The Great Gatsby (1949) DVD

Price:

$9.99

SKU:

P102720211026

Rating:

The Great Gatsby (1949)

Director
- Elliott Nugent
Writers
- F. Scott Fitzgerald(novel)
- Owen Davis(play)
- Cyril Hume
Stars
- Alan Ladd
- Betty Field
- Macdonald Carey
This second film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's definitive jazz-age novel The Great Gatsby stars Alan Ladd in the title role. Jay Gatsby, formerly Jake Gatz, is a successful bootlegger with aspirations of being accepted in the highest social circles of Long Island. Once he's done this, Gatsby devotes his time to winning back the love of his former lady friend Daisy (Betty Field), now married to boorish "old-money" millionaire Tom Buchanan (Barry Sullivan). Gatsby's obsession with rekindling old flames results in disillusionment and, ultimately, tragedy. Sidelines observer Nick Carraway, the narrator of the original Fitzgerald novel, is expertly played by MacDonald Carey, while Shelley Winters makes an excellent impression as Buchanan's slatternly mistress Myrtle Wilson. Cast as Myrtle's dour optometrist husband is Howard Da Silva, who essayed a minor role in the 1974 remake of Great Gatsby. That 1974 version has unfortunately kept the 1949 Gatsby from being released to television.

ALAN LADD SHINES AS GATSBY

Posted by PETER JABLONSKI on May 23rd 2022

The silent version of THE GREAT GATSBY is a lost film, so there's no way of comparing Warner Baxter. But of the remaining four, Alan Ladd is arguably the best Jay Gatsby. It's a multi-faceted performance with the requisite rough edges. And the set design and cinematography also holds its own against the later color versions. As far as the story goes, its pretty much a bare bones retelling, with almost a third of the running time devoted to a newly invented backstory for Gatsby, which works surprisingly well. The Zeus print is clean and sharp, with no dirt, dust or blemishes. A highly recommended buy!