Wilkie Collins on Film - The Woman in White
Parker, Smith, Greenstreet Star in Adaptation of Classic
Nov 12, 2009
By his own wishes, Wilkie Collins' (1824 - 1889) tombstone bears the simple inscription "Author of The Woman in White," in homage to his enduring classic that once captured Victorian England's collective breath at the turn of each mysterious page. The tale was originally published in November of 1859 in serial form as part of Charles Dickens' All the Year Round magazine.
Each week, readers would anticipate the newest twist in the ever-turning plot of Anne Catherick (the haunting woman in white) and her double Laura Fairlie and their fate at the hands of the evil Count Fosco. Since its publication, The Woman in White has spawned several adaptations, including four silent films, a mini-series, a rendition on BBC's Masterpiece Theatre, a Finnish adaptation, and even a TV series.
One of the most successful endeavors was director Peter Godfrey's The Woman in White (1948) starring Eleanor Parker, Alexis Smith, Gig Young, and Sydney Greenstreet. Though the film takes significant detours from Collins' intricately woven plot, it still maintains a measure of suspense and holds true to the characters the author created.
The Plot of The Woman in White
Walter Hartwright is a struggling, young artist who earns a position as drawing master at Limmeridge House where half-sisters Laura Fairlie and Marion Halcombe live under the care of Laura's inept Uncle Frederick. On his way to Limmeridge House, Walter has a mysterious encounter with a woman in white who seems to be lost along the dark stretch of road. When he learns from a passing carriage that a woman named Anne Catherick has escaped a local mental institution, Walter keeps the sighting to himself until the following morning when he sees the mirror image of the woman in white in the face of Laura Fairlie. Anne claims she holds a terrible secret and continually tries to warn Laura of her impending doom at the hands of her fiance Sir Percival Glyde and his evil cohort Count Fosco. Will she reveal her secret before it's too late?
The Cast of The Woman in White
Walter Hartwright (Gig Young): Walter is determined to uncover the woman in white's secret to save Laura from the scheming Sir Percival Glyde. The novel's Walter is more inexperienced and naive, making him more relatable and his risks more breathtaking. Young offers a masculine portrayal - considered more suitable for a 1940s film hero - of a sexually-frustrated young man fed up with an unattainable love interest.
Marion Halcombe (Alexis Smith): Marion Halcombe is the devoted half-sister of Laura Fairlie. They are exact opposites, she claims, but are inseparable. Indeed, Collins' Walter Hartwright describes Marian as "dark and ugly, but intelligent," where Laura is "light, pretty and dependent." Smith is hardly the ugly duckling of the novel, but does reflect her fiercely devoted spirit and iron will. Smith portrays Marian with a feminine touch that's necessary to the love triangle that forms between her character, Walter, and Laura.
Laura Fairlie/Anne Catherick (Eleanor Parker): Parker plays a dual role as the haunting Anne Catherick and her elegant double Laura Fairlie. Laura is kind, but simple and dependent, therefore easily manipulated. Anne is the mysterious figure in white, who roams the dark fringe of the estate after her escape from an insane asylum, determined to reveal a secret that could save Laura's life. Though Parker's portrayal of Anne is more fascinating than the simpering Laura Fairlie, this woman in white is less haunting and mysterious compared to Collins' Anne. Parker's Anne is a wounded dove, beautiful yet crippled by fear of capture.
Count Fosco (Sydney Greenstreet): Greenstreet is the highlight of The Woman in White as the absolute embodiment of Collins' devious Count Fosco. He slips through facets of Fosco's character with ease, at once a jovial fat man who indulges in all of life's pleasures, and in the next instant a formidable presence with a look of sly malice stealing over his watery gaze. He is the puppet master behind the grand plan and his strings are as sharp as daggers.
Sir Percival Glyde (John Emery): Glyde is the hot-headed villain who approaches his master plan with impatience and a thirst for violence. Without Fosco's calm reassurance and logical mind, Glyde would resort to clumsy murder to secure his new bride's fortune.
Countess Fosco (Agnes Moorehead): Moorehead is an underused to gem in this film, especially since her character is given such significance by the conclusion. Countess Fosco is our villain's "dear wife." She lives under such fear of her dominating husband that she practically must ask permission for even having a thought. She spends most of the time in her husband's presence sitting with a vacant stare and a slight, trembling lip. Moorehead makes even this stare an interesting facet of her character and plays the Countess with a cold edge that promises a hint of danger.
Frederick Fairlie (John Abbott): Abbott brings comic relief to the suspenseful tale as Laura's uncle and benefactor. Fairlie fancies himself an invalid and is always reminding everyone of "the wretchedness of his nerves." He can barely handle the rustle of a curtain let alone a serious problem like his niece's impending doom. Even the looming presence of Count Fosco doesn't rouse Fairlie to action, but is enough to blackmail him into relenting to the villain's wishes.
The Secret Revealed (Spoilers Ahead)
Because of time constraints, many of the novel's plot twists were severed and most of the secrets abandoned, placing further emphasis on Anne Catherick's secret knowledge of our villains. Where Collins' secret involved Sir Percival Glyde's illegitimacy, the film's secret lies in Anne's illegitimacy and reveals the identity of her biological mother.
Though interesting, the crucial secret is disappointing because it only serves to reveal more about Anne, the Fairlies, and a motive for blackmail rather than anything truly damning about the villains.
Overall, the oversimplification of Collins' complicated work translates into a moderately suspenseful film that is worth a viewing.
Collins' "Terribly Strange Bed" Inspires Novel
Collins, Wilkie. The Woman in White. Barnes & Noble Classics. 2005. 1-59308-280-0
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