroom for days on end or smashing Crawford's hand with her typewriter (he was aiming for her head). The men in white coats come to take him off for a restful spell of electro-shock treatments, while Crawford is left to deal with the ugly secrets from his past, involving his ex-wife and his father....
Autumn Leaves (Nat King Cole sings the title song) is a women's weeper, not the sort of movie associated with Robert Aldrich especially not hot on the heels of Kiss Me Deadly and The Big Knife. And though he tries to play up Robertson's mental instability and the dirty duplicity of Green and Miles, he fails. Not only is the material too sodden, he's up against long-suffering victim Joan Crawford, who had all but patented this kind of role. She inevitably prevails, as she always would (at least until Aldrich next directed her, in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane). That memorable turn aside, she had but one `top movie' (The Story of Esther Costello) to go before she sank into also-starring roles and shockfests like Strait Jacket, Berserk! and Trog. But Autumn Leaves marks the beginning of her decline.
Still Crawford, who missed several marital boats while caring for her invalid father and has resigned herself to spinsterhood, encourages him to date women more his `age' (at the time of filming, Crawford was 52, Robertson 31). But she succumbs to his persistence and marries him in Mexico. Soon, however, she catches him in little white lies, some of which turn out to be not so little, such as the fact that he was married before, to Vera Miles, and that his supposedly dead father (Lorne Green) is very much alive.
When confronted with the truth, Robertson goes wacko, sobbing in the bedroom for days on end or smashing Crawford's hand with her typewriter (he was aiming for her head). The men in white coats come to take him off for a restful spell of electro-shock treatments, while Crawford is left to deal with the ugly secrets from his past, involving his ex-wife and his father....
Autumn Leaves (Nat King Cole sings the title song) is a women's weeper, not the sort of movie associated with Robert Aldrich especially not hot on the heels of Kiss Me Deadly and The Big Knife. And though he tries to play up Robertson's mental instability and the dirty duplicity of Green and Miles, he fails. Not only is the material too sodden, he's up against long-suffering victim Joan Crawford, who had all but patented this kind of role. She inevitably prevails, as she always would (at least until Aldrich next directed her, in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane). That memorable turn aside, she had but one `top movie' (The Story of Esther Costello) to go before she sank into also-starring roles and shockfests like Strait Jacket, Berserk! and Trog. But Autumn Leaves marks the beginning of her decline.
Common Cult-ural Claptrap
naught-moses8 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
She's the typical co-dependent, stand-by-your-man, til-death-do-us-part product of the in-doctrine-ations of the adjust-til-it-kills-you, (supposedly) Greatest Generation. He's (ostensibly) the product of a narcissistic (and crazy-making) father and the equally narcissistic -- and father-resembling -- woman he married in late adolescence.
The drama is mid-century pulp fiction, and, of course, (delusionally) hopeful. (Hey! She's getting her @$$ kicked, seemingly forgetting it, and coming back for more.) (But... "Love cures all!") (Please.)
High-voltage / high-amperage / long-duration electroconvulsive and/or coma-inducing insulin therapy had =no= such effect upon psychotic patients of the heroic sort depicted here. Patients treated thus tended to emerge with wholesale memory loss and not know their own parents or spouses for months, years, or... forever. But they =were= easier to manage.
Was he looking for a "good enough mother" in Joanie's character? Maybe so. One thing's for sure, though: Joanie at =50= was downright =amazing= looking. (I know. "The best that money can buy" and all that, but even so...) she was looking pretty good. (Ditch those eyebrows, though, Joan. Ya looked so much better in "The Women.")
The drama is mid-century pulp fiction, and, of course, (delusionally) hopeful. (Hey! She's getting her @$$ kicked, seemingly forgetting it, and coming back for more.) (But... "Love cures all!") (Please.)
High-voltage / high-amperage / long-duration electroconvulsive and/or coma-inducing insulin therapy had =no= such effect upon psychotic patients of the heroic sort depicted here. Patients treated thus tended to emerge with wholesale memory loss and not know their own parents or spouses for months, years, or... forever. But they =were= easier to manage.
Was he looking for a "good enough mother" in Joanie's character? Maybe so. One thing's for sure, though: Joanie at =50= was downright =amazing= looking. (I know. "The best that money can buy" and all that, but even so...) she was looking pretty good. (Ditch those eyebrows, though, Joan. Ya looked so much better in "The Women.")
Crawford at her best and Aldrich close to his
Handlinghandel18 August 2007
Even 50 years after it was released, this movie is shocking. The betrayal is appalling. The incest is not romanticized or played for any sort of laughs. The physical violence is both subtle and horrifying: We don't quite see what Cliff Robertson does to typist Joan Crawford but we get the idea very clearly. And it is shocking almost beyond words.
Crawford does a fine job. She may have been better in a couple other movies -- her signature, "Mildred Pierce"; "Sudden Fear." But as entertaining as "Mildred Pierce" is and as beautifully made as "Sudden Fear" is, I'd choose this as the best movie in which she appears (if possibly not her single best performance.) Cliff Robertson is perfectly cast as the handsome young man who woos her. He IS handsome. But this character is troubled, and Robertson plays that brilliantly. This is the movie for which he should have won as Oscar.
Lorne Greene is a sneering villain. He's even farther from "Bonanza" here than Raymond Burr was from "Perry Mason" in the many film noir outings that predated that series.
Vera Miles turns in a fine, evil performance too. She did well for Hitchcock but I think this is the best I've ever seen her.
Ruth Donnelly is Crawford's landlady and pal. She is cast against the type she played in her standard movie. And she's very good. I'm not entirely sure the slightly light touch she gives the character is right in this context. But Aldrich knew what he was doing; so it must be.
I saw "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" when it first came out. I was a child and had never seen Bette Davis or Joan Crawford before. I was totally confused by the whole thing. In later years, I've seen it again and it's fun.
But though it shares one star with Autumn Leaves," "Autumn Leaves" is closer to Aldrich's greatest picture in style: "Kiss Me Deadly." "Autumn Leaves" seems like a high toned soap opera on the surface. It's about an older woman who allows herself to fall in love. Etc. But that's not what the movie is. It's dark and it's deep.
I can't quite figure out whether it could have been better with a less turgid actress. In a way, some of its themes presage those of "Room at the Top." Signoret could have blown us away in "Autumn Leaves." So could Jeanne Moreau. But would the movie have been as believable? Maybe not. It may be just about perfect as it is.
Crawford does a fine job. She may have been better in a couple other movies -- her signature, "Mildred Pierce"; "Sudden Fear." But as entertaining as "Mildred Pierce" is and as beautifully made as "Sudden Fear" is, I'd choose this as the best movie in which she appears (if possibly not her single best performance.) Cliff Robertson is perfectly cast as the handsome young man who woos her. He IS handsome. But this character is troubled, and Robertson plays that brilliantly. This is the movie for which he should have won as Oscar.
Lorne Greene is a sneering villain. He's even farther from "Bonanza" here than Raymond Burr was from "Perry Mason" in the many film noir outings that predated that series.
Vera Miles turns in a fine, evil performance too. She did well for Hitchcock but I think this is the best I've ever seen her.
Ruth Donnelly is Crawford's landlady and pal. She is cast against the type she played in her standard movie. And she's very good. I'm not entirely sure the slightly light touch she gives the character is right in this context. But Aldrich knew what he was doing; so it must be.
I saw "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" when it first came out. I was a child and had never seen Bette Davis or Joan Crawford before. I was totally confused by the whole thing. In later years, I've seen it again and it's fun.
But though it shares one star with Autumn Leaves," "Autumn Leaves" is closer to Aldrich's greatest picture in style: "Kiss Me Deadly." "Autumn Leaves" seems like a high toned soap opera on the surface. It's about an older woman who allows herself to fall in love. Etc. But that's not what the movie is. It's dark and it's deep.
I can't quite figure out whether it could have been better with a less turgid actress. In a way, some of its themes presage those of "Room at the Top." Signoret could have blown us away in "Autumn Leaves." So could Jeanne Moreau. But would the movie have been as believable? Maybe not. It may be just about perfect as it is.
Joan suffers and suffers but it's a fan's delight...
Doylenf26 August 2006
JOAN CRAWFORD was approaching that phase of her career where women of "a certain age" don't have much of a choice in being able to find good scripts. If they do, it's usually a bit of a comedown from the kind of roles they were offered in their heyday.
AUTUMN LEAVES is no exception. While it's by no means a disaster, it does strain credibility and proves to be a rather over-baked vehicle for an actress who was by now getting to suffer more and more in stylish women's films that suited her screen persona.
Here she is teamed with newcomer CLIFF ROBERTSON, new to films after a brief stint on stage in plays like "Picnic". He plays a young charmer she befriends at a diner (after a concert) and before you know it they're an item at the local beach-front. Hastily, impulsively swept off her feet by this twenty-year younger man, she allows herself to marry him but then discovers that he has a troubled past that makes him turn into a monster when he doesn't get his way.
It's the kind of role Crawford was born to play and she goes through all the motions beautifully under Robert Aldrich's direction. Women fans will especially enjoy the fantasy aspect of such a story and will probably pine away with wistful longing when they watch Robertson take Joan in his arms. Some unexpected turns by LORNE GREENE (as Robertson's father) and VERA MILES (as a woman Crawford calls "a slut").
Summing up: A good Joan Crawford melodrama--but SUDDEN FEAR was better.
AUTUMN LEAVES is no exception. While it's by no means a disaster, it does strain credibility and proves to be a rather over-baked vehicle for an actress who was by now getting to suffer more and more in stylish women's films that suited her screen persona.
Here she is teamed with newcomer CLIFF ROBERTSON, new to films after a brief stint on stage in plays like "Picnic". He plays a young charmer she befriends at a diner (after a concert) and before you know it they're an item at the local beach-front. Hastily, impulsively swept off her feet by this twenty-year younger man, she allows herself to marry him but then discovers that he has a troubled past that makes him turn into a monster when he doesn't get his way.
It's the kind of role Crawford was born to play and she goes through all the motions beautifully under Robert Aldrich's direction. Women fans will especially enjoy the fantasy aspect of such a story and will probably pine away with wistful longing when they watch Robertson take Joan in his arms. Some unexpected turns by LORNE GREENE (as Robertson's father) and VERA MILES (as a woman Crawford calls "a slut").
Summing up: A good Joan Crawford melodrama--but SUDDEN FEAR was better.
When you're good, Joan, you're good.
mark.waltz9 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
That's a line that Susan Sarandon, as Bette Davis, told Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) in the TV mini-series "Feud" where Davis has a rare compassionate moment towards her so-called rival. Indeed, in this movie, Joan is indeed, good. In fact, she's outstanding. "Feud" indicates that Joan was unhappy about the choice of Cliff Robertson for her leading man, having desperately wanted Brando. But even if she had to settle for second best, she did get the best, a future Oscar winner in his film debut giving a performance that along with Joan's makes this a magnificent film that can strike a cord in many heart's, not just the so-called female audience.
Like those colorful Ross Hunter soapy melodramas of the 1950's and 60's, this starts off on a plush, audience grabbing cord: the title song dramatically sung by Nat King Cole. It is heard throughout the film, and when (in "Feud"), Joan is sent the movie soundtrack album of "Autumn Leaves" by its director, Robert Aldrich, you hope and pray that it will be heard in the background, which it is. So 6 years before Aldrich directed Crawford and Davis in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", he had Crawford by herself in this psychological melodrama, a combination of soap opera and mental health expose which like "The Snake Pit" and "Three Faces of Eve" deals with the curing of a psychosis which threatens to destroy not only the character suffering from it, but the people surrounding them as well.
Just past 50 when this was made, Crawford was still very attractive: handsome, if not strikingly beautiful. Yet, she was brave enough to take on a role where an admittedly older woman falls in love with a much younger man, and unlike Jane Wyman in "All That Heaven Allows", doesn't get discouraged by friends (like ultra mod landlady Ruth Donnelly) but herself must face her own insecurities (which are many) to leave her lonely life behind and try to find some happiness. But as many people find out after it's too late, her soon to be husband has secrets which he himself does not want to face, and they are pretty horrific, showing a force of evil behind him guiding his steps to do things he wouldn't have done had these evil forces not gone after him.
With a striking figure in a bathing suit, Crawford really pours on the emotion as she deals, not only with the loneliness of her busy life as a free-lance typist for novelists, but the difference in her and Robertson's ages and later the mental illness he's not even aware of himself, at least on the surface. Vera Miles as an elegant ex-wife and Lorne Greene as his charming father are at the core of his problems, and yet, there's more to Robertson's issues than just a family betrayal. Donnelly steals every scene that she is in, and when she's off screen for long periods of time, you really miss her. 1956 was a big year in films, but Crawford and Robertson deliver two of that year's most magnificent performances. This is a satisfying drama in every way that even Bette Davis, had she seen it, must have left really seeing a talent in Joan that audiences for decades knew was there when given the right script but not always given the opportunity to play.
Like those colorful Ross Hunter soapy melodramas of the 1950's and 60's, this starts off on a plush, audience grabbing cord: the title song dramatically sung by Nat King Cole. It is heard throughout the film, and when (in "Feud"), Joan is sent the movie soundtrack album of "Autumn Leaves" by its director, Robert Aldrich, you hope and pray that it will be heard in the background, which it is. So 6 years before Aldrich directed Crawford and Davis in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", he had Crawford by herself in this psychological melodrama, a combination of soap opera and mental health expose which like "The Snake Pit" and "Three Faces of Eve" deals with the curing of a psychosis which threatens to destroy not only the character suffering from it, but the people surrounding them as well.
Just past 50 when this was made, Crawford was still very attractive: handsome, if not strikingly beautiful. Yet, she was brave enough to take on a role where an admittedly older woman falls in love with a much younger man, and unlike Jane Wyman in "All That Heaven Allows", doesn't get discouraged by friends (like ultra mod landlady Ruth Donnelly) but herself must face her own insecurities (which are many) to leave her lonely life behind and try to find some happiness. But as many people find out after it's too late, her soon to be husband has secrets which he himself does not want to face, and they are pretty horrific, showing a force of evil behind him guiding his steps to do things he wouldn't have done had these evil forces not gone after him.
With a striking figure in a bathing suit, Crawford really pours on the emotion as she deals, not only with the loneliness of her busy life as a free-lance typist for novelists, but the difference in her and Robertson's ages and later the mental illness he's not even aware of himself, at least on the surface. Vera Miles as an elegant ex-wife and Lorne Greene as his charming father are at the core of his problems, and yet, there's more to Robertson's issues than just a family betrayal. Donnelly steals every scene that she is in, and when she's off screen for long periods of time, you really miss her. 1956 was a big year in films, but Crawford and Robertson deliver two of that year's most magnificent performances. This is a satisfying drama in every way that even Bette Davis, had she seen it, must have left really seeing a talent in Joan that audiences for decades knew was there when given the right script but not always given the opportunity to play.
Oedipus Rex or Tyrannosaurus ReX?
tadpole-596-9182562 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
In a movie deeply flawed by excessive psychobabble, not to mention letting the evil-doers get the "last laugh," Joan Crawford is convincing playing an aging cougar. She not only evokes Mary Todd Lincoln; she dresses like the former First Lady as well, especially with her omnipresent white gloves. As Millie, Joan plays MOMMIE DEAREST to husband Burt, portrayed by pre-PT-109 youngster Cliff Robertson. That is, when Burt doesn't pull his T-Rex role reversal by smashing professional typist Millie's fingers with her bulky work tool, or blackening her eyes with his short, little atrophied punches. At one point someone on the committee of screenwriters for AUTUMN LEAVES has Pops Cartwright (Lorne Green) hatching an elaborate scheme to wrest away son Burt's birthright maternal inheritance through long-term torture by incest with Burt's wife. But excruciating bouts of Electro-Shock Therapy (shown here with loving detail) inexplicably convince Burt to sign away his financial future without a fight. This leaves Papa Hanson with BOTH Burt's high school sweetie\wife AND the late Mama Hanson's fortune. The idea that Joan Crawford could make suddenly penniless\prospect-lacking Burt forget about the charms of his Virginia (Vera Miles) is preposterous enough to prompt a barrage of wire hangers at the screen!
Filter the Clutter, Find the Love
JLRMovieReviews9 June 2015
Here, in "Autumn Leaves," Joan Crawford is a writer who prefers her own company over having just anybody – unlike so many today. She has been burned. So, when Cliff Robertson asks to sit down at her table, (the only seat in a packed restaurant,) she replies, "I'd prefer it if you didn't." But he stands right beside her table, waiting for an available table. She meant for him to go away. She can't have him stand there. She couldn't enjoy her lunch. She gives in. They get to talking and they start to form a relationship, quickly. He's a jovial and nice-lookin' guy, but there's something not quite right there. It seems that everything he says can't be taken at face value. Despite the fact she hasn't been this happy in years, there's something wrong. He has mood swings, and she takes it all on her shoulders, taking care of him. Then Vera Miles and his father Lorne Greene show up, telling her that he should be in a "home." If you love someone, you take care of them, she says. You can't just throw them away. Then an unsavory truth comes out. All actors are excellent in their roles, especially Cliff Robertson, who gives an eerily and captivating off-balanced performance. The quiet moments of his desperation and depression are most convincing. "Autumn Leaves" is not your usual romantic movie. Maybe it's not trying to be. Can love cure? Can one's sanity be found through the thick fog of muddle? "Autumn Leaves" is for those who appreciate good performances in good movies and who know that love can be found in dark places.
Varied reviews...mine is negative
vincentlynch-moonoi9 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
When a Joan Crawford movie pops up on TCM, I'll usually watch it. And there are some great ones...but not this late in her career. Add to it that after all we have learned about the real Crawford, it was impossible for me to buy her as such a totally sympathetic wife, particularly under the circumstances of this story. In fact, she literally made me cringe here. Perhaps it would have been more believable back in 1956, but not in this day and age. In my view, there was virtually nothing credible in her performance here, although you can revel in the scene where she tells of Vera Miles and Lorne Greene.
And then there's the way they met -- in a restaurant over chicken salad, in one of the most awkward and asinine scenes I have ever seen in a movie.
On the positive side, Cliff Robertson -- no favorite of mine -- is very good here. I guess he was bi-polar in the film, and he was believable in that role. Kudos to Robertson. Lorne Greene and (in a very atypical role) Vera Miles play sleaze-balls here. Given their typical roles it's a little difficult to swallow...but okay, it's acting. And, in fact, the initial mystery in what they are up to is one of the highlights of the film.
Also, the scenes of Robertson undergoing electric shock treatments are quite powerful (pun intended), but the downer at the end of the film is that after all Robertson and Crawford have gone through -- spousal abuse and intense psychiatric care -- there is a totally happy ending. Well, gag me with a spoon.
It's worth watching for the camp, but not for the overall quality of the movie.
And then there's the way they met -- in a restaurant over chicken salad, in one of the most awkward and asinine scenes I have ever seen in a movie.
On the positive side, Cliff Robertson -- no favorite of mine -- is very good here. I guess he was bi-polar in the film, and he was believable in that role. Kudos to Robertson. Lorne Greene and (in a very atypical role) Vera Miles play sleaze-balls here. Given their typical roles it's a little difficult to swallow...but okay, it's acting. And, in fact, the initial mystery in what they are up to is one of the highlights of the film.
Also, the scenes of Robertson undergoing electric shock treatments are quite powerful (pun intended), but the downer at the end of the film is that after all Robertson and Crawford have gone through -- spousal abuse and intense psychiatric care -- there is a totally happy ending. Well, gag me with a spoon.
It's worth watching for the camp, but not for the overall quality of the movie.
Oh, Those Eyebrows!!!
Bucs19603 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Joan Crawford is at the height of her "big eyebrow" look in this film. She looks so much like Faye Dunaway in "Mommie Dearest" (or is it the other way around) that it is scary. Dunaway must have studied this film to perfect that look and it worked.
"Autumn Leaves" has two things going for it......the theme song as done by the masterful Nat "King" Cole and Joan's line to Vera Miles "And you, you SLUT"....only Crawford could pull that off with such panache. But sadly, the film itself is a dog.....the first half is extremely talky with not much being resolved. The second half tries to pull it all together by explaining how Cliff Robertson became a paranoid schizophrenic mess thanks to Vera Miles (the slut) and a very creepy Lorne Greene as Robertson's father and Vera's paramour. I never realized what a terrible actor Greene was. Some shock treatments and paraldahyde and Cliff is cured of his emotional problems and all is well.....duh. He and Joan walk off into the sunset and live on love and her typing income. Very sappy.
BUT, you can never fault Crawford for giving her all in her films, no matter how bad they might be. She suffered better than any actress in history and boy, does she suffer here. To tell the truth, getting through this film would make anyone suffer.....I know I did.
"Autumn Leaves" has two things going for it......the theme song as done by the masterful Nat "King" Cole and Joan's line to Vera Miles "And you, you SLUT"....only Crawford could pull that off with such panache. But sadly, the film itself is a dog.....the first half is extremely talky with not much being resolved. The second half tries to pull it all together by explaining how Cliff Robertson became a paranoid schizophrenic mess thanks to Vera Miles (the slut) and a very creepy Lorne Greene as Robertson's father and Vera's paramour. I never realized what a terrible actor Greene was. Some shock treatments and paraldahyde and Cliff is cured of his emotional problems and all is well.....duh. He and Joan walk off into the sunset and live on love and her typing income. Very sappy.
BUT, you can never fault Crawford for giving her all in her films, no matter how bad they might be. She suffered better than any actress in history and boy, does she suffer here. To tell the truth, getting through this film would make anyone suffer.....I know I did.
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