Two years before The Man With A Cloak came out Paramount scored a great
success with The Heiress also set in the same time and place of New York in
the 1840s, specifically here 1848. I read here that this film was a box office
flop and that's a pity, it has a lot to offer.
Young Leslie Caron comes over from France, she's the fiance of the grandson of Louis Calhern a former French marshal of Napoleon who went into exile in America taking a considerable fortune with him. By rights his money should go to the grandson, but Calhern's household staff is scheming for it for themselves.
Barbara Stanwyck, Joe DeSantis, and Margaret Wycherly are the staff and Stanwyck of course is the brains of the crew. Stanwyck gets to play another of her coldhearted scheming females that she does so well. In this case a Phyllis Diedrichson of Henry James New York.
Playing the title role is Joseph Cotten, a mysterious and penniless traveler from Baltimore who meets Caron and becomes her protector. they have some great scenes.
Lots of similarities between The Man With A Cloak and The heiress. Same time and place in history and the same gothic and moody atmosphere in both. Why one film succeeds and the other doesn't who can really know about the fickle taste of the public.
As for Cotten he leaves New York leaving unpaid bills and worthless IOUs. The autograph on them would be worth millions now to the holder's descendants.
Young Leslie Caron comes over from France, she's the fiance of the grandson of Louis Calhern a former French marshal of Napoleon who went into exile in America taking a considerable fortune with him. By rights his money should go to the grandson, but Calhern's household staff is scheming for it for themselves.
Barbara Stanwyck, Joe DeSantis, and Margaret Wycherly are the staff and Stanwyck of course is the brains of the crew. Stanwyck gets to play another of her coldhearted scheming females that she does so well. In this case a Phyllis Diedrichson of Henry James New York.
Playing the title role is Joseph Cotten, a mysterious and penniless traveler from Baltimore who meets Caron and becomes her protector. they have some great scenes.
Lots of similarities between The Man With A Cloak and The heiress. Same time and place in history and the same gothic and moody atmosphere in both. Why one film succeeds and the other doesn't who can really know about the fickle taste of the public.
As for Cotten he leaves New York leaving unpaid bills and worthless IOUs. The autograph on them would be worth millions now to the holder's descendants.