Classic Love Story Wuthering Heights to be Shown at Edmond Town Hall

NEWTOWN, CT — Do you enjoy classic films? Newtown's historic Edmond Town Hall will screen the classic love story Wuthering Heights (1939) on Thursday, July 28 at 4:00 PM, and 7:00 PM.

Emily Brönte’s only novel was published in 1847 when she was only 29, under the pen name Ellis Bell. She died of tuberculosis a year later, having never experienced an affair of the heart herself. The unusual literary structure and wild obsessive passion in the work polarized critics of the day, nevertheless, the book became a literary classic.

Set in the mid 1800s, the film tells the story of young Heathcliff, who is brought home to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw to be raised as his son along with his daughter Cathy and son Hindley. Cathy and Heathcliff grow up forming a deep bond, but wealthy Edgar Linton proposes exposing Cathy’s materialistic side. Distraught, Heathcliff disappears to reinvent himself into what he thinks Cathy wants, only to return years later to try to temp her away from her husband. Spurned and out of revenge, Heathcliff marries Edgar’s sister, and so all four of them are tormented.

This early film adaptation, directed by the capable William Wyler, effectively launched Laurence Olivier’s film career (already a lauded stage actor), and also stars Merle Oberon and David Niven.

“As old movie buffs, it was fun to see such great classics on the big screen. We are glad we can help to add one more,” says sponsors Charles and Kristyn Galda.

Gregg Toland won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in Black and White for Wuthering Heights (and was later nominated for Citizen Kane in ’42).

Mark your calendars for the next films in this series: The African Queen, Thursday, Sept. 1, and Rear Window on Thursday, Sept. 29.

To see the complete film schedule, visit www.newtownartscommission.org/sunday-cinema-series and www.facebook.com/sundaycinemaseries.

— Written by Jennifer Rogers