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How involved was Hemingway in this production? Does Bergman have the same chemistry with Cooper that she did with Bogart? Does the adaption work? Tune in to this week’s show to hear these answers and more!
Ernest Hemingway was very involved in getting the adaptation of his 1940 novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls” off the ground. It was Gary Cooper who initially brought it to Cecil B. DeMille’s attention, and DeMille who bought the rights then introduced Cooper to Hemingway. After that fateful meeting, Hemingway saw no one except Cooper as his choice to play the lead. And opposite him, he wanted Ingrid Bergman. It took some time to get her – including two weeks of production with a different actress – but get her they did, and the rest is history. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Ingrid Bergman series with Sam Wood’s 1943 film For Whom the Bell Tolls.
We talk about how we came to this film and why there are elements that work, but how it largely feels dated. We look at elements that do work, however, and how the film still gets some of Hemingway’s themes across. We look at Cooper and Bergman and why their relationship feels not quite right. We discuss Katina Paxinou and Akim Tamiroff as the two actors who deliver our favorite performances of the film. We look at the nature of the three-strip technicolor process and struggle with the way this film looks sadly. And we talk about the journey this film went on as far as its length is concerned, from Roadshow to theatrical cut to restored cut – yet how sad it is that it’s never received the royal treatment it deserves.
We aren’t in love with this adaptation of Hemingway’s book, but we did still find some interesting things in the film. And now, we’re both more interested in reading the book, so that’s saying something, right? So check out the movie and tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.
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The Next Reel team has been dedicated to reviews, news, and commentary on world film for a decade. This podcast is The Next Reel master feed including all the episodes of The Next Reel, Trailer Rewind, The Film Board, The Speakeasy, and the other shorts, interviews, and specials we've produced over the years.