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The Great Gatsby (1974)
Starring Robert Redford, Sam Waterston, Mia Farrow, and Karen Black. Cinematography by Douglas Slocombe. Edited by Tom Priestley. Produced by Devid Merrick. Written by Francis Ford Coppola. Directed by Jack Clayton.
Nick Carraway (played by Sam Waterston) has just moved into a small summer cottage off the Long Island Sound near his cousin Daisy (played by Mia Farrow). When he meets his new next-door neighbor Jay Gatsby (played by Robert Redford), he is immediately fascinated by him. Gatsby is an eccentric millionaire who lives by himself in a large mansion and throws extravagant parties for the upper crust of society. As Carraway gets to know his neighbor, he quickly discovers his tangled history with Daisy that has left deep emotional scars.
When Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope was in trouble, he took a job directing Paramount Pictures gangster film, The Godfather. The decision to take on the project not only made him the money that he so desperately needed, but also earned him the respect and admiration of the greater film community. With this newly found esteem came many offers to work on other projects.
One such offer came from producer Robert Evans who needed his existing script for a film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby revamped. The screenplay was originally penned by author Truman Capote, but was determined to be unusable in its current state. Coppola took the job and produced a draft in a mere three weeks.
The rights for The Great Gatsby were purchased by Evans in 1971. Evans pursued the material so that his wife, Ali MacGraw, could play the role of Daisy, the female heavy in the story. While the script was being finalized MacGraw took a role in 1972’s The Getaway starring Steve McQueen. While shooting the project MacGraw and McQueen fell in love and subsequently got married.
Needless to say, Evans and MacGraw split up and the role of Daisy went to Mia Farrow. The Great Gatsby film ends up being a fine example of visual strength over character substance. The sets and costumes used in the film are beautiful and lend a lot of credibility to its Jazz Age settings. But the movie ultimately proves to be a slow paced bore and a far cry from it’s inspiration that will forever live in American mythology.
Budget: $6,500,000
Total US Gross: $26,533,200
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 144 Minutes
US Release Date: 3/26/74
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Awards:
Academy Awards:
Won for best costume design and best original song score.
Golden Globes:
Won for best supporting actress.
Nominated for most promising male newcomer, best supporting actor for Bruce Dern, and best supporting actor for Sam Waterston.
Tagline: Gone Is The Romance That Was So Divine.
Quote: “Because rich girls don’t marry poor boys, Jay Gatsby. Haven’t you heard? Rich girls don’t marry poor boys.”
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