More on That Forsyte Woman (1949), Especially an Altogether Different Errol Flynn

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So I wrote at some length the other day about how I was looking forward seeing That Forsyte Woman after having read about Greer Garson and Errol Flynn’s surprisingly cordial relationship on the set. I watched it before bed last night, which for me means I pressed play at 5 am so I apologize if I’m hazy on any of the details. The crux of the Garson birthday post came down to one question: “Will the Garson-Flynn off-screen camaraderie shine through and make it more worthwhile than I’m led to expect?” Well, yes and no.

If you are curious about THAT FORSYTE WOMAN in relation to other adaptations of The Forsyte Saga this article will not answer any of your questions.

This piece was written in 2010 before I had any meetings with the Forsytes outside of this film. I have since surrounded myself with Forsytes and will at some point create a new post based not only around this 1949 film but both the 1967 and 2003 mini-series and Galsworthy’s original text.

That’s a bit of a project so it may be some time yet. I do however invite you to continue reading the post below with explanation that it views the 1949 MGM film entirely as a stand-alone work.

Greer Garson and Errol Flynn in That Forsyte Woman at the dinner table on their anniversary

I had never watched this movie before, nor had I ever read the original Galsworthy or watched the later mini-series based upon it. My expectations were based entirely upon the cast, namely Garson, Flynn, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Young and Janet Leigh.

Because of those names I was expecting the occasional moment of, well, not exactly zaniness, but more of a glint in either Garson or especially Flynn’s eye. No, that wasn’t there except maybe occasionally from black sheep Walter Pidgeon, otherwise That Forsyte Woman took itself very seriously throughout, too much so in fact. But what was interesting, and perhaps attributable to the Garson-Flynn camaraderie that I was so curious about, was that Errol Flynn actually gave the stand out performance in That Forsyte Woman.

A haughty Flynn as Soames Forsyte

Cast totally against type, far from his usual charmer, Flynn plays filthy rich serious minded Soames Forsyte, who at least by appearances sake is the only Forsyte left that actually does anything to sustain the families abundant fortune. In fact he and cousin Jolyon (Pidgeon) seem to be the only men left in the family under 60. While it likely would have made more sense to cast Flynn as ne’er do well Jolyon and Pidgeon as S.O.B. Soames that would have evaporated the most interesting element of the movie: Flynn.

Never cracking a smile throughout Soames buys whatever he wants including his wife, Irene (Garson), who has been quite up front about never having been in love with him in the first place. Soames doesn’t care, he wants her and as the old story goes figures she’ll fall for him over time. The successful Soames, well-manicured and more attentive to his wife than I would have expected, is however still a bit of a jerk.

His replies to others are short, often cutting, he has no patience for anyone and he’s not too shy to let them know. He’s most interesting in bidding for Irene’s affections, though Soames also shows us his worst moment one on one with Irene when he wrongly accuses her of forgetting their anniversary. While humorless Flynn’s Soames is by no means a bad person, just one who’d be difficult to get along with, and much to my surprise Errol Flynn, who I like as an actor and love as a force of personality is all about the former without resorting to the latter as Soames Forsyte.

Walter Pidgeon and Errol Flynn as brothers Forsyte

That Forsyte Woman is basically a love triangle with a few extra sides. Soames loves Irene, June (Janet Leigh) loves Philip Bosinney (a smarmy Robert Young), Philip loves Irene and Irene loves Philip, but that can’t happen because of June, and, oh yeah, Jolyon also falls for Irene.

Yep, Greer Garson has the attention of all the men in the room while Janet Leigh is related to most of them and too young to be more than a passing fad for Philip. Garson’s Irene tolerates Soames and resists Philip best she can completely for the sake of June who has become her favorite Forsyte family member. Complicating matters for Irene are her occasional run-ins with the polite Jolyon who has been completely ostracized from the rest of the Forsyte clan but wants to at least get to know his daughter again. That daughter is June.

Greer Garson, Janet Leigh and Robert Young as Leigh's June takes Irene and us along to meet Young's Phillip

While for obvious reasons That Forsyte Woman is billed as a Garson-Flynn film, as the title suggests the film really revolves around Greer Garson. In fact, co-billed Flynn’s role is subordinate and there’s no reason not to mentally file this as just another Garson-Pidgeon entry, though at the same time Flynn is so different and excellent at being different that the idea has sort of settled into my head that he’s stolen this one.

Overall not a great movie though and while I don’t like to rate the films I watch when they’re far from outstanding I at least feel the responsibility to warn it’s not for everyone. If I had a four star scale this would probably rate itself two, no more than 2 and a half. But chalk up a four or a hair under for Flynn on a personal note.

Knowing what I know now (in mid-2012) part of me wishes I had waited to write this. The problem is that I’m still not ready to do so.

Having watched the 1967 series three times since; begun the 2003 series; and finding myself approximately halfway through “A Man of Property” in Galsworthy’s original text, this 1949 MGM film suffers badly by comparison.

It is the least substantial version of the Forsytes.

But because I came to the Forsytes through the 1949 film I am glad that I captured my original thoughts about it. I don’t know how helpful they will be to anyone but myself, though I expect it will serve its purpose if this is your first meeting of the Forsytes as well.

If it is, I will say that it is well worth forging ahead and getting to know them better. There is much more to the story!

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