FOREVER AMBER (1947)

It may be unfair to compare this historical romance-melodrama set in 17th century England to Gone with the Wind, but if the shoe fits… Like GWTW, this is based on a best-selling novel set in the past, has a woman at the center of the story who develops a somewhat unhealthy romantic obsession for a man, works herself up in society over a period of years, and loses the love of her life in the end. In 1644, with a civil war raging against King Charles I, an orphaned infant girl is left with a Puritan family. Years later, after the monarchy is restored, young Amber, now an attractive teenager (Linda Darnell), grows restless with her situation—about to be married off to a poor farmer whom she doesn't love. She rebels by wishing for better, but her father threatens to whip her, saying, "Vanity is Satan at work in the female soul." When a band of cavaliers, having successfully fought to put King Charles II on the throne, pass through her village on the way to see the King in London, Amber falls for the dashing Bruce Carlton (Cornel Wilde) and runs off, hoping he'll take her with him. He doesn't though his buddy Lord Harry (Richard Greene) is quite taken with her. Bruce has a mistress in London, but she is also a mistress to the King, so there are problems. When Amber follows the men on her own, Bruce finally gives into her charms, but eventually leaves her to go on another privateering mission. She vows to climb the class ladder so eventually Bruce will marry her for her position, but long before that can happen, Amber undergoes a series of trials: joining a robbery gang, spending time in prison, giving birth to Bruce's son, and getting swindled out of what money has managed to get. But like Scarlett O'Hara, Amber is not inclined to give up and she marries for convenience and even becomes a mistress to the King (George Sanders) before meeting up with Bruce again who, unfortunately, is married and ready to head to America.

This is not as long as Gone with the Wind, and nor as well acted, but it's shot in gorgeous Technicolor which has been beautifully restored, so it's always a treat to look at. It's also very episodic, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, though it makes it feel a bit like an adventure serial, albeit a high-budget one. There was a big search for an actress to play Amber, and while Darnell (pictured above) is a colorful beauty, she's not an especially versatile actor and she plays Amber without any substantial character development except for the changes in her surroundings. I'm not a fan of Cornel Wilde, but he acquits himself well here, and Richard Greene is likable as his friend. Of course, George Sanders is fun as the king, though he doesn't get much of a chance to chew the scenery. Otto Preminger's direction is workmanlike but the film never feels as spirited as it should and instead of becoming a bigger-than-life figure like Scarlett O'Hara, Amber winds up a soap opera anti-heroine. I'm glad to have seen this once, but it probably won’t need a second viewing. [TCM]