That Forsyte Woman (1949) User Reviews

Galsworthy Gets the Glossy MGM Treatment

[Harold_Robbins · 6/10 · 30 April 2005]

I'm not surprised that many viewers find this film frustrating, particularly those unfamiliar with the novels or the later TV adaptations - coming to this film with such knowledge definitely helps one be more charitable towards it.

THAT FORSYTE WOMAN is one of MGM's "prestige" literary productions, tackling the first novel of one of Britain's most beloved series of novels by one of its most beloved authors, John Galsworthy. It's another well-executed, professional MGM effort. Yet it's another strange choice for MGM (as was THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY earlier in the decade), since in this case the story's main plot is an adulterous affair,casting its two leading players (Flynn and Garson) very much 'against type' - one can't blame Flynn for being willing, but I'd like to know just exactly which MGM executive thought to cast Greer Garson as the adulteress! The lady was simply too likable!

These are complex characters, and it actually took Galsworthy 6 novels to reveal them fully to the reader. Neither Soames nor Irene (the Garson role) are particularly likable in the first novel - both seem selfish and willful, but the reader ultimately comes to understand both of them better (although Galsworthy never really does give a satisfactory reason for Irene's loathing of Soames).

MGM originally produced the film under the title THE FORSYTE SAGA (I have a copy of the movie tie-in edition of the novel published by Scribners in 1949)) but, since the film was merely a slice of the Saga anyway, they changed the title to the more catchy THAT FORSYTE WOMAN emphasizing Irene's 'fast' nature. It remained THE FORSYTE SAGA in the UK.

One has to admire MGM's ambitious attempt, but let's face it, they'd really bitten off more than they could chew: THE FORSYTE SAGA was too big, too rich, and too multi-layered for one film. Rather, it was a work destined for success in another medium which was still in its infancy - television, in a format to which its breadth, length and varied cast of characters would be perfectly suited - the "mini-series", for which it would provide the pioneer effort with spectacular success in the late 1960s.

A Prisoner Of His Own Legend

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 29 September 2010]

According to the Citadel Film Series book, The Films Of Errol Flynn, MGM and Warner Brothers did a swapping of stars for the services of the other. Errol Flynn went to MGM for a picture in return for Warner Brothers getting the services of William Powell for Life With Father. I think Powell made out far better in the deal than Flynn did with an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his film.

Not that Errol Flynn was bad in That Forsyte Woman, in fact his casting as the proper and stuffy Soames Forsyte was quite a revelation. But the movie-going public simply wouldn't buy it. Errol, not the dashing hero with sword in hand and cape over the other shoulder was not accepted. If That Forsyte Woman had been made a decade earlier and for Warner Brothers, Flynn would have been perfect to play Robert Young's role of Philip Bossiney.

Flynn is married to Greer Garson and is guardian of niece Janet Leigh. Leigh is the daughter of black sheep brother in this proper Victorian family, Walter Pidgeon. Pidgeon years ago ran away with his niece's governess after the family did not permit the recently widowed Pidgeon to marry her. Back in those days proper English families did things like that.

Anyway the rather staid marriage of Flynn and Garson gets a jolt when opportunistic Robert Young who Leigh has been keeping company with, falls for Garson and she, him. In modern times it would be a no fault divorce, but things aren't done that way in Victorian England.

If there is a weakness in casting it's that of Robert Young. I'm surprised that MGM did not use someone like Peter Lawford whom they had under contract and was British besides. Greer was British, but the rest of the cast had two Americans in Young and Leigh, a Canadian in Pidgeon and Flynn was Australian. Young was older than Errol Flynn and just doesn't come over as the young opportunistic lover.

Garson of course is the perfect English lady who usually wan't allowed dalliances by MGM, but she's fine here. Greer wrote the introduction to the Films Of Errol Flynn and she says that she found Flynn to be a perfect gentleman and anxious to prove himself a serious actor.

He did in many ways in That Forsyte Saga. He was a prisoner of his own legend at this point.

Gorgeous but disappointing film

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 16 July 2007]

Greer Garson is "That Forsyte Woman" in a 1949 film that also stars Errol Flynn, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Young and Janet Leigh. The story is told in flashback. Garson is Irene, a beautiful but poverty-stricken woman who marries Soames Forsyte (Flynn), admitting from the first that she does not love him. Soames isn't the only Forsyte in whom Irene has an interest - she loves the paintings done by Jolyon Forsyte (Pidgeon), though she learns quickly that he is the family outcast, not even permitted to see his daughter, June (Leigh). Irene seeks to bring Jolyon back into the family and to reunite him with June, who is about to be married to an architect, Philip Bosinney (Young) - while she herself is falling for Philip, and he with her.

MGM spared not one cent in giving "That Forsyte Woman" primo attention - the cost of Garson's gorgeous costumes alone could have probably paid for three lesser films; the Technicolor, sets, and photography are all stunning; and in Flynn and Garson, you have two top stars.

Unfortunately, the superficial gloss can't cover the film's flaws. For an adulteress, Greer Garson is pretty ladylike - there is no unbridled passion - and zero chemistry - between Irene and Philip. In fact, the inference is that while she loves Philip in her heart, nothing except a few kisses has actually happened. Not being familiar with the source material, I don't know if this was the case or not. And I'm sorry - if I had to pick between the handsome Flynn and Robert Young wearing some sort of curly hairpiece, I know which way I'd go. Philip Bosinney is described as a little older than June - well, Janet Leigh was 21 or so at the time of the filming and probably playing an 18-year-old. Young was about 40. And looked it. Fond as I am of Young's work, this was blatant miscasting. The role needed to be sexed up a little so we see what the fuss is about - Robert Mitchum, Burt Lancaster, someone hot and in that 30-ish age range.

Errol Flynn does an excellent job as the angry, frustrated and jealous Soames. It seems that with a few exceptions, by the late '40s, Flynn no longer played roles that exhibited what made him Errol Flynn - charm, dash, a devilish smile, and natural athleticism. While this is certainly a better role than he had in "Cry Wolf," again, it does not play to Flynn's strengths. Walter Pidgeon is very good as Jolyon and of course he's great with Garson. He should be, considering all the films they made together.

Though the story isn't that absorbing, I still recommend this film for its sheer beauty - not only in its look, but for the beauty of Garson, Flynn and Leigh, and the sturdy handsomeness of Pidgeon. "That Forsyte Woman" is a cake with an incredible icing, but the cake is pretty dry.

Luscious film -- interesting casting

[JulieKelleher57 · 23 February 2000]

A luscious film, this breaks a few molds in the casting department. Greer Garson is superb as the unfulfilled wife who "held out for a higher price." (Great line!) Errol Flynn as the cold husband? It worked for me -- he showed a subtle side to his acting that worked perfectly. A young and not-so-debonair Robert Young, with his "uncombed" hair and his less-than-elegant wardrobe, plays the seducer with just the right touch of impishness. And Janet Leigh as the spurned fiance brings great pathos to her role.

The story is a bit contrived at the end, but the rest of the film succeeds in depicting frustration, arrogance, control, and passion with aplomb.

depends on your point of view ...

[didi-5 · 6/10 · 11 January 2008]

I think there are two ways to look at MGM's 'That Forsyte Woman', an 'adaptation' of John Galsworthy's 'Forsyte Saga' (book one), the one in which Soames meets Irene.

First, you can compare it with the story as written, and find it full of holes, omissions, misinterpretations, and tacked-on happy endings (a wedding for June?). All that is strong and perceptive about the book (and its subsequent TV adaptation in the 1960s) is omitted, from the subplot on Jo Forsyte's marriage and dismissal from the clan, the humour of the minor characters, especially the older Forsyte brothers and sisters, and the central cauldron of emotion between Soames and his young wife Irene, culminating in his forcing of conjugal rights and her leaving for pastures new, and the subsequent suicide of her young lover. In this light, 'That Forsyte Woman' is a travesty and an over-simplification. It is woefully miscast - Robert Young and Greer Garson are too old for Bosinney and Irene - and poorly scripted, with no concept of what the Forsytes stood for (the glory and tradition of the old England).

Or, you can wallow in it as a fine old melodrama from Hollywood's finest studio, with the most expensive casting and Technicolor lavished upon it. Pared down to that oldest of love stories - girl meets boy, but he's not the right boy - and with a bit of tragedy thrown in at the end. There's some humour - notably with old Jolyon (Harry Davenport) wishing he doesn't have to dance with old ladies - and a nice bookend of plot involving the gift of paintings - and as an afternoon matinée film, standing on its own, it succeeds remarkably, with the protagonists Soames and Irene parting on good terms.

It's a case of take your pick and watch the film from whatever angle you please.

Interesting Flynn performance,so-so production

[Lutzqueen · 7/10 · 20 June 2005]

This film was cited as one of the ones that Errol Flynn felt he gave a good performance in, and that assessment is certainly true. He completely played against type in this role as an emotionally restricted man of property and did a fine job. The problem is not in his playing but in the heavily edited screenplay and miscasting. Robert Young is laughable as the "young" architect and Greer Garson too genteel by half for the role of the scheming adulteress Irene who freezes Soames out-Eleanor Parker would have been ideal for this role,but one gets the feeling MGM couldn't allow Garson to be the adventuress the role demanded because of her image. Also,the film's lack of the pivotal rape scene that ends the marriage in the novel undermines the reason why Irene detests Soames so much. Flynn portrays Soames well enough that he could have followed through in such a scene in good form. He did a great job with this character's motivations and was still quite handsome. An underrated performance in a so-so adaptation of a classic novel.

Stodgy at first, but builds steadily to be quite tantalizing

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 5 April 2016]

I don't know which film I thought this was when I ordered it, but I was wrong. Nevertheless, I was glad to watch it because I have always liked Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon when they performed together, and I always liked Errol Flynn. This film starts out a bit stuffy, but rapidly improves once you get a ways into it.

Before giving details, I should mention that as available, as of this writing, this is one of those DVDs that is DVD-R. Fortunately, the master print is in good condition, and while not as crisp as one might prefer, the color is quite well preserved, so it's enjoyable to watch from a technical perspective.

There's an excellent cast involved in this film, and an interesting plot. Errol Flynn is the younger generation of a rich and staid British family; he appears to be a bit of a dandy to the older generation, but in reality, he's as stuffy as they are. He falls in love with a lowly piano teacher (Greer Garson), but is it love or does he simply want to own a wife? Can he hold a marriage together without emotional love? Meanwhile the even younger family member -- Janet Leigh -- is being courted by a poor, young architect (Robert Young). Young falls in love with Greer Garson, and wends his way into her life! And always around the edges is Flynn's brother, the disinherited painter Walter Pidgeon. While it may sound like just another romantic triangle, it is much more involved than that! The casting here is very interesting. Swashbuckler Errol Flynn is playing the incredibly stuffy man of wealth who makes his older stuffy family look downright animated; he is as cold as cold can be. Surprisingly, after disliking him for almost the entire film, toward the end of the movie the sympathy of most viewers will be will him. On the other hand, Walter Pidgeon plays the gentle-hearted artist brother quite well. Of course, Greer Garson is perfect (as she almost always was) as the piano teacher who married into wealth but is now pursued by two other men. I was never particularly impressed with Janet Leigh, although she does her job well here. Wonderful Harry Davenport is along as the family patriarch...and he is as wonderful as ever in what was one of his final three films (he died later in the year this was released).

This was clearly a well heeled production. Sets and costumes are first rate. And, while it could stand a digital upgrade, the color has stood up very nicely.

A very sold "7", and recommended for its interesting plot, a surprising plot twist, and the development of the characters.

Errol Flynn, Serious Actor

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 11 September 2005]

Because there is (for the most part) a sense of fun and adventure in the best of Errol Flynn's movies movie lovers tend not to see that he could perform well in dramatic fashion. I can site two examples: 1) In DAWN PATROL he starts cracking up under the stress and strain of his command position; 2) In THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON, Flynn senses that he is going to probably die on his last military mission (as does his wife Olivia de Havilland). But they kid and joke together about how they'll retire and grow fat together once the campaign is over.

So he could act very well indeed. But the hijinks that were part of his films usually covered his abilities to act. Then there was Jack Warner. He rarely agreed to let Flynn do "straight" dramatic or comic roles. In Flynn's early career he did do films like GREEN LIGHT, FOUR'S A CROWD, and THE SISTERS with mediocre results (the comedy FOUR'S A CROWD is the best of this bunch), but Warner knew how the public liked certain actors as dramatic players and certain ones in particular grooves. He rarely gave Flynn a non-adventure part after 1940. The murder mystery FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK, the all star romp THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS, and the interesting French war drama UNCERTAIN GLORY were exceptions

I suspect this treatment began to bug Flynn after the rape case in 1944, when Warner's was determined (for damage control) to try to retain Flynn's hero image at all costs, and to make his sexuality a type of joke. Then, his contract with Warners ended and he went to M.G.M. He was able to do THAT FORSYTE WOMAN with Greer Garson, Walter Pigeon, and Robert Young. Here, he hoped, he would demonstrate his abilities as a straight actor as never before.

THAT FORSYTE WOMAN is based on THE FORSYTE SAGA's first novel, THE MAN OF PROPERTY (with a bit of the second novel IN CHANCERY thrown in). Written by John Galsworthy in the teens and twenties, the nine novels and numerous short stories and "interludes" about members of his rich, upper middle class family remain a favorite series of tales about the period of England from 1880 to 1929 (Galsworthy died in 1933). They won him the Nobel Prize in Literature. Unfortunately, the stories' appeal has led to them being used for television twice, the last time only four years ago. The best version is either that recent one, or the 1960s version starring Kenneth More, Eric Porter, Nyree Dawn Porter, Martin Jarvis, Susan Hampshire, Nicholas Pennell, and (introducing) Michael York. I say unfortunately because the television versions (being multiple episodes) allowed the screenwriters more opportunity to dramatize more of the stories. Whole plot lines, jettisoned or condensed in a single film (even of a single novel) were expanded more comprehensibly. Also, as the 1960s version was going through the first six novels in 26 hour episodes, characters were given a chance to develop. In particular Soames Forsyte, the character played by Flynn in the movie.

In the 1960s version Soames was played by Eric Porter. Now it is an odd balance here. Porter had no great film career - he did not become the film icon that Flynn did. But on television he certainly was quite effective in several programs (he was a memorable Nevil Chamberlain in WINSTON CHURCHILL: THE WILDERNESS YEARS). His version of Soames was a wonderful full blooded characterization. Instead of just being a stuffed - shirt solicitor and art collector, Porter showed the demons that drive Soames to the mad act that blights his home life (Soames sexually attacks an unwilling Irene - his wife - when she refused to fulfill her wifely duties). Later his stuffiness actually stands out in rather good contrast to the anti-Victorian backlash that follows the First World War. He becomes a grand old curmudgeon.

Flynn could not do this. Indeed the entire rape issue in the novel was totally played down in the film (MGM brass could not bring up the idea of rape with Flynn, even though he had won the 1944 case brought against him on that charge). Instead they emphasized the other unattractive side of Soames. Committed to property, in his art collecting, his accumulation of wealth, and his home (and his future house being built by Philip Bossiney (Robert Young)), the movie Soames considers Irene (Greer Garson) his possession. In the novel this theme is brought out by Galsworthy (typical of the mindset of Victorian England - even in it's laws). Irene tries to escape with Bossiney (who is engaged to Soames cousin June (Janet Leigh)), but the latter dies under violent circumstances. However, Irene does leave Soames, and ends up marrying Soames other cousin Jolyon (Pidgeon).

With the total affect of the novel cut due to the mores of 1949 and the history of it's male leading man, the story was weakened. To his credit Flynn did give a good performance. He is a totally unlikeable Victorian pompous ass who happens to have no sense of humor (which is Soames' character, before his marriage problems) who likes to collect things. Problem is, even with his money it is hard to understand why anyone would be willing to marry such a man. Irene (in the novel) is the daughter of a professor who has died, and is living with her step-mother (whom she can't stand). If this was developed (as it was in the 1960s series) the problem of her marrying Soames would be understood. Here it wasn't.

As the story was done so superbly by Porter and his co-stars in the 1960s, Flynn's good performance in such a mediocre version is distinctly minor. However, out of respect for Errol's attempt to show what he could do (and his personal results) I'll give the film a "7" as a better than average try.

Errol Flynn Shines in Greer Garson's That Forsyte Woman

[JLRMovieReviews · 9/10 · 16 March 2011]

Greer Garson is That Forsyte Woman. The story begins with Greer in the nighttime fog of London rushing to a hospital to see someone. Errol Flynn and Walter Pidgeon are right behind her. Who is she visiting? Why is she in such a state of panic? By way of a flashback, we are shown just how they have all come to this point. Errol is captivated by Greer and means to have her. By wooing her and sending her flowers, he insists she is to be his, despite all her refusals to marry him. But, she doesn't love him. Through a series of events, she finally acquiesces. But, will she learn to love him? Will Errol be able to hang on to her? How does she get the label of That Forsyte Woman? Also starring Robert Young and Janet Leigh, this is yet another example of Hollywood at its best in storytelling. The viewer is caught up completely in her world. But, despite all the truths unearthed and developments of the plot, the biggest asset to this film are the acting chops of Garson, Pidgeon, and Flynn. Especially Errol Flynn. For someone who was typecast and primarily known as "Robin Hood" and "Don Juan" in his career, he is exceptional in this; I can't overemphasize just how great he is. This may just be one of his best performances, outside of "Gentleman Jim." Of course, the presence of Garson and Pidgeon together is a plus, but its Flynn's presence that carries the plot along. The characters of Robert Young and Janet Leigh are a little too cardboard or cookie-cutter to really stand out, but the viewer will leave this film, feeling very satisfied, with the story and Flynn and company's acting. And, this has a great last line. It may be far from perfect, with its loopholes or even seem a bit static or old-fashioned to some, but if you will only sit back and relax, the rewards are there for you to enjoy.

Watchable Hollywood Version

[pninson · 6/10 · 30 September 2010]

I originally saw this in the early 70s, after having seen THE FORSYTE SAGA on TV, and reading the first three books. Shoehorning two books' worth of story into a two-hour movie makes mincemeat out of the plot, but the essential details are preserved.

It was a crackup for me to see Robert Young, then widely known as Marcus Welby M.D. I was used to seeing him as an old man; but then he looks old for the part anyway, and overacts to compensate for it.

However, Errol Flynn is excellent as Soames, and Walter Pidgeon brings the necessary gravitas to the role of Jolyon. Harry Davenport is fine as Old Jolyon, although I can't quite erase the image of Dr. Meade from Gone With the Wind.

It's not a very good adaptation of Galsworthy's story, but on its own merits, it's well acted and edited, with handsome production design and nice pacing. It's fun to watch just to compare it with the more successful TV version.

Undernourished saga

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 23 August 2020]

There was real potential for 'The Forsyte Saga' to be a good film. The casting did sound odd but with performances this talented there was a chance that they could have pulled it off. It was from a studio with so many classics under its belt. It looked incredibly handsome seeing its advertising and stills. The source material is absolutely brilliant, though did worry that because it is so rich it would not lend itself well to merely a feature length film.

Which were my feelings exactly when getting round to seeing 'The Forsyte Saga'. It is watchable and has a number of obvious good things, but with more consistent pacing and more suitable casting it could have been a winner but turned out to be instead an interesting and noble disappointment. Proof too that when it comes to adapting the source material for feature length it is best leaving it alone, and the vastly superior television series from the 60s showed that it works much better adapted as a serial/mini-series.

Good things are quite a few. It is a very handsomely mounted film, especially the quite exquisite photography and the costumes won an Oscar for good reason. The other best thing is Errol Flynn, this was courageous casting for a role he on paper sounded wrong for and would have been quite different for him. He however was one of the few actors that came off well, showing that he can do dramatic and less sympathetic roles and does so in an admirably restrained way. Walter Pidgeon is also charming.

Bronislau Kaper's score is lush and induces a lot of emotions. The main theme is one that is not easy to forget. Greer Garson has some affecting moments.

She also doesn't always look comfortable or like her heart was properly in it, Eleanor Parker would have been a better choice. Janet Leigh does her best and brings some charm but her role is practically a plot device and has nothing to it. Worst of it is a too old and far too cold Robert Young, who has no charm or likeability. The characters seemed underdeveloped, with the one exception being Soames. The direction seemed rather pedestrian.

Much of the script was very stilted and rambled. The film did need a longer length and more of the story elaborated upon and taking longer to unfold. There was no substance to the storytelling either, to me there was very little tension and emotion and it all feels undernourished. A tighter pace was also in order and there are similarly scenes that drag as a result of padding out material that works a lot better in mini-series format.

On the whole, watchable but there was a potentially good film in there somewhere that doesn't materialise. 5/10

Flynn Acts!

[artzau · 9/10 · 1 January 2001]

This is one of the few non-swashbuckling films of Wicked, Wicked Ways Errol and one where he plays a character totally unsympathetic. He does it not merely well but superbly. He could act. Tragically, he was so damn good at using his natural athletic abilities in costume dramas, he never got good roles until he was over the hill. This film made right after the time of his famous sex trial reveals another side of a talented actor. Garson is great as is Robert Young, albeit coming off a bit insipid alongside Errol, playing a foppish socialite. The story of this film is a bit tiresome by today's standards and drags in spots. It is gorgeously photographed with lush costuming but it's Flynn who steals the show-- without even trying. He was only 50 when he died from a debauched lifestyle. Sadly, his last film, Cuban Rebel Girls, made during Fidel's revolt, is an abortion and a pathetic tribute to a man, a talented man, who trilled us all so many times in our youth with his panache, elan and verve. But, this little film, made about 10 years before his demise shows he was indeed, an actor and not merely a star.

A well made movie but it suffers from its unconvincing story.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 6/10 · 18 July 2007]

The movie started off really well and interesting enough but about halve way through it suddenly starts to make some unbelievable twists, that are just not credible, which is mostly due to the acting.

Real problem is that it's highly unbelievable that Irene Forsyte (Greer Garson) and Philip Bosinney (Robert Young) fall in love in this movie, which is about the most essential part and twist in the story. Garson and Young have absolutely no chemistry together and how their are being drawn together by their love for each other is therefor highly unconvincing. On top of that Robert Young really doesn't have the right looks for the part, he was at least 10 years too old at the time for this role really.

A positive casting note was Errol Flynn in a serious and demanding role. He in this movie also shows that he could actually really act. It's also a rare movie in which he plays a more 'bad' than 'good' kind of character. He's perhaps the only real true highlight of the movie.

The still young Janet Leigh also appears in this movie in one of her first movie roles. Definitely not her best role, she still had a lot to learn but that's not just her fault. The script just didn't gave her that much interesting to do.

The movie is definitely more classy and better looking and made than the average MGM genre movie, made in the same period. It therefor is also perfectly watchable for persons who normally aren't too fond of the formulaic kind of '40's MGM period drama's.

The story still has some interesting elements and characters in it but its weaker and unconvincing second halve prevent this movie from being a true classic and above average one.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Horrible casting, poor adaptation

[cluciano63 · 4/10 · 13 March 2013]

I never liked it when Hollywood tried to adapt huge novels in little films. It does not work here. And the casting is atrocious. Greer Garsom already seems matronly, and does not work as Irini. Errol Flynn as Soames is all wrong. He is too charming a character to pull off the necessary awfulness of Soames. None of the main characters worked for me and the plot was shoved into a two hour film, leaving out too much. The worst casting of all was Robert Young as Bossiny. Impossible to imagine anyone throwing away their life and world for him, no matter how dreadful their husband may be.

Of course this was made during the dreadful,days of the infamous code, so it captured almost none of the true relationships between various characters as outlined in the book.

The two later adaptations, made correctly as miniseries, are so much better, this film fails entirely in comparison.

Flynn Steals MGM 'Forsythe Saga'...

[cariart · 4 November 2003]

By the end of the 1940s, the WB had relegated one-time box office king Errol Flynn to 'B' movies, and offered him little studio support. While most of the stars under contract to the studio were still protected from unflattering publicity, Flynn's rape trial and subsequent revelations revealed a public far more tolerant of the star than the studio was, so Flynn was left 'to his own devices', and found himself the constant subject of scandalous headlines, a situation that became so intolerable that he would eventually sue 'Confidential' magazine, the most virulent of the 'scandal sheets'.

Therefore, when, negotiating a new contract in 1947, Flynn asked to be allowed to do one film a year away from the WB, the studio agreed, happily, more than pleased to let another studio pay the actor's salary and deal with his unsavory reputation. While the result of this new 'freedom' did not produce any Flynn 'classics' (KIM would be the best received of his work away from the WB), it did give him a seat at the table with Gable, Tracy, Hepburn, Garland, Taylor, and MGM's other legendary stars, when the studio celebrated their 'Golden Anniversary', in 1949.

THAT FORSYTHE WOMAN, Flynn's first film away from the WB, was a heavy-handed, ultimately unsuccessful adaptation of the first of John Galsworthy's trilogy of the rise and fall of a British aristocratic family, a popular series of works that would become the basis of the classic BBC series, 'Upstairs, Downstairs'. Offered his choice of the male 'leads' in the film, Flynn lobbied for, and got, the 'villain' of the story, the coldly ruthless Soames Forsythe, who marries MGM 'queen' Greer Garson, and proceeds to make her life a living hell. It was a major departure for Flynn, who had watched his roles at the WB deteriorate into a collection of jaded roués with a 'taste' for married women. While he acknowledged that he wasn't the easiest person to work with, he wanted to demonstrate, once and for all, that he was an actor capable of far more than leaping horses over cannons and swinging a sword. With Soames, Flynn proved he 'could deliver', even as a character you would be hard-pressed to feel sympathetic about.

As the men Garson would find comfort with, Robert Young (who had his own 'typecasting' problems, again playing a near juvenile when, in fact, he was older than Flynn!), and Walter Pidgeon (also playing a role younger than his actual age, but, as usual, winning Garson's heart), had to contend with poorly written, nearly cardboard roles (that Pidgeon 'comes off' so well is a testament to his often-overlooked acting talent...he was FAR more than just 'Garson's Leading Man').

Greer Garson, long 'typed' as the most aristocratic of MGM leading ladies, had to deliver some truly 'ripe' dialog, and her manipulation by 'class conscious' Soames seemed unrealistic and out of character, but she managed to survive the stodgy production with her reputation unblemished.

Filming was smooth and untroubled, and Garson was impressed by Flynn's professionalism (he was on his best behavior, for a change). He did, however, pull one memorable practical joke; in a very dramatic scene, as she packed to leave Soames, she opened a wooden wardrobe to discover Flynn, standing inside, naked, grinning from ear to ear! One NEVER pulled a stunt like that on a Major Star (Bette Davis would have had a tantrum), but Garson simply burst out laughing, appreciating Flynn's irreverence.

THAT FORSYTHE WOMAN would be one of Errol Flynn's favorite movies, even if it didn't turn his career around.

Dreary Soap Opera

[kenjha · 6/10 · 26 December 2012]

Based on the celebrated novels of Galsworthy, this lavish film focuses on a strong-willed woman who marries into a rich and powerful British family. It's a good-looking but dreary soap opera that begins to drag about half-way through. Garson is charming as usual as the woman who agrees to marry frigid Flynn, even though she doesn't love him. Pidgeon is once again paired with Garson, but he has a small role as the black sheep of the Forsyte family. Leigh is pretty and peppy. Young is not only too old to be playing Leigh's fiancé, but he's also miscast as a heartthrob. It's hard to believe that women would be fighting over someone who's so plain.

Lavish MGM adaption of A Man of Property,...

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 6 May 2023]

... which was the first novel of John Galsworthy'sThe Forsyte Saga. Essentially a Victorian England-set soap opera, it features a big cast of stars headed by Greer Garson as the title character who enters into a loveless marriage with Soames Forsyte (Errol Flynn), a stuffy, cold member of a stuffy, cold artistocratic family. Walter Pidgeon co-stars as a black sheep of the family, with Janet Leigh as his daughter and Robert Young as a Bohemian architect with whom Leigh falls in love. Complications occur, however, when Young and Garson fall in love with one other.

With its rich Technicolor and lavish set design, That Forsyte Woman is one of those productions in which every penny shows on the screen. Unfortunately, as directed by Compton Bennett, lavish as this film is, it is also equally lifeless. You may watch the film for its cast of stars but it may also be a bit of a struggle to make it to the end.

In his autobiography, however, Errol Flynn called this one of the favorite films of his career, and I can understand why. In playing an unloved man who has difficulty expressing emotion it gave him a rare opportunity to break away from the swashbuckling stereotype at his home studio Warner Brothers and do a character role. Flynn tries hard and his casting against type can be seen as the most interesting thing about this plush production. Unfortunately, possibly due to little directorial assistance, the actor comes across as a little too stiff and reserved much of the time. You can understand why the actor in Flynn appreciated the opportunity but there's something about seeing a charming man playing an not so charming character that can be a little tiresome after a while.

Greer Garson would later write that this film has been a fun one to make and it had been enjoyable for her to work with Flynn. The actress added, however, that she wished the film had been as much fun for the audience to view as it had been for the cast to make.

Better a Movie Than a Series

[ldeangelis-75708 · 7/10 · 9 February 2023]

After somehow sitting through a "Forsyte Saga" miniseries as it droned on (and on), I decided to check out the movie from Hollywood's golden days and I'm sure glad I did! Like "Pride and Prejudice", "Jane Eyre" and 'Wuthering Heights", this movie says what has to be said in about third the time, and you don't feel like you've missed a thing. It's like reading a long novel and skipping the pages describing every stick of furniture in a room; you can get along quite well without that info.

Maybe the trip back in time doesn't feel as authentic, but what the heck?

Greer Garson was great as Irene, who enters into a loveless marriage with Soames Forsyte (Errol Flynn) for financial reasons, only to find out emotional poverty can be worse.

This was an unusual role for Errol, more famous for playing romantic heroes, like Robin Hood or Captain Blood. He does a good playing the stuffy, stoic Soames, whose unrequited love for Irene makes him unreasonable and autocratic. Still, I think the role should have gone to someone else.

Robert Young gives a good performance as Philip Bosiney, the man Irene falls for, who's engaged to Soames's cousin, June (Janet Leigh), daughter of the family black sheep, Jolyon (Walter Pidgeon), who was in the same situation as Irene, and defied society to find happiness.

Considering what the future has in store for Irene and Jolyon, it was perfect casting to have both Greer and Walter in this film, with their chemistry as strong as ever.

Worth watching!

Unrealistic

[lynpalmer1 · 6/10 · 10 February 2022]

Unrealistic that a woman would choose Robert Young over Errol Flynn, even though Flynn is supposedly a cold hearted jerk. Seems to me the other way around in the scenes between Flynn and Garson after they are married. He seems to be in love and the neglected husband. He tries his best to get her to respond but she's just not interested. It's Errol Flynn, FFS! Would have needed Robert Taylor or Tyrone Power in Young's part to make this plausible. Truthfully, I'm writing this after only halfway through the movie but I'm just not buying it yet.

Ok, movies over and I stand by my review. To me Flynn was the sympathetic character and Garson the cold hearted wife. Maybe in the original story his character was an ogre but in this movie he's still the most appealing of the 3 men, and would have been more so with a little more enthusiasm from his wife. He was willing to be the perfect husband but she was too stupid to see it. The movie in itself is nice to look at and the performances are fine but I can't get past this.

Very interesting although hard to believe...

[simba-18 · 8/10 · 18 June 2005]

How could any woman choose another man over Errol Flynn? I don't know either. That's why I didn't buy the premise of this but was impressed with the performances. Errol Flynn is always great to watch and proves here that he can deliver the acting goods and always of course looks distractingly handsome. Greer Garson and Walter Pigeon are a treat to watch together. A previous poster mentioned the fact that Greer Garson having an adulterous affair didn't work because she was just too likable really doesn't apply here because the fact that their marriage is unhappy is established. Robert Young comes off less sympathetic than Flynn's Soames Forsythe, in my opinion. Here he takes advantage of the young and naive June Forsythe and the unhappy marriage of Mrs. Forsythe at the same time. The story is contrived but overall a good flick to watch on a rainy day. I would recommend it.

Garson and Flynn superb in Victorian melodrama

[tabacblond · 7/10 · 7 July 2022]

THAT FORSYTE WOMAN (MGM) 1949

Having just watched for the second time, and taken copious notes, the 1967 BBC mini-series of 26 episodes, THE FORSYTE SAGA, I am coming back to comment on this first and earlier condensation of the first part of the SAGA.

It takes 7 episodes of 50 minutes each of the BBC series to stretch over the fabric of the film's narrative. Many characters and subplots are dropped. Much is cleaned up. In the film, Young Joley has not left his wife for his mistress, gone abroad, married her at his wife's accidental death, and fathered two children, before his return to England. He has simply gone off with her after his wife's death, spent two years abroad, and returned a widower.

The film basically centers on the unhappy marriage of Irene and Soames, her affair with her niece's fiancée, his death, her rescue from her life with Soames by Young Jolyon, and his marriage to her.

The production is sumptuous and beautifully designed for Technicolor. The many and exquisite Walter Plunkett gowns were deservedly nominated for an Oscar, and the art direction should also have received a nod, in my opinion.

You have here one of Garson's greatest performances, very emotionally deep and at the same time bravely restrained, as Irene. You also have Flynn actually acting and playing against type as the cold martinet, Soames, and doing a brilliant job. Walter Pidgeon co-starred successfully with Garson over six times, and is most sympathetic in this role.

The only fly in the ointment is the casting of Robert Young as Philip Bosinney. He is far too "American," too gosh almighty naïve and unartistic to convince as a budding architect. Had they snagged Montgomery Clift (just rising as a young star) or any other young actor with an "edge," it would have been more convincing to my mind.

Gone from the script is Soames law case against Bosinney for over-expenditure on building Robin Hill, and gone is Irene's rape by her own husband, news of which sends Bosinney over the edge and to his doom. MGM would never abide such behavior in one of their scripts.

Oddly enough the art direction for Bosinney's studio was copied from the film for the BBC series. Also, a new bit in which Irene tells Soames of a first love, a young soldier, whom Bosinney reminds her of.

For those who are not Galsworthy purists, this is a most enjoyable, well-acted and directed film about an unhappy marriage and a tragic love affair, resulting from it. Garson and Flynn are exceptional in the leads and the production design is fabulously colorful. Recommended.

Flynn is the best reason for watching this one...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 12 April 2005]

Poor ERROL FLYNN. When he finally did get to choose a good role for himself, it had to be in a very lackluster version of a stodgy novel, the first half of which is used for THAT FORSYTE WOMAN. And he had to get GREER GARSON as leading lady who, for some reason, seems as detached and remote from the proceedings as his character is supposed to be. With two such detached performances in the leading roles, the film emerges as heavy going for the audience.

But these are not the only failures. JANET LEIGH was not yet the fine actress she would become and is little more than a cardboard ingenue as the young woman in love with an impoverished architect, ROBERT YOUNG, who, incidentally, is about ten years too old for his role despite efforts to make him appear younger.

The story is a slim one for such a handsome production and fails to generate more than a modest response.

But the film does show an interesting side of Errol Flynn and proves that he was much more than a man who could wield a sword with the best of them. He actually delivers a solid enough performance as the stuffy Soames who, because he is a man of property, is used to buying whatever he wants, regardless of consequences.

Fans of the four stars will no doubt find them enough of a reason to watch. Pity the story, which moves at a snail's pace, was hardly worthy of their combined talents.

Errol Flynn has never been better!

[Pat-54 · 8/10 · 24 September 1998]

The main problem with this film is the casting. As Greer Garson's cold husband, Errol Flynn was cast. He is nothing short of superb, and he and Garson have great chemistry together. But the casting of Garson's lover went to Robert Young, and he is totally wrong for the role. One can never accept Garson's feelings for him over Errol Flynn!

Flynn, doing some 'acting'

[schappe1 · 6/10 · 22 July 2021]

Erroll Flynn signed a new contract with Jack Warner in 1948 that allowed him to make one film outside of Warner's a year and this was the first one. He got loaned out to MGM for their adaptation of the first part of John Galsworthy's The Forsythe Saga. There were three male roles: a materialistic businessman, (Soames Forsythe), his Bohemian artist cousin, Jolyon Forsythe and a romantic young architect, Philip Bosinney. The lead female roles are Soames wife, Irene, whom he trats like a possession, played by Greer Garson and June Forsythe, Jolyon's daughter who he had abandoned to pursue his painting career, played by young Janet Leigh. She and Bosinney fall in love but Philip, upon meeting Irene, falls even more in love with her, as does Jolyon when he returns home. By the end of it, Philip is dead, Irene has left Soames to be with Jolyon and June has found somebody lese to marry.

It's basically an Edwardian soap opera. But it was considered a 'prestige' property and was given first-rate production values and a star-studded cast but it's also pretty dull going. It was a decidedly not as good a film nor as well acted as "The Adventures of Don Juan", but it's the sort of film that could burnish an actor's reputation and this no doubt is why he wanted to be in it - and to play against type as Soames. I've read one account that he was given his choice of playing Joylon or Philip but insisted on playing Soames or that Walter Pidgeon was to play Soames, for which he seemed perfect, while Flynn played Joylon but both actors wanted to play against type so they decided to switch roles. It's been suggested that playing either character would have been too much like the composer Flynn had just played in 'Escape Me Never'. But he'd also played a character not unlike Soames in 'Cry Wolf'.

Whatever, Flynn certainly comes off the best of the men as both Pidgeon and Robert Young are too old for their roles and lack the romantic qualities of their characters qualities. Young is also burdened with what appears to be an ill-fitting wig. Flynn may not have been much like Soames but he plays him perfectly, imbuing him with human qualities the script didn't suggest. He's legitimately in love with Irene but doesn't seem to know how to express it and is legitimately hurt when he loses her. He not a bad guy: he's an inadequate guy and Flynn presents him as a tragic figure. By this time anyone who did not think that Errol Flynn was a skilled actor had not been paying attention.

Although Soames and Irene have a decidedly imperfect relationship, Flynn got along famously with Garson, who wrote an affectionate forward to the book 'The Films of Errol Flynn' by Tony Thomas, Rudy Behlmer and Clifford McCarthy.

Actors make the film

[jfarms1956 · 5/10 · 5 April 2013]

This is a movie for the over 45 crowd. Only us 'oldies' would appreciate these actors-- Errol Flynn, Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Young, Janet Leigh, and Harry Davenport. This is one movie whereby Errol Flynn does not play a swashbuckling hero is well known for in many of his other movies. However, although the storyline is typical and plot predictable, I found the movie to be entertaining. It is not a highly memorable movie, but for its block of time was pleasant and enjoyable -- just what a movie should be. I enjoyed the movie for its actors, not for their performances, but just for them being in this film. This movie is for a quiet, relaxing movie night for us "oldies." It brings back memories of many of our favorite actors and why we love them so.