Wots wrong with Merle???
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ndmur25 — 20 years ago(August 10, 2005 03:59 PM)
Oberon responded to Oliviereveryone did. He was a master craftsman; the greatest actor of his timeperhaps of all time. Merle Oberon looked the part, had enough ability to follow the leader and was a perfect Catherine. Wuthering Heights, the film, while not all of the Bronte novel, captures the essence and is complete in itself. Why argue with perfection? Revel is the ability to partake.
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peterquince — 20 years ago(December 02, 2005 06:18 AM)
I don't see what the fuss was with Oberon. She's funny-looking and her acting is very forced. Vivien Leigh would have been a beauty in the role. Such a better actress, and since she was married to Olivier, I'm sure the two would have had better chemistry. What bothers me most about this film is how we're expected to believe the two are in love. There are hardly any sparks between them, and the love story is lacking (due to the omission of many chapters of the novel). This might have been a monument in filmmaking back in 1939, but it just doesn't hold up well today, in my opinion. I think this film deserves (yet another) remake.
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slywy — 20 years ago(January 07, 2006 11:58 AM)
I don't think Oberon was bad, but the lack of chemistry did affect the movie. Also, her acting is a bit forced in parts. In the scene mentioned, you can count the beats with her eyes sliding; it lacks a certain subtlety that's pretty hard to capture. In the death scene, she tries just a little too hard. Still, it's a great movie for a long, cold evening.
http://www.slywy.com/ -
basford — 20 years ago(January 09, 2006 04:26 AM)
It is true, she was very good in it. She was exactly the picture i had of her in the book. However, Olivier did hate her because he wanted his girlfriend Vivien Leigh to play Cathy. she did have a slight attitude about her but she never had anything against Laurence Olivier. But she did when he was snotty to on the set of Wuthering Heights. He was like this with evryone though
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stupat — 20 years ago(January 20, 2006 08:36 PM)
The death scene with Merle Oberon in Olivier's arms, looking out over the yorkshire moors, is one of the saddest
of any picture I've seen, but even so, Merle Oberon seemed a bit stilted
in her acting. I still loved the film tho. -
ezkaban — 19 years ago(May 23, 2006 11:36 PM)
If you liked Merle in this film, you'll love her in The Scarlett Pimpernel with Leslie Howard. She's simply marvelous. People can hate on her and wish Vivien Leigh portrayed Cathy but I think the biggest slight of all classic films was Olivia de Havilland portraying cousin Miriam in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte. Joan Crawford was due that role if only to slap Bette Davis for her mean ass kicking in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
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coolbluegreen — 19 years ago(June 29, 2006 07:27 PM)
Uh, I had no idea people mourned a Vivien Leighless Cathy, as you put it. Olivier did; he wanted his girlfriend with him. I had no idea anyone else regretted the decision to cast Merle Oberon, though. Leigh would have done a good job; she was a very gifted actress. She was a better actress than Merle Oberon, but I don't think Vivien Leigh was right for the part of Cathy. Merle was. Cathy is dark and beautiful and passionate and, well, that's Merle in a nutshell. Her acting was good enough, too. I cry at the death scene, but my husband always says she looks well enough to get up and go play tennis. It's true she looks great, not a hair out of place, etc., but that was and is Hollywood. My favorite Merle Oberon role by far is as Lady Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernal. She is so gorgeous in that, and so good.
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moliz01 — 19 years ago(October 09, 2006 09:25 PM)
It was Oberon who disliked Olivier. In a much later interview she admitted it. She thought he was a terrible, overly dramatic actor. She said his style of acting may have worked on stage but it was "silly" on film.
I thought the dying scene was awful. Her bugged eyes were just laughable. Even with that, I still love the movie. -
jannag — 19 years ago(October 17, 2006 04:57 AM)
Ithink Merle was very good, but little bit too cold. As Cathy she should be more wild. Also Julliette Binoches s Cathy was not enought passionate, wild, she made impression that she is good, but Cathy wasnt, she was very arrogant person. I think Angelina Jolie has her fluidom, but is too sexy and moder for that role.
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prettyinpink_19 — 18 years ago(May 17, 2007 09:49 PM)
While I think Vivan Leigh is a great actress, I just can't see her as Cathy. I think because I am not the biggest fan of Gone With the Wind (I really like it, it's just not one of my favorites). In my opinion, I think Leigh kind of over acted in Gone With the Wind. She was still good but I think that she got better as she got older. I really like Merle as Cathy too. This is my favorite novel and I always pictured Cathy in the way that Merle portrayed her. I think if they had filmed the whole novel, it would have been even better. Laurence Oliver would have really got to show his acting as Heathcliff became an even darker character. And if they had done what they did with Julliette Binoche and made Merle play Cathy's daughter as well, I think she would have been fantastic. To me, Merle is the only Catherine.