Wuthering Heights

I grew up loving the 1939 film version of "Wuthering Heights" with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. If you loved that version too (or thought you did), you will find this 1958 TV production an altogether different and startling experience. I have to admit, the 1958 TV production is more exciting than the 1939 film. Even the great Laurence Olivier can't hold a candle to the animal charisma that pours out of Richard Burton in his American TV debut as the brooding and vengeful Heathcliff. This TV production had one airing on TCM late in 2019. I was really caught by surprise, and wondered when it would be released on DVD. Somebody heard me, and now everyone can see what the excitement is all about. Emily Bronte's "classic" should stop being referred to as a "romance"; although the 1939 film certainly sold it as such. It is much more a tale of toxic obsession. Mr. Earnshaw brings the orphaned and unkempt Heathcliff to his estate Wuthering Heights. Although Earnshaw's son Hindley hates Heathcliff on sight, his daughter Cathy is instantly attracted to him. Heathcliff and Cathy are inseparable as children. This grows into something more passionate and dangerous as Heathcliff and Cathy become adults. A year before her starring role as Helen Keller in Broadway's "The Miracle Worker", Anna Marie ("Patty") Duke plays young Cathy here. In her autobiography "Call Me Anna", Duke says she wished she could have continued playing Cathy when Richard Burton took over as Heathcliff. Some real sparks fly between Burton and Rosemary Harris. This, remember, was in the very early days of live TV. Well, TV rarely got as hot as this. Even the brief commercial breaks for men's business suits and "better living through Dupont chemicals" do nothing to cool down the sexual chemistry and sexual tension herein. The story goes that Richard Burton and Rosemary Harris had appeared together on stage, and Harris was anxious to co-star with him again. Although she was committed to a live TV production of "Dial M For Murder" at the same time, Harris learned the role of Cathy in four days of rehearsal. Cathy's passion for Heathcliff is matched by her longing for "finer things", represented by the upper-crust and boring Edgar Linton. Denholm Elliott is no match for Burton here. When Burton calls him a "pewling fop", you'll have to agree. Cathy marries Linton anyway; although she realizes she has no business doing so. Heathcliff vows revenge. When he returns three years later, there is hell for everyone to pay. Just strap yourself in and watch Richard Burton and Rosemary Harris play the fine line between toxic obsession and insanity. Nobody could live this way and, in the real world, nobody does. But it makes for an absorbing 90 minutes of drama. The 1939 version is still a Classic, but with Burton and Harris, this version is incendiary.

I bought this thinking it was the movie I love. It actually it a kinda poor copy of a TV presentation. It's not their fault though I just didn't read the ad very carefully. The story is good.

Watching this production is like getting into a time-machine and going back to the year 1958, and that's really fascinating, but underwhelming from the standpoint of the technology.This is a black-and-white TV presentation, exactly as it was shown on the CBS network back in 1958 -- so -- brace yourself. The resolution is poor by today's hair-splitting standards, and the sound is a bit 'muffled' also -- but the sheer magnificence of some of the performances -- particularly that of Richard Burton -- is electrifying!He was 33 years old when this DuPont Show of the Month was made... and he was absolutely at the peak of his ability to project a powerful performance, with an almost animal ferocity that is quite captivating. The rest of the cast is good... not bad... but Burton is in a class of his own.The presentation is shown exactly as it was aired, with the DuPont commercials and all. These are actually very interesting and engaging on their own -- such a difference between commercials of that day and the pithy, low-brow commercials that contaminate television today. Honestly, I didn't even mind watching the DuPont commercials at all, and I am NOT a fan of commercials....Anyway, if you are a Burton fan, you should have this DVD in your collection. Enhance the contrast on your TV when you watch it, and maybe reduce the brightness a little bit. There are moments in this presentation that you will remember for a very long time to come. Too bad that this magnificent actor died at the relatively early age of 58. We will not see his like again for many, many years... if ever.

I’ve watched Wuthering Heights several times and this early version with Olivier as Heathcliff and Oberon as Cathy is still my favorite version. David Niven and Geraldine Fitzgerald are superb in their supporting roles. Be prepared to have tissues ready when you watch. Cathy and Heathcliff are in love but Cathy desires luxuries more than love and that is the downfall for everyone in the movie classic. Olivier was young here but his emotions overpower the scenes and his star shines.

The movie showed a little part of the book. There was not enough of the book in the movie.

My fault for not reading reviews! This is a recorded TV show, including ads. I’m not sorry I bought it, but had I known, I would have paid a little more for the original elsewhere. Richard Burton was amazing, at 33 years old.

Wish I knew what the big deal was over Richard Burton. He's an awful Heathcliff, and am sorry I paid to watch this. Maybe he was a good Shakespearean actor, I wouldn't know. Maybe he was a great Broadway actor, too. But never saw a movie with him in it where I thought, "Wow, he's a marvel, such a hunk, gotta watch another Richard Burton movie." Perhaps alcohol helped Liz Taylor to be enamored with him. Maybe that's it...I need to be drunk to appreciate Richard Burton.

No matter how hard I tried it was poor quality trying to see and sound was awful

Stunning!