Autumn Leaves

There's something very rewarding about discovering a well-acted mid-20th century movie you never heard about, in this case, Autumn Leaves starring Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson, which I saw on TCM. In some ways dated, this movie shines with excellent acting by the two leads - one a star of the film noir era, and the other, a future star making his film debut. The story involves a romance that work-at-home secretary Joan Crawford only reluctantly embraces because her lover is a much younger man. Cliff Robertson falls head over heels in love with her and they marry. Of course, you know the wheels are going to come off this match. The young man becomes traumatized by the appearance of his father, played by a distinguished looking but thoroughly evil Lorne Green and his femme fatale, Vera Miles. Crawford is confused by the bizarre situation and her husband suffers a complete mental breakdown. There is some surprisingly strong language and domestic violence for a movie of the 1950's. Crawford and Robertson deliver strong performances, particularly as the movie moves to its climax. For his first movie, Robertson shows surprising range and strength as an actor. Presented with a husband who is now unhinged, Crawford, takes action to help him, knowing it might have unintended consequences for both of them. Directed by Robert Aldrich, this is a movie that keeps its momentum and doesn't disappoint. Highly recommend.

Trashy delight about the ill-fated marriage of a naïve middle-aged woman and an enigmatic younger man. Director Robert Aldrich worked surprisingly well with a latter-day Joan Crawford, taming the Hollywood queen bee and bringing her volatile personality down to scale. This gusty, absorbing nonsense gives Crawford a solid role as a single, stay-at-home typist who falls for shifty Cliff Robertson, a pathological liar. Florid melodrama filled with overripe dialogue, overheated set-ups (like the infamous thrown typewriter), fluttering hands and fluttering eyelashes. Aldrich keeps it all simmering nicely, and the entertaining results are certain to please soap buffs. *** from ****

Fine performances from Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson give this taught drama more emotional resonance than might be expected from the plot summary. Crawford is superb - all huge eyes and trembling lips, she makes the relationship with Robertson's character believable and moving. The tentative start to the relationship is especially effective.

Burt Hanson's mental deterioration is quite graphically portrayed and at one point, I have to admit, I was peering through my fingers at the screen. It was purely by chance that I stumbled across this movie on late night television. Despite being a fan of classic movies all my life, I had never heard of this one and I have to say that I'm surprised. It deserves to be better known.

Autumn Leaves finds Joan Crawford as fortyish unmarried woman living alone in a court bungalow with landlady Ruth Donnelly for occasional company. A chance meeting with young Cliff Robertson at a concert brings two people with needs together.

Cliff's needs are much bigger than her's however. For all his surface charm, the man has some deep issues. Part of which is that he's grown up without a mother another part of which his father Lorne Greene did him one terrible hurt.

The film was Cliff Robertson's breakout role and he does a fine job, running the whole emotional alphabet from the charming and shallow young man who overcompensates a lot to his mental breakdown with Crawford which is terrifying. Crawford gets one of her best late career roles as well. Not much is said about her mental state, but the way she interprets the part, Joan's needs are as much maternal as romantic and Robertson seems to fill the bill.

For those of you who expect to see wise and patriarchal Ben Cartwright, that is not the Lorne Greene you see here. In fact before being cast in Bonanza, Greene played a nice variety of nasty people in such films as The Buccaneer, Tight Spot, and this one. Vera Miles is also here as Robertson's ex-wife and a piece of work herself.

Robert Aldrich does a good job with Joan Crawford and the rest of the cast. But the film really belongs to Cliff Robertson, after this performance, his career was assured.

Saw 'Autumn Leaves' as somebody who admires Joan Crawford, 'Mildred Pierce' being a prime example of what made her such a good actress. It was interesting seeing Cliff Robertson in an early role and a large part of me was very intrigued in seeing how he would fare alongside the more experienced Crawford. Also seeing how one of Robert Aldrich's earlier films would rank with his other films. Melodrama does vary in execution and always has done, but there has never been any personal bias against it as there are some great ones out there.

'Autumn Leaves' is not going to connect with everybody, am aware that some respected critics and fellow prolific reviewers didn't care for the film. For me though, it was very good and a near-must see for anybody that likes Crawford, Robertson and Aldrich. Can totally see why Crawford herself thought highly of the film and her reasoning mirrors my feelings on it (also agree with her that it should be better known), and to me it is among Aldrich's better films if not quite in the same league as the likes of 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' and 'Attack'.

It is not a perfect film. With my biggest reservation being the ending, which for me and some others was too abrupt and tonally was completely at odds with what came before. For a quite dark story to end on such a jarringly pat note was a shame.

Maybe the film is a little too long as well.

Crawford on the other hand is in a role that she was born to play and pulls out all the way. Robertson gives a very distinguished turn in a not easy role to play and actually appreciated that he doesn't go over the top, a big trap for a character that changes as much as he does here. He works very well together with Crawford and personally didn't think that they were too much of a mismatch together in age and acting style and that their styles of acting didn't clash too much, actually thought that the more understand acting of Robertson contrasted well with Crawford's. Lorne Green and particularly Vera Miles are very good in support and Aldrich directs beautifully with material that he is completely at ease with, thematically this is already classic Aldrich.

Visually, 'Autumn Leaves' is handsomely mounted and photographed with a real sense of atmosphere. The music is haunting and sears in intensity, without intruding too much. The script is soap opera but intelligently written and naturally flowing soap opera that doesn't get too overwrought or heavy-handed. The story deserved a much better ending, but the psychological aspect is hard-hitting and pulls no punches (regardless of any debate on how well it has dated) and it is very intense and moving.

On the whole, very good with a lot of things that come off greatly. 8/10