| The Razor's Edge | |
 original film poster artwork by Norman Rockwell |
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| Directed by | Edmund Goulding |
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| Produced by | Darryl F. Zanuck |
| Written by | Lamar Trotti Darryl F. Zanuck (uncredited) W. Somerset Maugham (novel) |
| Starring | Tyrone Power Gene Tierney John Payne Anne Baxter Clifton Webb Herbert Marshall |
| Music by | Alfred Newman Edmund Goulding (uncredited) |
| Cinematography | Arthur C. Miller |
| Editing by | J. Watson Webb Jr. |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | December, 1946 |
| Running time | 145 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,200,000 |
The Razor's Edge is the first film version of W. Somerset Maugham's 1944 novel. It was released in 1946 and stars Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, John Payne, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb, Herbert Marshall, supporting cast Lucile Watson, Frank Latimore and Elsa Lanchester. Marshall plays Somerset Maugham. The film was directed by Edmund Goulding.
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Production history
20th Century Fox purchased the film rights from Maugham in March 1945 for $50,000 plus 20% of the film's net profits. The contract stipulated that Maugham would receive an additional $50,000 if the film did not start shooting by February 2, 1946. In August 1945, producer Darryl F. Zanuck had the second unit begin shooting in the mountains around Denver, Colorado which were to portray the Himalayas in the film. The stars had not yet been cast, Larry Darrell was played by a stand-in and was filmed in extreme long shot. Zanuck wanted Tyrone Power to star and delayed casting until Power finished his service in the Marines in January 1946.
Zanuck originally hired George Cukor to direct, but creative differences led to Cukor's removal. Although Maugham wanted his friend (whom he had in mind when he wrote the role in the book) Gene Tierney for Isabel,[1] Zanuck chose Maureen O'Hara, but told her to not tell anyone. O'Hara shared her secret with Linda Darnell, but Zanuck found out, fired O'Hara, and hired Tierney. Betty Grable and Judy Garland were originally considered for the role of Sophie before Baxter was cast. Maugham wrote an early draft of the screenplay but it is unknown how much of his version, if any, was used in the final script.
Awards
Baxter won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Webb as the worldly Uncle Elliott was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The film was also nominated for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White and Best Picture (Richard Day, Nathan Juran, Thomas Little, Paul S. Fox).[2]
References
- ^ Tierney and Herskowitz (1978) Wyden Books,Self- Portrait p.177
- ^ "NY Times: The Razor's Edge". NY Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/40414/The-Razor-s-Edge/details. Retrieved on 2008-12-19.
External links
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