This Property Is Condemned [DVD] [1966]

Inspired by Tennessee Williams's play, Francis Ford Coppola sat down with TV writer-producers Fred Coe and Edith Sommer (as well as uncredited David Rayfiel) and created a screenplay fleshing out the backstory; the story of Alva, who dreams of nothing more than getting out of her small backwater home town and seeing the world (or at least New Orleans, which is more or less the same thing), but is trapped between lack of money and prospects on the one hand and a mother heavily capitalizing on her physical attractions on the other hand. And both the screenwriters and Natalie Wood, who stars as Alva, did the famous playwright proud: Their heroine is as much an inhabitant of Williams's "Dragon Country" - that place too painful to live in, yet somehow endured - as are her sisters-in-spirit Blanche DuBois ("A Streetcar Named Desire") and Amanda and Laura Wingfield ("The Glass Menagerie"); like them hiding from a reality deemed intolerable behind a gauze veil of make-believe, and prone to immediate destruction when robbed of her illusions.

For Alva, however, doom doesn't come at the hands of a man: In fact, although she has acquired the reputation of the town's easiest girl, with suitors ranging from her own mother's boyfriend (a marvelously, tightly controlled Charles Bronson) to a wealthy old visitor from Memphis named Johnson (John Harding), railroad executive Owen Legate (Robert Redford), in town with a suitcase full of pink slips and thus the quickly-maligned catalyst of the railroad-dependent community's demise, falls for her when he begins to see through her easygoing facade. (She, of course, was smitten the minute she laid eyes on him ... and sister, I sure am with you there. We're talking about Redford in his prime, after all.) Owen and Alva are a classic case of "opposites attract" - he the realist who never dreams, dislikes his job but does it because someone has to, and tries to make her face the reality of her situation, albeit with the aim of empowering, not destroying her; and she the romantic, who can dream herself inside a snow globe when she wants to feel cold, believes that places vividly imagined are almost as good as places actually visited, and sometimes feels so suffocated by her town's encroaching atmosphere that she has physical trouble breathing (which of course also foreshadows other things). Natalie Wood and Robert Redford have incredible chemistry - their prior collaboration in "Inside Daisy Clover" quite obviously helped a lot - and truly bring to life the precarious, only seemingly carefree young Southern belle and her reluctant lover. But just as crucial is the relationship between Alva and her manipulative mother (Kate Reid), who stands for everything that her daughter is not and, although practically inexistent in Tennessee Williams's play, as an agent of destruction is a worthy peer to his most brutal characters, first and foremost "Streetcar"'s Stanley Kowalski.

While it can hardly be said that the movie is "based" on Tennessee Williams's play - the opening credits aptly use the term "suggested by" - the play itself remains largely intact as an outer frame; using Willie (Mary Badham of "To Kill a Mockingbird" fame) as a narrator and taking the majority of the dialogue between her and Tom ("Lassie"'s Jon Provost) straight from the play. Much the same is true for the Starr boarding house, which in the movie's opening and closing shots quite closely matches Tennessee Williams's (as always) elaborate stage directions, describing the building as "a large yellow frame house which has a look of tragic vacancy:" only one example of James Wong Howe's and Stephen Grimes's excellent cinematography and production design, complimented in turn by the great, venerable Edith Head's period-sensitive costumes.

For most of the movie's participants, "This Property Is Condemned" was a harbinger of even bigger things to come: Although Natalie Wood was a bona-fide star (and the only actor receiving "above the line" billing) and both child actors' parts did not come close to the earlier ones that had made them famous, Francis Ford Coppola was yet to create "The Godfather," Sydney Pollack would go on to direct the much-acclaimed "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?," Robert Redford's career would skyrocket with "Butch and Sundance," and for Pollack and Redford together this was only the first in a seven-film run, including blockbusters like "The Way We Were" and "Three Days of the Condor" and culminating in 1985's multiple-award-winning "Out of Africa." Thus, this is also an important testament to the level of work that facilitated their respective paths to glory. Conversely, in Natalie Wood's case this was probably her last truly great appearance, unmatched by any of her remaining work in the 15 years until her untimely death. For everybody involved, however, it was an important career milestone - and with its spot-on atmosphere, fine acting and all-around great production values it's a movie I'll take over many a more recent release any time; no questions asked.

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Natalie Wood is absolutely alluring in this one. She and Redford, who also teamed together in the memorable INSIDE DAISY CLOVER, did indeed appear to have a lot of screen chemistry. He is the cynical company man who appears like the Grim Reaper in a small, shabby, depression-era southern town, carrying pink slips with him, instead of a scythe. The role has a lot of resonance now, what with all the corporate downsizing currently going on. Needless to say, the townfolk don't much cotton to Mr Owen Legate, with his fancy suit and self-assured ways.

With a couple notable exceptions. Tom boyish Willie Starr is taken by him right away and the minute her big sister Alma sets eyes on him, she's putty. Wood's expression in that initial glance is part of film history.

Owen further antagonizes the townfolk because they see that Alma has taken a shine to an outsider. Alma's been something of a tramp up this point, givining it up to varying degrees to most of the men in the town. Several of them, including an old geezer with an invilid wife, have been fantazising about further adventures with Alma. And Alma's mother is upset with Owen, because she sees that he is going to take away her gravy train. Hazel Starr is one of Williams' great eccentric female characters, and perhaps his most unctuous (though Amanda Wingfield, in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, is no prize, either. Kate Reid is perfect in the role. This, to me is her most memorable performance, followed closely by her title role in AND MISS REARDON DRINKS A LITTLE, which unfortunatley appears to be impossible to find. It's hard to believe she never won an Oscar or a Tony.

This was only the second feature film that Pollock directed. He of course went on to great things with such films as THEY SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY and TOOTSIE. He and Cinematographer James Wong Howe do a great job of capturing small southern town lethargy, as well as 30's New Orleans ambience. The print, unfortunately, could definitely use a full restoration. It's faded noticeably over time. The film certainly warrants the extra work. Yet time cannot wither Natalie Wood. She's still one of the most lovely women a camera ever made love to. This film definitely belongs near the top of the list for screen adaptations of Williams' plays.

BEK

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