Studio One (TV Series) Wuthering Heights (1950) User Reviews

truncated Bronte, but effective

[didi-5 · 6/10 · 11 January 2009]

Charlton Heston and Mary Sinclair play Heathcliff and Cathy in this shortened version of Emily Bronte's novel, which manages nonetheless to get across the feel and the drama of the story.

With windswept studio moors, Greensleeves on the soundtrack, and the major portions of the story intact, this is a charming studio production, performed live nearly sixty years ago. Despite the length of time since it was made, this 'Wuthering Heights' is still well worth watching, not least to pinpoint a young pre-stardom Heston and watch his early acting efforts.

The Studio One productions have been a little uneven in their availability on DVD but this one is well worth tracking down (and now is quite easy to find).

Not Bronte's story, but okay for what it is

[MissSimonetta · 6/10 · 23 March 2020]

Like most Wuthering Heights adaptations, this 1950 television version chucks the complicated psychology of the original novel and reduces it to a soap opera. As a devotee of the original book, I admit I cringe a bit to see Heathcliff and Catherine's unearthly bond reduced to mere adulterous passion, the class conflict boiled down to nothing, the supernatural elements almost entirely discarded. Still, as far as soap operas go, this is entertaining, if a bit overdone. Charlton Heston is in full Byronic mode, chewing the scenery, and within the limitations of early TV movie budgets, the film manages to conjure the appropriate gothic atmosphere.

Like a good steak....you certainly wouldn't want it this overdone!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 9 December 2010]

I love the early teleplays and have seen a few dozen lately. It's hard to imagine all the work that went into presenting a play LIVE--but it was done on "Studio One" and several other terrific shows from the late 1940s until about 1960. Unfortunately, few are available on DVD and we are lucky that even a few survive today--most appear to be gone forever. However, I should also point out that although there were some absolutely brilliant productions (such as "Marty", "Days of Wine and Roses" and "Requiem for a Heavyweight"), occasionally there were a few duds--and this can certainly be understood.

I notice that there are already two other reviews for this particular production. While I, too, love Charlton Heston...I was NOT thrilled by this teleplay. In fact, I hated it--the first time I felt this way about any of these shows. Why did I hate it? Well, first, I really came to HATE the song "Greensleaves", as it played almost non-stop through the show--like some sort of insidious torture device!! Second, I have never seen such hamminess and overacting in a TV show--it was truly that bad! Heston's version of Heathcliff was just too brooding and intense--even before he was rejected by Catherine. And he was not the only one--many of the actors came on way too strong and simply overacted. Surprisingly, Una O'Conner (who was uncredited but played Nelly), was among the more sedate performances--and in the 1930s she was famous for her histrionics as the screaming lady in "Bride of Frankenstein" and "The Invisible Man"!!! The only really good performance was by Lloyd Bochner--a very, very familiar face on TV through the decades. Here, in a very early role, he puts on a credible British accent and underplays nicely--and it's easy to notice him since he is one of the few who ISN'T loud and over-baked! Sorry, but despite a good rating and two positive reviews, I simply hated this. It lacked subtlety from start to finish and it's intensity level was an 11 (on a scale from 1 to 10).

Una O'Connor as 'Nelly', good Bochner

Westinghouse Studio One: WUTHERING HEIGHTS

[monakayk · 9/10 · 23 June 2005]

I have just watched Westinghouse Studio One: WUTHERING HEIGHTS starring a very young and handsome 27 year old: Charlton Heston. This production of the classic book, by Emily Bronte, was done very well. Charlton Heston played a superb 'Heathcliff' with Mary Sinclair as 'Cathy'.

This early TV production is one of the best I have seen and over all the cast did a beautiful job with it. Charlton Heston did several productions for Westinghouse Studio One before he was discovered by Hollywood. WUTHERING HEIGHTS was one of his earliest endeavors. Charlton Heston was outstanding with his wonderful resounding, masterful voice delivering his lines with strength and conviction.

If you ever get a chance to view or purchase this RARE production...do so. I only want to caution fans to beware of poor-inferior copies of this film. Make sure your source for purchase is a good one. However, WUTHERING HEIGHTS is a 'MUST SEE' for any Charlton Heston fan.

MonaK

Bronte re-done as if it was Shakespeare, which it isn't

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 3 July 2022]

The great deficiency in this early TV version of one of the great Gothic novels of all time isn't the lack of a budget, but the direction and a lot of the acting. The filming itself reminds the viewer that Wuthering Heights itself wasn't the most ideal place to live with an obvious lack of sunshine and a distant location, even from the sunnier Linton mansion. Once the elder Earnshaw dies, his home turns all the more colorless and dour, and that mood is expressed most realistically. The dull shading is a great contrast to the Linton's which is so much brighter.

In a very early role, Charlton Heston is absolutely wrong for the part of Heathcliff, bellowing all of his lines, and totally unappealing. Mary Sinclair is not the ideal Cathy either, but at least she tries to underplay. Richard Waring, as Hindley, is supposed to be an overwrought drunken fool, like a corpse crying from the grave that they shouldn't be there. June Dayton is one of the few bright lights as Isabelle, and Lloyd Bochner surprisingly superb as Edgar. It's a true surprise that Una O'Connor is a loveable Nelly (changed from Ellen in other versions) rather than the shrieking harpy she'd usually played. It's experimental early TV for sure, but the experiment in this case failed.