Wuthering Heights

film by Wyler [1939]

Written by Lee Pfeiffer

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Wuthering Heights, American dramatic film, released in 1939, that was an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s acclaimed novel of the same name. It starred Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as the tale’s unhappy lovers.

The love story between Heathcliff (played by Olivier) and Cathy (played by Oberon) is set against the restrictions and social conventions of 19th-century British life. It is a haunting tale of a love turned tragic due to its heroine, Cathy, letting her obsession with wealth and social status win out over her love for Heathcliff, the foster child who was raised from boyhood in her family home. When Cathy marries the rich Edgar Linton (played by David Niven), Heathcliff devotes his life to seeking revenge.

The movie made Olivier a top leading man, though he did not prevail in his quest to have his then-fiancée, Vivien Leigh, play Cathy (Leigh would soon after win the highly contested role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind). Olivier and Oberon fought throughout filming, and tensions also arose between Olivier and director William Wyler. The film is notable for the Oscar-winning camerawork of Gregg Toland, though the scenes set on the Yorkshire moors were actually shot in southern California. Geraldine Fitzgerald earned praise for her portrayal of Edgar’s sister, Isabella, who marries Heathcliff.