The ides of March, in the form of two previews, came a few days late in 1942 for Orson Welles and The Magnificent Ambersons.
In March 1942 — with Welles busy on It’s All True in Rio de Janeiro — RKO Radio Pictures conducted screenings of his sophomore movie. The results would be used to justify drastically recutting the film in his absence.
A 131-minute rough cut had been prepared in early March, the source of the cutting continuity often cited by scholars.
RKO decided to preview the film in Pomona, a middle class community 30 miles east of Los Angeles at the Fox Theatre following a showing of the Dorothy Lamour musical The Fleets In.
There have been reports some people walked out, and others laughed at the downbeat drama. Comment cards were distributed and 130 were returned.
The results: 61 negative comments; 52 positive remarks and 17 considered mixed. (Others have scored it at 72 negative and 58 mixed)
Here is a sampling of the negative comments scribbled down by the Pomona crowd, who were asked, “Did you like the Picture or not? Why?”:
• No, I did not care for the picture at all. I don’t see why in times of trouble, bloodshed and hate, movie producers have to add to it by making dreary pictures. I wish you producers could see how much more the audience enjoyed The Fleets In after they had seen the The Magnificent Ambersons.
• Too morose.
• No. The worst picture I ever saw.
• Too much gloom.
• No. It’s as bad if not worse than Citizen Kane
• It was putrid.
• No. Orson Welles must have been frightened when young. He’s so morbid. He leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. His plays do likewise.
• No. The God Damn thing stunk.
• Too many weird camera shots. It should be shelved as it is a crime to take people’s hard earned money for such artistic trash as Mr. Welles would have us think… Mr. Welles had better go back to radio, I hope.
• We do not need trouble pictures, especially now… Make pictures to make us forget, not remember.
Not everyone agreed. Among the favorable comments:
• Yes. The picture is magnificent. The direction, acting, photography, and special effects are the best the cinema has yet offered. It is unfortunate that the American public, as represented at this theatre, are unable to appreciate fine art. it might be, perhaps, criticized for being a bit too long.
• The picture was a masterpiece with perfect photography, settings and acting. It seemed too deep for the average stupid person. I was disgusted with the way some people received this picture which truly brings art to the picture industry. Each artist is deserving of a great deal of praise.
• A hell of a good picture. Why do you like any good piece of art? A little hard to say in five lines, isn’t it.
• Yes. Picture will not be received by the general audience because they as a whole are too darn ignorant.
• Exceedingly good picture. Photography rivaled that of superb Citizen Kane… To bad audience was so unappreciative.
• Very good. Marvelous acting. Photography made the picture even more dramatic. Far too high for general consumption, however.
• Yes, I think it was the best picture I have ever seen.
On March 19, 1942, Welles’ manager, Jack Moss, notified him in Brazil of the Pomona audience reaction. He wrote, “Ambersons preview unsatisfactory. General comment too long but despite impatience they were over and over again held by drama. Previewing again tonight in Pasadena with different type of audience. We will phone you tomorrow with full report on both previews.”
RKO held the second preview on March 19 at the United Artists Theatre in Pasadena. It was shown after Captains of the Clouds starring James Cagney. It was better received in Pasadena with favorable comments on 67 of the 85 cards returned.
A sampling of the remarks:
• Wonderful. Much Better than Citizen Kane. Orson Welles is a genius.
• This preview cannot be praised too highly. Depressing but better than any propaganda picture.
• Definitely 10 times better than Citizen Kane.
• Magnificent direction. Outstanding performances, especially aunt, son, Eugene, grandfather, mother. Photography excellent, snow scenes like Currier & Ives.
• Orson Welles is the most tremendous director of the day. This is by far one of the finest pictures I have ever seen.
• No word at my command can express the emotion that this story has aroused in me.
The day after the Pasadena preview, RKO chief George Schaeffer cabled Welles about the previews with much of his comments on the dismal reception the film received in Pomona.
“Never in all my experience in the industry have I taken so much punishment or suffered as I did at the Pomona preview. In my 28 years I the business, I have never been present in a theater where the audience acted in such a manner. They laughed at the wrong places, talked at the picture, kidded it, and did everything that you can possibly imagine.
I don’t have to tell you how I suffered, especially in the realization that we have over $1,000,000 tied up. It was just like getting one sock in the jaw after another for over two hours.
The picture was too slow, heavy, and topped off with somber music, never did register. It all started off well, but just went to pieces.
I am sending you copies of all the preview cards received to date. They speak for themselves and do not tell the whole story because only a small percentage of people make out cards. I queried many of those present and they all seemed to feel that the party who made the picture was trying to be “arty,” was out for camera angles, lights and shadows, and as a matter of fact, one remarked that “the man who made that picture was camera crazy.” Mind you, these are not my opinions — I am giving them to you just as I received them.
The punishment was not sufficient, and as I believed in the picture more than the people did, I hiked myself to Pasadena again last night, feeling sure that we would get a better reaction. We did, but not, of course, in its entirety. There were many spots where we got the same reaction as we did in Pomona. I think cutting will help considerably, but there is no doubt in my mind but that the people at Pasadena also thought it was slow and heavy. The somber music score does not help.
While, of course, the reaction at Pasadena was better than Pomona, we still have a problem. In Pomona we played to the younger element. It is the younger element who contribute the biggest part of the revenue. If you cannot satisfy that group, you just cannot bail yourself out with a $1,000,000. Investment—all of which, Orson, is very disturbing to say the least.”
In the weeks that followed, RKO would make additional changes: cutting scenes, replacing parts of the score and filming a new, upbeat ending. The final release version arrived in theaters on July 10, 1942 with a running time off 88 minutes.
“They destroyed Ambersons,” Welles lamented four decades later, “and the picture itself destroyed me; I didn’t get a job as a director for years afterwards.”
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