The Magnificent Ambersons

The Magnificent Ambersons

  • Director: Orson Welles, Robert Wise
  • Writer: Booth Tarkington,Orson Welles,Joseph Cotten
  • Countries of origin: United States
  • Language: English
  • Release date: July 10, 1942
  • Aspect ratio: 1.37 : 1
  • Also known as: Der Glanz des Hauses Amberson
  • The Magnificent Ambersons is a romance film directed by Orson Welles and starring Joseph Cotton and Dolores Castro.
    The film tells the story of a famous family.

    Details

    • Release date July 10, 1942
    • Filming locations Ice & Cold Storage Company - 400 S. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies Mercury Productions

    Box office

    Budget

    $850,000 (estimated)

    Movie reviews

     ( 7 ) Add reviews

    • By Else 2022-03-13 08:01:01

      [Film Review] The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) 7.8/10

      A quintessential archetype of the irreconcilable chasm between studio system's groupthink and individual's directorial reign in Hollywood, butchered, reshot, and then cobbled together by RKO studio, THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS, the sophomore feature film of Orson Welles, runs about a concise 88 minutes (almost an hour shorter than Welles' original version, which is allegedly lost forever), bemoans a tampered chef d'oeuvre that should've matched the achievement of CITIZEN KANE...

    • By Lera 2022-03-13 08:01:01

      A spoiled boy

      Orson Welles claims it's the only self-made movie he's seen for the second time, which means it's his own "favorite".
         But I don't think it's his best work, mainly because of the "happy" ending that was actually grafted on by stupid producers. (It's said to be the end of the original novel!?)
         Of all the Orson Welles films I've seen, it's the only film that doesn't use a lot of dizzying "cross-montages", more so than the former. What is rare is that it is actually a movie that is...

    • By Makayla 2022-03-13 08:01:01

      The Magnificent Ambersons FAQ

      http://ambersons.com/FAQs.htm

      What is The Magnificent Ambersons about?

      The Magnificent Ambersons is about the proud and celebrated Amberson family. The story shows how the family refuses to change with the times, and the subsequent deterioration of the Amberson name as a result.

      The story is set in Indianapolis in the late 1800's/early 1900's, and shows how the beauty of a small town was slowly destroyed by the advent of the automobile. A number of dramas carry...

    • By Vallie 2022-03-13 08:01:01

      Article by Robert Carringer

      The Magnificent Ambersons

      http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/803-the-magnificent-ambersons

      If events had turned out differently, The Magnificent Ambersons, Orson Welles' second film, might well be widely regarded as “the greatest film of all time” rather than Citizen Kane. But in Welles' absence, RKO Studios recut the original version of the film mercilessly—Welles said it looked like it had been “edited with a lawn mower”—reducing its running time from 131 to the present...

    • By Dortha 2022-03-13 08:01:01

      the director said

      Orson Welles is an artistically innovative and talented director, best known for "Citizen Kane". "Citizen Kane" freed the film from the shackles of the traditional pattern for the first time and created a precedent for modern film. However, it was both the beginning and the end of Welles' filmmaking career. This artistic genius, who is always in front of the audience with whimsical ideas, has struggled with the contradiction between art and business for almost his entire life. He could not...

    User comments

      ( 58 ) Add comments

    • By Cathy 2022-03-27 09:01:21

      7.0/10. A bit boring, but not too long. I feel that the cut is not as embarrassing as the legend, the first half is very smooth, and the later family scandals are a bit abrupt. However, Fatty Ao's persistent pursuit of scene scheduling is obvious to all, and several long-shot scheduling can only be described as ''amazing''! There is also a deeper image of the scene where George and Lucy say goodbye at the door of the drugstore. ....

    • By Clifford 2022-03-27 09:01:21

      Very unwelcome film, didactic and happy ending. There are only a few scenes where the camera movement shows Wells' soul. In addition, is this 88-minute version messed up? The rhythm is very...

    • By Angeline 2022-03-27 09:01:21

      Technically classic, but not too "good...

    • By Antwon 2022-03-27 09:01:21

      The content presented in this version is not enough to support the grand narrative that Wells likes, and this is probably not just a matter of...

    • By Alanis 2022-03-27 09:01:21

      Cut to pieces, only rely on paragraphs to spy on the...

    Movie plot

    At the beginning of the 20th century, the Amberson family was a well-known family in the local area. The young Eugene Morgan (Joseph Cotten) pursues the Amberson family's Isabel (Dolores Costello) to no avail. Isabel eventually marries Wilbur Minafer (Donald Dillaway). The two gave birth to a son, George (Tim Holt). George grew up under the doting of his parents. He was an arrogant child since he was a child, and it became even worse...
    more about The Magnificent Ambersons Movie plot

    Movie quotes

    • George: How'd all these ducks get to know you so quick?

      Lucy: Oh, I've been here a week.

      George: Seems to me you've been pretty busy.

    • George: Anybody that really is anybody ought to be able to do about as they like in their own town, I should think.

    • George: How is that for a bit of freshness?

      Lucy: What was?

      George: That queer looking duck waving his hand at me like that.

      Lucy: He meant me!

      George: Oh, he did? Everybody seems to mean you.