This tale of the three Bronte sisters feels like it has little historical authenticity, but if you can view it as a fictional tale, it has some appeal. Critic Bosley Crowther called it "an insult to plain intelligence", but the performances of Ida Lupino as Emily Bronte and Olivia de Havilland as sister Charlotte offer some rewards.
The gist of the story, besides the sisters' dedication to writing, is a love triangle between Emily, Charlotte, and their father's curate, Arthur Nicholls (Paul Henreid), whose personal inclinations are subordinated to a courtly love that rivals anything in Camelot.
Scenes where Charlotte travels to London and rubs elbows with Thackerey suggest how great this film might have been if it had eschewed the romantic angst and focused on the sisters' writing and their careers. Instead it might have been subtitled "Love Among the Moors".
The gist of the story, besides the sisters' dedication to writing, is a love triangle between Emily, Charlotte, and their father's curate, Arthur Nicholls (Paul Henreid), whose personal inclinations are subordinated to a courtly love that rivals anything in Camelot.
Scenes where Charlotte travels to London and rubs elbows with Thackerey suggest how great this film might have been if it had eschewed the romantic angst and focused on the sisters' writing and their careers. Instead it might have been subtitled "Love Among the Moors".