The odds are so stacked against Ruth Chatterton’s Fran Dodsworth in Dodsworth that you almost feel sorry for her—if the film wasn’t constantly depicting her as terrible. This is especially the case in comparison to her husband, Sam Dodsworth, a recently retired auto magnate and, as played by Walter Huston, the world’s most charmingly agreeable man. (“Did I tell you yet today that I adore you?” he coos to her early on—and he means it.) Finally able to spend time together now that he’s retired, the long-married couple embarks on a voyage to Europe, where Fran becomes increasingly self-conscious and socially ambitious, even pursuing a series of flings (each of which Sam, for the most part, patiently endures). There is a potentially more nuanced version of this story, which has been adapted from the novel by Sinclair Lewis, in which Fran’s insecurities and complaints are taken seriously—where she’s depicted as a woman who has been stuck playing mother and wife for decades and is now struggling to find her own place in the world. Yet aside from one or two nods in this direction—there is a nice moment when Sam notes that he understands Fran is “scared”—neither the plotting nor Chatterton’s strident performance allow for any real sympathy. Meanwhile Huston, reprising the role from the stage adaptation of Lewis’ book, projects an unforced honesty and sincerity. His affability even undercuts the movie’s initial critiques about capitalism; when Sam finds inspiration in a new business idea near the end of the film, it registers as a romantic gesture. (Having the regal Mary Astor appear as Sam’s second chance at actual romance also tilts things against Fran.) Dodsworth nabbed William Wyler his first of 12 nominations for Best Director and was also nominated for Best Picture. (The sophisticated blocking of the actors in these mostly static scenes is the film’s stylistic hallmark.) Wyler came to the United States from Europe as a young man and Dodsworth, a relatively early effort, is decidedly in love with the idea of being American—especially an American like Sam, whose straightforward, hardworking, unpretentious qualities stand in sharp contrast with what one character calls “European liberties.”
(3/7/2024)
