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Forever Amber: From Novel to Film
One of the most popular and controversial novels of the Twentieth Century was Forever Amber. Kathleen Winsor's story of Restoration England follows the exploits of a beautiful girl named Amber St. Clare who bed-hops her way from country wench to mistress of the King of England. Forever Amber became a cause celebre for the "watchdogs of morality" who attempted to ban the book, which went on to sell millions of copies despite their efforts. When a film version of the novel was announced these same "watchdogs" turned their attention toward Hollywood. Although controversy might sell books and cinema tickets it can also damage reputations and prevent serious works of art from ever being taken seriously. Forever From Novel to Film hopes to shed a new light on the much maligned movie version of the best selling novel of the Forties and show how misguided censorship can ultimately damage artistic expression.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 28, 2016
Being a fan of Linda Darnell, I recently had the chance to watch one of her more famous films, FOREVER AMBER. I recalled reading that the book had caused quite a sensation because of its many immoral interludes, and that the Catholic Church had condemned both it and the motion picture made of it. So, I approached the film with some anticipation.
I was amazed at how tepid the story was in the film. This caused a controversy? While beautifully filmed, it was an incredibly mild scenario that would seem capable of offending only the most sheltered people. Had I been misinformed about the book? And if not, what had happened to the film translation?
I soon discovered this book written by a true fan of the original novel, the movie, and the musical score. There is plenty of background provided, so the Reader who is unaware of FOREVER AMBER in any of its incarnations can be quickly brought up to speed. There is also a very generous offering of photographs, some of which I found to be truly stunning.
In short, I imagine this is everything that the student of FOREVER AMBER could expect to find. There is a synopsis of the book, background information of the filming of both versions, critical reviews, notes on the composing and release of the score, and short overviews of the major film participants.
The writing style is easy to read, although very matter of fact. It felt as if I was reading a number of informative articles in Filmfax ... very knowledgeable, but probably only of value to Readers who already had an interest in the subject matter. Think of it as an extended supplemental section on a DVD release of the film.
It did interest me enough to add the book to my reading list. The film version appears to be a very stripped down offering of a much more substantial story that continues at some length beyond where the movie stops.
I was amazed at how tepid the story was in the film. This caused a controversy? While beautifully filmed, it was an incredibly mild scenario that would seem capable of offending only the most sheltered people. Had I been misinformed about the book? And if not, what had happened to the film translation?
I soon discovered this book written by a true fan of the original novel, the movie, and the musical score. There is plenty of background provided, so the Reader who is unaware of FOREVER AMBER in any of its incarnations can be quickly brought up to speed. There is also a very generous offering of photographs, some of which I found to be truly stunning.
In short, I imagine this is everything that the student of FOREVER AMBER could expect to find. There is a synopsis of the book, background information of the filming of both versions, critical reviews, notes on the composing and release of the score, and short overviews of the major film participants.
The writing style is easy to read, although very matter of fact. It felt as if I was reading a number of informative articles in Filmfax ... very knowledgeable, but probably only of value to Readers who already had an interest in the subject matter. Think of it as an extended supplemental section on a DVD release of the film.
It did interest me enough to add the book to my reading list. The film version appears to be a very stripped down offering of a much more substantial story that continues at some length beyond where the movie stops.
Want to Read
July 8, 2011Thank you Moppet! Found this one on your blog. This combines two of my obsessions, classic films and historical fiction. How intriguing and rare to get a look into how a wildly popular and controversial book was brought to the screen and during the height of censorship (which greatly hurt the film IMO).
I am one of the few who has not read the Kathleen Winsor book yet.
I am one of the few who has not read the Kathleen Winsor book yet.
August 15, 2022
I have never heard of Forever Amber in a novel or film, but it will be one that I will be checking out after reading this fascinating detailed work of how the film beat many odds to be made.
Based from the novel of the same name which was a success out of the gate, the book then goes into how Hollywood came calling and studios wanted the rights to Winsor's novels, although the book was being criticized by religious and moral groups while selling out the multiple printings.
I have made it known how much I enjoy Smith's writing; he adds wonderful facts without bogging down the reader with encyclopedia-filled dates and names while letting the story flow through the pages. Smith also adds personal opinions in parts but doesn't come off as judgmental. Underneath all of this, the reader can see throughout his writings that Smith loves and is excited about the topics in his writings.
For an in-depth review, visit my page at :https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
Based from the novel of the same name which was a success out of the gate, the book then goes into how Hollywood came calling and studios wanted the rights to Winsor's novels, although the book was being criticized by religious and moral groups while selling out the multiple printings.
I have made it known how much I enjoy Smith's writing; he adds wonderful facts without bogging down the reader with encyclopedia-filled dates and names while letting the story flow through the pages. Smith also adds personal opinions in parts but doesn't come off as judgmental. Underneath all of this, the reader can see throughout his writings that Smith loves and is excited about the topics in his writings.
For an in-depth review, visit my page at :https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
July 1, 2021
This is an "inflated" book meaning that it took me less than an hour to read, and it provided very little exploration of censorship in the 1940's, which I was primarily interested in and which I thought would be the main point of the book. Although the writing wasn't bad, it was more on a high school senior level, and the end notes on the various actors was like reading the bios one reads in a theater program. The most interesting part to me was reading about Peggy Cummins, the original Amber who was replaced by Linda Darnell, and it was also fun to read the end notes about who else was considered to play the various roles. (Angela Lansbury as Barbara Palmer/"Castlemaine" -- really?)
Just as a btw, I would love to see "Forever Amber" remade as a BBC mini-series -- I think that would be spectacular!
Just as a btw, I would love to see "Forever Amber" remade as a BBC mini-series -- I think that would be spectacular!
February 27, 2022
forever forgotten
Where was the story. I expected to read a book. Instead all I got was the making of the film, appendixes and bibliography.
Rubbish, I would rather have thrown the money I spent on the book down the drain.
Where was the story. I expected to read a book. Instead all I got was the making of the film, appendixes and bibliography.
Rubbish, I would rather have thrown the money I spent on the book down the drain.
July 20, 2025
I love behind-the-scenes stories, and the worse the movie, the better the story. Which prevents this book from being extraordinary, although it is VERY thorough, well-researched, and engagingly written. But - "Forever Amber" isn't a terrible film. It's just not very good. But there are some very good scenes, and I'd be willing to bet that a restored version on the big screen would look sumptuous. And George Sanders was so good as Charles II that he reprised the role in 1955 in "The King's Thief." That said, Linda Darnell and Cornel Wilde are okay on screen but nothing special, and behind the scenes were certainly not badly behaved, or petty or demanding. Maybe the most interesting, and the scariest, sections of the book deal with the Catholic Church's power of censorship in the post-war era. While studios and publishers could sometimes leverage that to their advantage, it's something that is well relegated to a bygone era.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews