Ivy (1947)

by John DiLeo

Overview

An essay by film historian John DiLeo about the film Ivy (1947) starring Joan Fontaine. Excerpted from John DiLeo’s Screen Savers II: My Grab Bag of Classic Movies, “Ivy (1947): Casting Against Type.” One of the most noteworthy, yet least known, examples of casting a good-girl actress as a villain was Universal’s choice of Joan Fontaine for the title role in Ivy.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940014224864
Publisher:	Hansen Publishing Group, LLC
Publication date:	04/04/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	542 KB

About the Author

John DiLeo’s first book was And You Thought You Knew Classic Movies! (St. Martin’s, 1999), hailed by Pauline Kael as “the smartest movie quiz book I’ve ever seen.” His second book was 100 Great Film Performances You Should Remember—But Probably Don’t (Limelight Editions, 2002), which Adolph Green called “a valuable and touching work.” TCM host Robert Osborne said, in the Hollywood Reporter, that the book “delightfully throws the spotlight on some remarkable film work,” and the Washington Post’s reaction was, “Not only is this helpful criticism, but 100 Great Film Performances can serve as balm for anyone who has ever been disgruntled by the Academy’s choices on Oscar night.” Turner Classic Movies devoted a night of prime-time programming to films featured in John’s third book, Screen Savers: 40 Remarkable Movies Awaiting Rediscovery (Hansen Publishing Group, 2007). His fourth film book, Tennessee Williams and Company: His Essential Screen Actors (Hansen Publishing Group, 2010), led to his presentations and panels at the Tennessee Williams festivals in Provincetown and New Orleans. Essays by him appear in two anthologies, City Secrets Movies: The Ultimate Insider’s Guide (2009) and City Secrets Books: The Essential Insider’s Guide (2009). John has been a contributing book reviewer for the Washington Post and currently writes DVD and film-book reviews for multiple publications. He frequently hosts classic-film series, appears on radio programs, lectures on cruise ships, conducts film-history seminars, and has been an annual participant in the Black Bear Film Festival (Milford, PA) where he interviewed Farley Granger (2005), Arlene Dahl (2006), and Marge Champion (2010) on the festival’s stage. His website is johndileo.com and his blog is screensaversmovies.com. Born in 1961 in Brooklyn, John was raised on Long Island and graduated from Ithaca College in 1982 with a B.F.A. After 27 years together, he married partner Earl McCarroll in 2009 in MA.