The Magnificent Ambersons

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) starring Tim Holt, Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Agnes Moorehead. Directed by Orson Welles. Story, set in 1873 and the following years, about two families -- one on the way up and one on the way down. It all starts with an innocent incident in which Morgan (Cotten) falls on his bass fiddle while courting Isabel Amberson (Costello). She marries a different man, one whom she does not truly love, and all the complications that follow arise from that one decision. The story is told rather elliptically, and the dialogue struck me as old-fashioned -- not always a fatal flaw, but in this case I think it detracted from the movie's effect. The film would probably benefit from repeated viewings. (Subtitles for the hearing-impaired are available, but not closed captions.) Grade: B