This is a movie for the over 45 crowd. Only us 'oldies' would appreciate these actors-- Errol Flynn, Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Young, Janet Leigh, and Harry Davenport. This is one movie whereby Errol Flynn does not play a swashbuckling hero is well known for in many of his other movies. However, although the storyline is typical and plot predictable, I found the movie to be entertaining. It is not a highly memorable movie, but for its block of time was pleasant and enjoyable -- just what a movie should be. I enjoyed the movie for its actors, not for their performances, but just for them being in this film. This movie is for a quiet, relaxing movie night for us "oldies." It brings back memories of many of our favorite actors and why we love them so.

Greer Garson in a role tailor made for...Bette Davis. She plays a Victorian era woman who marries into a wealthy family only to find out that her husband is a possessive psychopath. Garson finds solace in young architect Robert Young (not bad, but very much miscast), who happens to be the beloved of her niece (Janet Leigh, even more grotesquely miscast than Young). Topping it all off is Errol Flynn as Garson's crazy husband. Walter Pidgeon is in the mix too. It's all high gloss drama complete with ironic (and completely unrealistic) ending. It's like a Henry James novel if James had zero talent. This was among the last of the grand dame roles for Garson. Oddly, Flynn manages to give a very respectable performance. Directed by Compton Bennett.

Interesting film and a total change of pace for Errol Flynn, playing an erudite gentleman who is as nasty as can be. He literally forces Greer Garson into a loveless marriage and of course she looks to be loved.For a change, her usual movie partner, Walter Pidgeon, takes on a supporting role and is totally subordinate to Garson all together. It is interesting how they find love together.Another interesting casting move here is Robert Young, the suitor of Janet Leigh, niece of Garson and Flynn. You would never suspect that Garson could find love with Young but they do until tragedy intervenes.This is still basically a story of Victorian England with an upper middle class family's snobbishness along with their traditional folkways and mores.

First I need to point out that I have NEVER seen the British Forsyte series, so I cannot possibly compare this movie to it. I have heard that the British series is better and fuller, but I just have no idea if this is true.Second, this movie has among the strangest casting I have seen in some time! Errol Flynn, well-known as a party-animal and womanizer, is cast as the incredibly dull and loveless Soames Forsyte! And, oddly, Walter Pidgeon plays the nice Jolyon Forsyte. Logically, Flynn SHOULD have played the other role and vice-versa, but perhaps the powers that be at MGM couldn't allow "Mr. Miniver" and "Mrs. Miniver" to have a loveless marriage (roles that Pidgeon and Garson were very famous for). Regardless of the reasoning, it actually worked pretty well.As far as Flynn goes, this casting was probably a good decision, as his role was by far the most interesting and enigmatic in the film. While Garson and Pidgeon play likable people and Robert Young plays an ardent suitor, Flynn must play a very cold and cynical man. The expression "he knows the price of everything and the value of nothing" is a great description of him--a fool who might be rich but can't appreciate love or things cash can't buy him. It must have been tough for the dashing Flynn to play such an overly restrained type of character and it was one of the best roles of the later half of his career.Greer Garson essentially plays the stereotypical "Greer Garson" role--you know, the nice and sweet lady you naturally love. And Pidgeon plays essentially the same nice guy role he usually played in the 1940s as well. As far as Robert Young and Janet Leigh, they were important to the plot, but their characters weren't really all that important to the plot--they just helped the story along.Essentially, the story is about very rich and boring old Soames Forsyte (Flynn) pursuing Irene (Garson) very, very ardently. However, his passion and love seems to completely vanish once he marries her--almost like she's a financial acquisition, not a loving wife. Later, Irene meets her niece's boyfriend (Young) and they somehow fall in love. In some ways this is very, very unconvincing--after all, Irene is nice and the idea of her stealing her niece's beau is a bit hard to swallow. But, considering what a cold fish Soames is, I could certainly understand her jumping at the first chance for passion. I just would have liked the movie a little more if the object of her affection were better defined or if this infatuation seemed a bit more believable.Anyways, what exactly happens next, I'll not explore further, as I don't want to spoil the film. So how all this is resolved is just going to have to wait until you see the film. However, I will say that the very best line in the movie was the final one given by Irene. Speaking of now ex-husband Soames, she says "I feel sorry for him,...he's a very poor man". What a fantastic line--a marvelous way to wrap up this excellent film.PS--On a sad note, you might want to compare the Errol Flynn in this film to the same man in movies from just three or so years earlier. I saw this movie as well as OBJECTIVE, BURMA! (1945) and NEVER SAY GOODBYE (1946) all a day or so apart. Despite being made about the same time, Flynn was a lot fatter and puffier in THAT FORSYTE WOMAN due to the effects of alcoholism. Sure he was supposed to be older in this film, but the effects I am talking about were not created by the makeup department. His drinking had finally taken its toll and he looks at least 15 years older just in three years! It's very depressing, really, that he did this to himself--going from a very handsome leading man to a bloated soon-to-be has-been (his films of the 1950s were, for the most part, third-rate messes).