The Sound and the Fury (1959 film)

The Sound and the Fury is a 1959 American drama film directed by Martin Ritt. It is loosely based on the 1929 novel of the same name by William Faulkner.

The Sound and the Fury
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMartin Ritt
Produced byJerry Wald
Written byHarriet Frank Jr.
Irving Ravetch
Based onThe Sound and the Fury
by William Faulkner
StarringYul Brynner
Joanne Woodward
Margaret Leighton
Stuart Whitman
Ethel Waters
Jack Warden
Françoise Rosay
Music byAlex North
CinematographyCharles G. Clarke
Edited byStuart Gilmore
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • April 6, 1959 (1959-04-06)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,710,000[1]
Box office$1.7 million (est. US/ Canada rentals)[2]

Plot

Quentin Compson is a girl of 17 in the small Mississippi town of Jefferson. She lives with her step-uncle, Jason, who has practically raised Quentin ever since her promiscuous mother, Caddy, abandoned her.

Jason makes ends meet working in the store of Earl Snopes, a man he detests. He is the provider for several people in the large family house, including Howard, who is Quentin's uncle, and his step-brother, and a mute, mentally handicapped man named Benjy, his other step-brother. Other occupants include Jason's bitter, resentful mother, a black housekeeper, and a black boy who looks after Benjy.

Quentin is bored, restless, and not interested in Jason's wishes that she continue her education. When a carnival comes to town, she becomes infatuated with Charlie Busch, a carny worker who tries to seduce her.

Caddy returns to town. She has a tentative reunion with Quentin, but takes Jason's side because she has no money and needs him to shelter her now. Caddy flirts with Snopes, who implies that they had intimate relations and is beaten by Jason for saying as much. Benjy also becomes incensed when he catches Quentin sneaking out to meet Busch and tries to strangle her, whereupon Jason decides that Benjy must be committed to an institution.

A frustrated Quentin wants to leave with Busch and claims she can get her hands on $3,000. She steals it from a suitcase of money Jason had been saving for her future. To prove the stranger's true intentions, Jason goes to Busch and gives him a choice: the girl or the money. Quentin is crushed when she realizes what Busch is really after. She returns to Jason and promises to be more mature in their future together.

Cast

Production

In September 1955 the novel was optioned by Jerry Wald who had a deal at Columbia. The previous month Wald optioned the Faulkner story, Soldier's Pay.[3] In August 1956 Wald announced he had purchased the screen rights and would made it for 20th Century Fox, and that the team of Harriet Frank and Irvin Ravitch would do the adaptation. Wald had a tendency to film older novels; he said he took advice from a survey of librarians throughout the country to see what older books were "perennial favorites" with readers.[4] Wald offered the leading roles of Jason and Candace to Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.[5]

In January 1957 Gregory Peck signed to star with filming to begin in June.[6] Audrey Hepburn was sought to co star and Jose Quintero to direct.[7] Quintero turned down the film, By May 1957 Martin Ritt was signed to direct and Wald was going to make another Faulkner tale as well, The Hamlet, which became The Long Hot Summer.[8] Ritt did it under a two-picture contract with Fox.[9]

Eventually Ritt filmed Long Hot Summer first.

In December 1957 filming was postponed due to difficulties in casting.[10] Lana Turner was to star as Caddy.[11]

In January 1958 Yul Brynner signed to star.[12]

Reception

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that the film "lacks texture" and is "sentiment-dappled and synthetic".[13] The negative reception may also have been partly due to Joanne Woodward's being so much older than the character she played; at almost 30 years old, it was hard to find her believable as a 17-year-old girl.

See also

References
  1. Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p252
  2. "1959: Probable Domestic Take", Variety, 6 January 1960 p 34
  3. "BY WAY OF REPORT: 'Sound and Fury' Attracts Columbia -- The Big Money -- A Global 'Helen'" by A. H. WEILER. New York Times 4 Sep 1955: X5.
  4. "FAULKNER NOVEL BOUGHT FOR FILM: 'The Sound and the Fury' Is Acquired by Jerry Wald for Production Next Year" by THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The New York Times. New York Times 30 Aug 1956: 19.
  5. "'The Sound and the Fury' May Star Olivier and Leigh" Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 23 Oct 1956: b4.
  6. "PECK TO PERFORM IN MOVIE FOR FOX: Actor Signs for Adaptation of 'Sound and the Fury,' Novel by Faulkner Miss Loren's Pact Extended Of Local Origin" by THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The New York Times. New York Times 15 Jan 1957: 24.
  7. "Of Local Origin" New York Times 5 Feb 1957: 27.
  8. "A Town, Called Hollywood: Jerry Wald Runs on Faith in the Different and Daring" Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 26 May 1957: E2.
  9. "STAGE DIRECTOR SIGNS FILM PACT: Martin Ritt in Two-Picture Deal With Fox--Universal Reactivates 'Katrina' Pearl Buck to Visit Hollywood" by THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 22 July 1957: 15.
  10. DREISER'S 'TITAN' TO BECOME MOVIE: Novel Will Be Filmed Jointly by 2 Concerns--Return of Andy Hardy Weighed Mickey Rooney's Plans Special to The New York Times. New York Times 13 Dec 1957: 35.
  11. Lana Turner to Star in Dramatic Role Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 19 Dec 1957: B16.
  12. "BRYNNER TO STAR IN WALD-FOX FILM: Actor Signed for Faulkner's 'Sound and the Fury -- Ina Balin in 'Black Orchid'" by THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to the New York Times. New York Times 13 Jan 1958: 24.
  13. Crowther, Bosley (28 March 1959). "The Sound and the Fury (1959)". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 May 2014.


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