Carrie (1952)

The year above should tell you that this has nothing to do with the Stephen King story that became two horror flicks. It is instead a romantic drama directed by William Wyler, which, in my experience, means a minor gamble.

Based on a 1900 book confusingly titled Sister Carrie (she's not a nun and doesn't spend that much time with siblings), it follows a small-town young woman (Jennifer Jones) who moves to Chicago for opportunity. When things go sour, she turns to an outgoing new acquaintance, salesman Charles (Eddie Albert), for support. To minimize the scent of scandal, Carrie pressures Charles in vain to marry her. Then her heart wanders to their mutual friend, restaurant manager George (Laurence Olivier). He loves her too, but in his position -- wife Julie (Miriam Hopkins) owning the bulk of his wealth -- that's dangerous....

Carrie, though sometimes described as ambitious, doesn't have much of a plan or preparation in coming to Chicago. Her naivete is more grating than cute. She does a poor job of gauging others' thoughts and feelings. And half the time, she looks ready to cry. That would explain why I don't know Jones for much else. I'd call it a sexist depiction if she didn't live in an era when restaurateurs openly refused to seat unaccompanied women.

In truth, it's hard for me to like or respect any of the main characters. Charles is a bit too aggressive in his fraternization, so it's no surprise that Carrie loses interest in him. George is not only unfaithful to his wife but repeatedly dishonest to Carrie, in ways that come back to bite them both. And Julie is so harsh and greedy that I almost don't blame George for his infidelity. This lineup wouldn't look out of place in a gritty film noir.

One scene was cut due to the overzealous Hays Publication Code but restored on the DVD. I'm not sure what makes that scene more objectionable than the rest. The plot does kinda dance around the moral sensibilities of the '50s. It also has a surprisingly tragic moment midway through -- the kind that few dramas even today care to try.

The writing works insofar as I find it tough to predict. I do quibble with a few developments. For example, while cohabiting with Charles, Carrie approaches an unsupervised little girl in the hallway of the apartment building and asks for personal information. The girl says, "I'm not supposed to talk to you." Carrie concludes from this, allegedly correctly, that the neighbors disapprove her lifestyle. But couldn't it just as easily have been the conventional rule against talking to strangers?

Carrie's actions get a bit more impressive toward the end. I suppose you could say she's grown, but she still has a lot of growing to do. The ending is a mix of happy and sad...and very unlike the norm for Hollywood.

I might give Carrie credit for relative realism in terms of how things play out. I just would've found it more enjoyable if I knew what to hope for, besides a better lead actress.