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Payment on Demand

Poster for the French release
Directed by Curtis Bernhardt
Produced by Jack H. Curtis Bernhardt ( April 15, 1899 - February 22, 1981) was a German Film director born in Worms Germany. Skirball
Bruce Manning
Written by Curtis Bernhardt
Bruce Manning
Starring Bette Davis
Barry Sullivan
Music by Victor Young
Cinematography Leo Tover
Editing by Harry Marker
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date(s) February 15, 1951 Flag of the United States United States
Running time 90 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Payment on Demand is a 1951 drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt. Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (April 5 1908 – October 6 1989 was an American actress of Film, Television and Theatre. Barry Sullivan ( August 29, 1912 – June 6, 1994) was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s Not to be confused with the actor Victor Sen Yung who was sometimes billed as Victor Young Victor Young ( August 8, 1900 - Leo Tover, ASC (1902 &ndash 1964 was an American Cinematographer, twice nominated for Academy Awards for his work on The Heiress Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January The United States of America —commonly referred to as the United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The year 1951 in film involved some significant events Events Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian A drama film is a Film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes Curtis Bernhardt ( April 15, 1899 - February 22, 1981) was a German Film director born in Worms Germany. The screenplay by Bernhardt and Bruce Manning chronicles a marriage from its idealistic early days to its dissolution. See also Pre-production Screenwriting A screenplay or script is a written plan authored by a Screenwriter, for a Film or Television

Contents

Plot synopsis

In the opening scene, San Francisco socialite Joyce Ramsey expresses concern about the working class background of her daughter Martha's boyfriend Phil, and her husband David, tired of his opportunistic wife's social ambitions, asks her for a divorce and moves out, prompting her to look back on their marriage. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city A socialite is a person who is known to be a part of fashionable Society because of his or her regular participation in social activities and fondness for spending a significant Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage.

Via a flashback, we learn about the couple's humble beginnings and discover how they worked their way into the world of the nouveau riche. In history film television and other media a flashback (also called analepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current Nouveau riche ( French for "new rich" or new money, refers to a person who has acquired considerable Wealth within his or her David is a Santa Rosa attorney with no clients, working on construction jobs with his law partner Robert Townsend to support his bride, who serves as the struggling firm's secretary. Santa Rosa is the County seat of Sonoma County California, United States An attorney at law (or attorney-at-law) in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute Finding herself preganant, Joyce schemes to land Swanson, a former factory worker with a valuable steel-making patent, as a client. She succeeds at getting him to hire David alone, and when her plot eventually is discovered, Robert quits. David is furious with his wife, but she placates him by convincing him her sole intent was to help him and their unborn child.

Back in the present, Joyce is forced to admit to her daughters their father has left her when a society columnist questions his move. She learns from a friend David has been seen with another woman and hires a private detective to investigate.

Another flashback, and David, now an executive in Swanson's company, announces he has been transferred to San Francisco but wants to live in the suburbs. Joyce, longing for the excitement of city living, changes his mind. Eventually she meets Emily Hedges, and the two, bonded by their social-climbing aspirations, become close friends. Robert Townsend, in desperate need of $15,000, arrives at the Ramsey home to request a loan, and Joyce tells him David is away on business and she is unable to help him. Her husband learns of her lie and comes to his former partner's aid, accusing Joyce of being callous.

A return to the present, where David and girl friend Eileen Benson, alone in his apartment, are discovered by the detective Joyce hired. She proceeds to demand all of David's assets during the divorce hearings, and he agrees. While on a Caribbean cruise, Joyce meets Englishman Anthony Tunliffe. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting This article is about yacht cruising For cruising on cruise liners see the article Cruise ship. During a stop in Port-au-Prince, the two visit the now-divorced, deluded, and alcoholic Emily living with a gigolo, and she expresses concern for Joyce's future. PortAuPrinceTapTapjpg|right|thumb|270px|A taptap (shared taxi in central Port-au-Prince When Joyce learns Anthony is married and looking for nothing more than an extramarital affair, she leaves the ship and returns home.

At Martha and Phil's wedding, Joyce and David meet. When he takes her home, he suggests they start anew. Joyce hesitates, wanting to be certain he loves rather than pities her, before committing herself to a reconciliation.

Production notes

The film's original title was The Story of a Divorce. It was made in 1949 but wasn't released until two years later, following the success of All About Eve [1]. All About Eve is a Drama film, written and directed by Joseph L

The original script left no doubt about the couple's future. The final scene depicted a reunited Joyce and David at the breakfast table, with the woman engaging in her familiar social-climbing talk. It was clear she was still an overly ambitious wife determined to dominate her husband and steer his career path. RKO executive Howard Hughes, unhappy with the ending and the title, called the director and the two leads into the studio only two days before the film was scheduled to open at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and had them shoot his revision to the script, which he had rechristened Payment on Demand. Howard Robard Hughes Jr (December 24 1905 – April 5 1976 was an American Aviator, Industrialist, Film producer / director, Philanthropist Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City 's Rockefeller Center. The City of New York The scene was processed, spliced into the final reel, and shipped on a Hughes-owned TWA aircraft, arriving at the theatre after the film already had begun under its original title. Trans World Airlines ( TWA) renamed TWA Airlines LLC in 2001 was a major U The projectionist had just enough time to thread his machine with the new final reel. A Projectionist is a person whose profession entails the operating of a Movie projector. Bette Davis later said, "The new ending broke our hearts. The one we had shot was the true ending for our film. We also were brokenhearted over the title change. " [2]

Principal cast

Critical reception

In his review in the New York Times, Bosley Crowther said, "Miss Davis performs most capably, achieving a surface appearance of feminine churlishness that might almost be real. Francis Bosley Crowther ( July 13, 1905 &ndash March 7, 1981) was a Film critic for The New York Times for Likewise, the luscious surroundings in which RKO has arranged for her to perform have, at least, the beguiling intimations of unlimited wealth and taste. But, unfortunately, the script by Bruce Manning and Curtis Bernhardt includes everything but a simple and convincing demonstration of the reasons why a marriage hasn't clicked . . . this domestic drama, which Mr. Bernhardt has staged, is entirely a vehicle for Miss Davis to pull with a firm theatrical grip across the screen. " [3]

Variety said the film "makes a point of avoiding the pitfalls of soap opera fiction in which emotional and physical crises are developed in rapid succession. Variety is a weekly entertainment trade newspaper founded in New York in 1905 by Sime Silverman A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. Bette Davis is in top form. Her interpretation . . . has great believability . . . Barry Sullivan handles [his role] neatly and with a quiet dignity. " [4]

TV Guide rates it three out of a possible four stars and adds, "Bypassing all the usual soapy stuff, this film offers an adult look at some of the reasons why people part company . TV Guide is the name of a North American weekly magazine about television programming . . An honest story with good acting and direction, [it] moves over familiar ground, but laughs are in very short supply here and would have helped considerably. " [5]

References

  1. ^ Payment on Demand at Turner Classic Movies
  2. ^ Mother Goddam by Whitney Stine, with a running commentary by Bette Davis, Hawthorn Books, 1974, pp. 238-239 (ISBN 0-8015-5184-6)
  3. ^ New York Times review
  4. ^ Variety review
  5. ^ TV Guide review

External links

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