Mourning Becomes Electra ** (1947, Rosalind Russell, Michael Redgrave, Raymond Massey, Katina Paxinou, Kirk Douglas, Nancy Coleman, Leo Genn, Henry Hull) – Classic Movie Review 7263

Ah, yes, ‘Mother and Daughter Loving the Same Man!’ That idea could make an American romcom or it could be a Greek tragedy. Certainly here we don’t see the funny side of it. Writer/ producer/ director Dudley Nichols makes a very brave but rather forlorn stab at filming Eugene O’Neill’s 1931 classic drama Mourning Becomes Electra, reworking Oresteia, the trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus, about a family bent on revenge when a New England wife, Christine Mannon (Katina Paxinou), kills her husband Ezra Mannon (Raymond Massey) during the American Civil War.

The fascinating motley starry cast are often adrift in this talkathon, but Nichols proceeds with due care and attention as writer and director. The Academy Award voters were so surprised to see Russell in a a retelling of the Oresteia by Aeschylus that she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Lavinia Mannon. Michael Redgrave was also nominated as Best Actor, and he gives the film’s one truly outstanding performance as Orin Mannon, the brother she makes avenge their father’s death.

It runs a massive 173 minutes but the merciful TV version runs at 105 minutes, cut by well over an hour after it performed badly at the box office and won no Oscars. However, it is now restored to its original full length and shows on Turner Classic Movies.

Also in the cast are Kirk Douglas, Nancy Coleman, Leo Genn, Henry Hull, Thurston Hall, Sara Allgood, Walter Baldwin, Elizabeth Risdon, Erskine Sandford, Jimmy Conlin and Clem Bevans.

At the Oscars, an over-confident Russell began to rise from her seat just before the winner’s name was called, but then Loretta Young was announced Best Actress for The Farmer’s Daughter.

The film cost $2,342,000, earned only $435,000, and recorded a loss of $2,310,000, making it one of RKO’s biggest financial disasters.

Nichols filmed Sister Kenny in 1946 with Rosalind Russell, for which she was also Oscar nominated. Both films flopped. Nichols and Russell didn’t half cost RKO a lot of money.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7263

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