One letter in the mail can disrupt your whole world. “Invitation” is a classic film that explores this premise by focusing on one woman’s happy life, which is based on love and lies. Starring Van Johnson, Dorothy McGuire, and Ruth Roman, it’s a dramatic MGM film from 1952 directed by Gottfried Reinhardt, a German-born filmmaker whose father, Max, and brother, Wolfgang, were also in the production end of show business.
Just about everybody has seen some old movie at some point in his life, even if only a few clips. Movies like “Casablanca,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Citizen Kane,” and “Gone with the Wind” have entered the fiber of American culture since they were originally released 70 to 85 years ago. These few famous examples don’t even scratch the surface, however, of the amazing body of films Hollywood produced during its Golden Era, specifically 1934-1954. During these miraculous twenty years, Hollywood followed the moral guidelines of the Motion Picture Production Code, which were carefully enforced by Joseph I. Breen at the Production Code Administration (PCA). The result was movies that were vital and entertaining yet tasteful and subtle. Whether you enjoy comedy, drama, Westerns, adventure, war, tragedy, or romance, there is a wealth of obscure Code masterpieces which are now readily available, just waiting to be discovered.
“Invitation” is just such a film. It isn’t listed on any Top 10, 50, or even 100 list of the greatest movies of all time. It wasn’t even a financial success when it was originally released. However, the exceptional acting and the thought-provoking story make it a captivating film that deserves attention.
A Stirring Story
This movie focuses on the life and loves of Ellen Bowker Pierce (McGuire). She is a happily married woman who lives with her beloved husband, Dan (Johnson), in a beautiful house in Connecticut. She has a dutiful maid, Agnes (Lisa Golm), to help her around the house, and an adoring, wealthy father (Louis Calhern) who showers her with gifts. Life is beautiful for Ellen. Her existence was very different just a year earlier, however. As we see in flashbacks throughout the film, she was a lonely old maid whose father’s love and money couldn’t fill the emptiness she felt, because she was resigned to permanent spinsterhood. Despite her father’s arguments to the contrary, Ellen was convinced that no man would ever love her, because she was plain and suffered from a heart disorder, brought on by rheumatic fever as a child; this mysterious condition prevented her from engaging in physical activities and forced her to rest frequently.Ellen’s life changed suddenly when Dan, a shiftless but handsome young man Ellen had known and admired her whole life, started paying romantic attentions to her. He persuaded her that, although he had been seeing her best friend, Maude Redwick (Roman), he had fallen in love with her. After recovering from the initial shock, Ellen accepted Dan’s proposal of marriage. However, she was disturbed by Maude’s threats at the wedding that she would get Dan back in about a year. Still, she tried to forget her bitter friend’s cruel words. Mr. Bowker paid for a beautiful honeymoon and wonderful home for his daughter and her new husband, whom he also set up in business as an architect. Their life was blissful.
Back in the present, things take a strange turn as their first year of marriage nears its end. After visiting her father, she stops in to see Maude, who returns her attempt at reconciliation by taunting her that Dan just married her for her father’s money and repeating her vow to win Dan back soon. Ellen is deeply disturbed by her words, and Dan’s reassurances can’t shake her conflicted suspicions. More clues point to only one year of happiness for her marriage. Finally, she receives an invitation to an event, which is the last piece of the puzzle she needs to determine the truth. Is her whole happy life with Dan based on a lie?
Acceptable Drama
“The Invitation” wouldn’t be classified as a “family film” today. Many Code films wouldn’t have been rated G by the modern rating system. Why not? In PCA-approved films, which was all Hollywood movies, there was no profanity, no blasphemy, no excessive violence, no indecent costuming, no obscene content, nothing more than the subtle suggestion of amorous immorality, and no wrongdoing without punishment. They also never included the sort of rude gags and bathroom humor common in G-rated films. The reason modern raters wouldn’t consider them suitable for the General classification is that many Code films include mature, serious topics, which are now deemed too sophisticated for younger viewers. However, the Code helped Hollywood perfect the art of implication, allowing mature audiences to infer the subtle details while younger viewers remained blissfully innocent. Using this brilliant system of compromise and moderation, the film industry was able to produce movies which handle emotionally challenging and dramatic topics while remaining decent enough for all ages and sensibilities to enjoy.Although all the actors are excellent, this is really Dorothy McGuire’s picture, since the story happens to Ellen. For years, I only knew this talented actress as the loving mother in two 1960s live-action Disney classics, “Swiss Family Robinson” and “Summer Magic.” I’ve just realized in recent years that she was a popular leading lady in the 1940s and 50s. Before “Invitation,” she had huge successes with films like “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (1945) and “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947). As Ellen, she shows us the exquisite joy of a woman who finally finds love after years of thinking she would never know the happiness of marriage and a home of her own. She is so sweet, gentle, and selfless that she feels guilty for grieving her father with her infirmity. As the film progresses, she grows increasingly desperate as her life unravels before her eyes. She gives a very raw performance, making us truly believe she is this woman who feels betrayed by those she loved and trusted most.
Van Johnson was the clean scrubbed “boy next door” in many of his 1940s movies. Whether starring opposite June Allyson or playing a wholesome war hero, he flourished in comedies and lighthearted romantic fare. However, from his early days of stardom, he showed a powerful dramatic talent, which you might not expect from a man dubbed “The Bobbysoxers’ Sweetheart.” He shows this talent in “Invitation” as Dan, a very multi-faceted character. Although he always gives a bright smile to Ellen, it fades to a furrowed look of concern as soon as he turns away from her. Is he just worried about her heart condition? Is he concerned that she gets needlessly upset over small things? Could he be hiding something, perhaps about Maude? His intense performance keeps us guessing about his character’s motivation for most of the film.
A Father’s Love
Simon Bowker, Ellen’s father, is a very important character in this story. He doesn’t have as much screentime as the two leading characters, but his actions motivate much of the plot. He’s a millionaire, but he would give away all his money if it would make his daughter healthy and happy. He’s been a widower for years, so he’s lavished all his attention and affection on his only child for years. He adores his daughter so much that he goes to perhaps questionable lengths to put his love into action. This role is embodied with seriousness and care by the great actor Louis Calhern. His performance in this part is a beautiful tribute to a father’s love.This film’s theme song is a hauntingly beautiful melody. It was first written by Bronislau Kaper for MGM’s “A Life of Her Own” two years earlier. After being reused in “Invitation,” it became a jazz standard under the same title as the film. There’s something about film scoring from the 1940s and 50s that strikes the perfect balance between classical music and popular ballads, creating the perfect mood music.
I encourage you to see “Invitation” if you enjoy stirring, emotional dramas you can watch without cringing at bad language, blushing at suggestive content, or looking away from violent imagery. It’s a well-acted, sophisticated romance which those who appreciate the elegance of classic cinema will appreciate.
