theowinthrop
Lillian Hellman, wrote her dramatic masterpiece, THE LITTLE FOXES, in 1940. It is about Regina Hubbard, her brothers Ben and Oscar, her husband Horace Giddens and daughter Alexandra, and Oscar's wife Birdy and son Leo, and how the entire Hubbard clan (except for the husband and daughter and Oscar's sad misused wife) are corrupt. The first play shows how Regina manages to allow her husband to die so that she can end up richer and more powerful (out of a questionable business deal) than her two brothers who are her partners in it. On stage it was a great dramatic triumph for Tallulah Bankhead. In 1941 it was an equally affective film directed by William Wyler, and starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Theresa Wright, Charles Dingle, Carl Benton Reid, Dan Duryea, Richard Carlson, and Patricia Collinge.A few years later, Ms Hellman decided to return to the story of the Hubbards, but this time with a "prequel": How did this wealthy southern family turn out to be so rotten? ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST goes back to 1880 (THE LITTLE FOXES actually is set about 1905). Marcus Hubbard (Frederic March) was what used to be called "poor white trash" (another example of this type is the slave overseer turned carpetbagger Victor Jory in GONE WITH THE WIND). He is not a polished Southern Gentleman, but an opportunistic snake who lives and breaths to snatch his fortune in the potentially rich South. But along comes that unpleasantness of 1861 - 1865, and Marcus does not consider it his war - why should it be, he's been too poor to fight for the right to own slaves? Instead, he makes a small fortune buying and selling commodities that are in short supply or are considered contraband. In particular salt. Using the money, and the corresponding collapse of various gentleman's estates due to the reverses of the war, Marcus becomes a post-Civil War landowner. All of this has made him also the most hated man in the state.His oldest son Ben (Dingle in the other movie - here Edmond O'Brien) is his clerk (not chief clerk, but clerk) in his store in town. Ben is treated as a clerk (and a poorly paid one at that). Ben is close to his mother Lavinia (Florence Eldridge), who was married to Marcus for financial reasons by her father, and whom Marcus considers (with some reason) simple minded (actually she is the most honest member of the bunch). Marcus' second son Oscar (Reid in the other movie - here Dan Duryea) is a sullen sort, except he has joined the K.K.K. (but is dumb enough to be the only one who's identifiable), and he is romancing a local "actress" at the town's dance hall (Laurette Sincee - played by Donna Drake). Marcus favors his daughter, Regina (Ann Blythe), who realizes he likes her and thinks she can manipulate him. To an extent she can - but there is a point he refuses to be manipulated. You see, she wants to marry John Bagtry (John Dall), a member of a former Governor's family who are on hard times. Actually, Marcus would have none of this. Marcus is not adverse to further wealth and acquisition, but as he is now a large property owner (and the richest man in town) he's more pretentious. He is self taught, and he prides himself on teaching himself how to read Greek and Latin (which does not impress Ben, Oscar, or Regina). He also tries to compose for the cello, and once every couple of months has two musicians (Don Beddoes and Whit Bissell) come down to play his latest compositions. The issues of the drama are 1) Ben seeking to find a way to break out of his unendurable bondage as his father's cheap clerk; 2) Oscar's hope to run off with the attractive but socially disgraceful Laurette; and 3) Regina trying to convince Marcus to give her his okay to marry the socially proper but dirt poor Bagtry. The three siblings are constantly sniping at each other, making cooperation impossible (particularly Regina and Oscar with their separate prospective mates). The only thing that might unite them is Daddy's tyrannical approach to handling all three of them, two of whom he holds in total contempt.Lest it seems pure soap opera (of the "Dallas" or "Falconcrest" variety), ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST actually gave Hellman a chance to do some comedy scenes. Marcus has a large dinner party in Act II, and has to suffer the mortification of Oscar's drunken girlfriend, and the chattering of the prospective fiancé (John Bagtry's sister Birdie) that he wants Oscar to marry. He also learns what John Bagtry's big desire is: he is going to enlist in the Brazilian Army because in 1880 only the Empire of Brazil still has slavery! Marcus comment about that is quite droll. There is also the fiasco of Hubbard's Opus #2 for strings. In the end we see how Ben finds Marcus's one Achilles heel - an unforgivable act to his fellow townspeople which can cost him his life. And we see how Ben takes his place, for the moment at any events, as head of the Hubbard Family enterprises.ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST is a good film that deserves to be better known. Well played, and carefully laid out (with Dan Duryea here playing the father of the character he played in THE LITTLE FOXES) we watch how power rots a family's morality, but does not necessarily weakens it. For the Hubbards remain rich and powerful, and aim to become more so as this story ends. Whatever lost dreams are seen by the audience, the damage is done and the gangrene remains to grow more threatening.
RanchoTuVu
Destined for the stage, but somehow ingeniously made into a movie, this heavy drama about an ostracized family and there internal implosion gets better with each passing minute all the way up to its smashing ending. The superb cast includes an impressive list of names, but even the lesser roles (Dona Drake in particular) contribute significantly, while the story is nearly flawlessly presented, with a few touches that take advantage of the cinematic medium, especially a terrifically edited sequence with Drake doing a Can-Can in a dancehall while out in the woods the KKK is beating a carpetbagger senseless. But what gets the most attention is the constant state of maneuvering between three siblings for the father's favor and his money, and the father's utter disdain, brilliantly portrayed by Frederic March, for his two sons, the hardworking Edmond O'Brien and his lazy younger brother played by Dan Duryea. What stands out is the consistent level of fascination and intensity that the film maintains from start to finish, and the fact that it (this film) seems all but lost today.
the lioness
Another Part of the Forest tells the story of a patriarch of a very wealthy southern family & the constant powers struggles he endures within his own family.There are some very interesting elements of this story that keeps one guessing. For starters, how did the family make their money is one. Two: why does the matriarch of the family keep herself locked away not only from the rest of the world but her family, too.Another interesting plot is the relationship between the father & his only daughter. There are some incestuous overtones there.I love this film. Screen writer Lillian Hellman was very good at dealing with human emotion, interaction & confrontation. For those of you that enjoyed "Little Foxes", you will enjoy this film because its the prequel to it.This film has a very strong cast which is headed by Fredric March. All the cast members hold their own very well. Even though this film is play, it translates to the screen very well.Now for the bummer:This film never made it to video for some odd reason. I only have it because I recorded it on cable one night. For those of you that have cable, I would check with your local listings.If you love good drama, you won't regret it.
