Mourning Becomes Electra (film)
| Mourning Becomes Electra | |
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| Directed by | Dudley Nichols |
| Produced by | Dudley Nichols |
| Written by | Dudley Nichols Eugene O'Neill (play) |
| Starring |
Rosalind Russell Michael Redgrave Raymond Massey Katina Paxinou Leo Genn Kirk Douglas Nancy Coleman Henry Hull Sara Allgood Thurston Hall Walter Baldwin Elisabeth Risdon Erskine Sanford Jimmy Conlin Lee Baker Tito Vuolo Emma Dunn Nora Cecil Marie Blake Clem Bevans Jean Clarenden |
| Music by | Richard Hageman |
| Cinematography | George Barnes |
| Edited by |
Roland Gross Chandler House |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
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Release date
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November 19, 1947 |
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Running time
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173 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,342,000 |
| Box office | $435,000 |
Mourning Becomes Electra is a 1947 American film by Dudley Nichols adapted from the 1931 Eugene O'Neill play of the same title. The film stars Rosalind Russell, Michael Redgrave, Raymond Massey, Katina Paxinou, Leo Genn and Kirk Douglas.
It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Michael Redgrave) and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Rosalind Russell). Originally released by RKO Radio Pictures at nearly three hours, it was eventually edited down to 105 minutes (losing more than an hour) after it performed poorly at the box office and won no Oscars. It has since been restored to its full length and shown on Turner Classic Movies.
An Oscar upset occurred in connection with the film. All who saw it had taken it for granted that Rosalind Russell would win for her performance as Lavinia, to the point that Russell actually began to rise from her seat just before the winner's name was called. However, it was Loretta Young, and not Russell, who was named Best Actress for her performance in The Farmer's Daughter.
The film recorded a loss of $2,310,000, making it one of RKO's biggest financial disasters.
A wealthy New England family, the Mannons, await the return of patriarch Ezra, general for the Union in the Civil War, and son Orin, a timid young man before becoming an Army officer. Lavinia, who adores her father, is shocked to see mother Christine kissing another man. Worse yet, the man is sea captain Adam Brant, someone whom Lavinia has long fancied herself, even though Peter Niles has been courting her.
Learning from family servant Seth that, complicating matters further, Adam is actually a relative, a son of Lavinia's uncle, causes her to confront her mother. To her astonishment, Lavinia finds out that Christine is completely aware of the family relationship, but has hated Ezra since the day she married him.
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