LOLITA (1962 FILM)

'''Lolita''' is an influential 1962 film by Stanley Kubrick based on the classic novel of the same title by Vladimir Nabokov. The film stars James Mason as Humbert Humbert, Sue Lyon as Dolores Haze (Lolita) and Shelley Winters as Charlotte Haze.
Due to the MPAA's restrictions at the time, the film toned down the more perverse aspects of the novel, sometimes leaving much to the audience's imagination. The actress who played Lolita, Sue Lyon, was fourteen at the time of filming. Kubrick later commented that, had he realized how severe the censorship limitations were going to be, he probably never would have made the film.

Contents

Plot

Production

Direction

Censorship

Writing and Narration

Casting

Screenplay

Remake

Reception

Differences between the film and the book

Awards and Nominations

Nominations

Won

Alternate Versions

Actors who came close to appearing

Trivia

Continuity error

See also

References

External links

Plot

The film begins in a battle between two men, which ends with one of them, Clare Quilty, being shot. The shooter was Humbert Humbert (played by Mason), a 40-something British professor of French literature; he is also an obsessive pedophile. He travels to Ramesdale, New Hampshire, a small town where he will spend the summer before his professorship begins at Beardsley College, Ohio. He searches across the town for room to let, being tempted by widowed, sexually famished mother, Charlotte Haze (played by Winters) to stay at her house. He declines until seeing her beautiful 14-year-old daughter, Dolores Haze (played by Lyon), affectionately called “Lolita” (hence the title). Lolita is a soda-pop drinking, gum-chewing, overtly flirtatious teenager, whom Humbert falls hopelessly in love with.

In order to become close to Lolita, Humbert accepts Charlotte's offer and becomes a lodger in the Haze household. Soon, however, Charlotte announces that she will be sending Lolita to an all-girl sleep-away camp for the summer. On the morning of departure, Humbert receives a love confession note from Charlotte, asking Humbert to leave at once. The note says that if Humbert is still in the house when Charlotte returns from driving Lolita to camp, then he must join Charlotte in marriage. Humbert willingly marries Charlotte days later. After the wedding and honeymoon, Charlotte discovers Humbert’s diary entries describing his passion for Lolita, and has an emotional outburst. She threatens to leave forever, taking Lolita far away from Humbert. While Humbert hurriedly fixes martinis in the kitchen to smooth over the situation, Charlotte runs outside, gets hit by a speeding car, and dies.

Several days later Humbert drives to Camp Climax to pick up Lolita, and as they travel from hotel to motel across the United States, they begin a sexual relationship. In public, they act as father and daughter to avoid suspicion. During their travels, Humbert tells Lolita that her mother is not sick in hospital, but dead – deeply saddened and affected, she stays with Humbert, believing he is her only comfort. Months later, Humbert and Lolita’s car trips are followed by the same car. As Lolita becomes sick from the common cold, she is hospitalized, and eventually kidnapped by the follower, Clare Quilty (played by Peter Sellers), a famous playwright, whom Lolita had a crush on for some time. Years after the kidnapping, Humbert receives a letter from Lolita in which she says that she is now married to a man named Dick, and that she is pregnant and in desperate need of money. Humbert travels to Lolita and Dick’s home, where Lolita is waiting. Humbert finds that she is no longer the precocious young girl he once loved, but a 17-year-old heavily pregnant woman, in a happy relationship – only he is even more in love with her now. Humbert demands that Lolita tell him who kidnapped her three years earlier. She tells him it was “the man that was following us”, Clare Quilty. After meeting Dick, Humbert asks Lolita to come away with him. She declines, preferring her new life. Humbert, deeming Quilty responsible for taking his love, goes off to shoot him in his mansion – where the film began.

Production

Direction

With Nabokov’s consent, Kubrick changed the order in which events unfolded by moving what was the novel’s ending to the start of the film, a literary device known as in medias res. Kubrick determined that while this sacrificed a great ending, it helped maintain interest, as he believed that interest in the novel sagged halfway through once Humbert was successful in seducing Lolita.^[1]
The second half contains an odyssey across the United States and though the novel was set in the 1940s Kubrick gave it a contemporary setting, shooting many of the exterior scenes in England. Some of the minor parts were played by Canadian and American actors, such as Cec Linder, Lois Maxwell, Jerry Stovin and Diana Decker, who were based in England at the time. Kubrick had to film in England as much of the money to finance the movie was not only raised there but also had to be spent there.¹

Censorship

The moral values and censorship of the time inhibited Kubrick's direction. Kubrick commented that, “because of all the pressure over the Production Code and the Catholic Legion of Decency at the time, I believe I didn't sufficiently dramatize the erotic aspect of Humbert's relationship with Lolita. If I could do the film over again, I would have stressed the erotic component of their relationship with the same weight Nabokov did.”¹ In a 1972 ''Newsweek'' interview, Kubrick said that had he realized how severe the censorship limitations were going to be, he "probably wouldn't have made the film."^[2]
Lolita's age was raised to fourteen, as Kubrick believed that this was the right age. He has commented that, “I think that some people had the mental picture of a nine-year-old, but Lolita was twelve and a half in the book; Sue Lyon was thirteen.” (Actually, Lyon was 14 at the time of filming: she was born in July 1946^[3] and it was shot between November 1960 and May 1961.^[4])

Writing and Narration

Humbert uses the term 'nymphet' to describe Lolita, which he explains in and uses throughout the novel; it only appears once in the movie and its meaning is left undefined.^[5] In a voiceover on the morning after the Ramsdale High School dance, Humbert confides in his diary, “What drives me insane is the twofold nature of this nymphet, of every nymphet perhaps, this mixture in my Lolita of tender, dreamy childishness and a kind of eerie vulgarity. I know it is madness to keep this journal, but it gives me a strange thrill to do so. And only a loving wife could decipher my microscopic script.”
This voiceover is a part of Humbert’s narration, which was central to the novel. Kubrick uses it sparingly and, apart from the above comment, only to set the scene for the film’s next act. Humbert’s comments are generally simple statements of fact, spiced with the odd personal reflection.
The only other one of these reflections, which makes reference to Humbert’s feelings towards Lolita, is made after their move from Ramsdale to Beardsley. Here Humbert's comment seems to show only an interest in her education and cultural development: “Six months have passed and Lolita is attending an excellent school where it is my hope that she will be persuaded to read other things than comic books and movie romances”.
The narration begins after the opening scenes but ceases once the odyssey begins. Kubrick makes no attempt to explain Humbert's fascination with Lolita, which a full narration would have done, but merely treats it as a matter of fact. An explanation might well have made Humbert a more sympathetic character, which may not have suited a censor in 1962.

Casting

James Mason plays Professor Humbert Humbert, who falls under Lolita's spell. He is smooth, charming, self-assured and a little condescending, as might be expected in an academic. Shelley Winters plays Charlotte Haze, the loud, overbearing, status-seeking widow who is both Humbert's landlady and Lolita's mother. When she develops a romantic interest in Humbert, Charlotte's pushy advances as parried by Humbert's barely concealed sarcasm become comedic. Sue Lyon's performance as Lolita is more restrained, but this may well result from concerns about the censor. When allowed freedom to act, she subtly shows the darker side of Lolita's character. Peter Sellers' performance as Clare Quilty was generally acclaimed at the time. The character’s role was greatly expanded from that in the novel and Kubrick allowed Sellers to adopt a variety of disguises throughout the film.
In the earlier sections of the film, Quilty is a conceited, avant-garde TV writer with a superior manner. In later scenes, he becomes the overbearing 'bad cop' on the porch of the motel where Humbert and Lolita are staying. Then he changes to the intrusive authoritarian German professor, Doctor Zempf, who appears in Humbert's front room for the purpose of ordering him to give Lolita more freedom in her after-school activities.^[6] The author and film critic Tim Dirks has commented that Sellers' smooth German-like accent and the chair-bound pose in this scene are similar to that of Dr. Strangelove in Kubrick's future film ''.^[7] Thomas Allen Nelson has said that in this part of his performance, “Sellers twists his conception of Quilty toward that neo-Nazi monster, who will roll out of the cavernous shadows of Dr. Strangelove”.⁶

Screenplay

The screenplay is credited to Nabokov, although very little of what he provided (later published in a shortened version) was used. Nabokov remained polite about the film in public, but in a 1962 interview, before seeing the film, commented that it may turn out to be "the swerves of a scenic drive as perceived by the horizontal passenger of an ambulance".

Remake

''Lolita'' was filmed again in 1997 (see article), an attempt to avoid some of the perceived mistakes of the 1962 version. It has been clarified that the film is not a remake of the 1962 version, but another adaptation of the novel. The film has been criticized, and is not as well received as Kubrick's version. The film was also a major box office bomb, grossing only $1 million at the US box office.

Reception

''Lolita'' premiered on 13 June, 1962 in New York City. It performed fairly well, with little advertising relying mostly on word-of-mouth — many critics seemed uninterested or dismissive of the film while others gave it glowing reviews. However, the film was very controversial, due to the pedophilia-related content, and therefore while many things are suggested, hardly any are shown. Sue Lyon was barred from the premiere due to the film's "Adults Only" status at the time. The film was shown internationally also, in the UK, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, Japan, Sweden and Italy.
Years after the film's release it has been released on VHS, Laserdisc and DVD. It received $3,700,000 rentals in the USA on VHS.

Differences between the film and the book

There are many differences in the film and book. Many of the more explicit parts of the book were taken out of the film due to the strict censors of the 1960s, and the events of the film do not match the events of the novel exactly. Some of the differences are listed below:

★ Lolita's age was raised from 12 to 14, to meet the MPAA standards.

★ The relationship between Humbert and alcoholic Rita was left out of the film.

★ The relationship between Humbert and Annabel was also left out of the film (except for when Humbert reads the first few lines of Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee").

★ Quilty's role is greatly magnified, brought much more into the foreground of the narrative, whereas in the novel, Humbert catches only brief glimpses of his nemesis before their final confrontation at Quilty's home.

★ In the book, Humbert and Charlotte go swimming in Hourglass Lake, where Charlotte announces she will ship Lo off to a good boarding school; that part takes place in bed in the film.

★ In the novel, Lolita wasn't blonde; she was described as having short chestnut-brown hair in a bob style, and honey-tanned skin. In the film Lolita has blonde shoulder length hair.

★ In the movie, Sue Lyon is attractive by conventional standards, but in the novel, both Charlotte and Humbert comment on Lolita's lack of conventional attractiveness, and it is hinted that this is why greater suspicion does not fall on Humbert.

★ The name "Lolita" is Humbert's invention in the novel, and he is the only character to use it. By contrast, several of the characters in the film (including Lo's mother) refer to her by the pet name.

★ In the novel, Humbert gives a total monetary sum of $4,000 to 17-year-old Lolita. In the movie, this amount is magnified to $12,900.

★ In the novel, Miss Pratt, the school principal at Beardsley, discusses with Humbert Lolita's various behavioral issues and finally persuades Humbert into letting Lolita participate in the school play. In the movie, this role is replaced by the disguised Quilty under the alias of "Dr. Zemph" (this disguise is not in the novel at all).

Awards and Nominations

The film was nominated for 7 Awards, including an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer which went to Sue Lyon.

Nominations

★ Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Vladimir Nabokov

★ BAFTA Award for Best Actor for James Mason

★ Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures for Stanley Kubrick

★ Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actor for James Mason

★ Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress for Shelley Winters

★ Golden Globe Award Best Motion Picture Director for Stanley Kubrick

★ Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for Peter Sellers

★ Venice Film Festival Award for Best Director for Stanley Kubrick

Won

★ Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Sue Lyon

Alternate Versions

★ The scene where Lolita first "seduces" Humbert as he lies in the cot is a good 10 seconds longer in the British and Australian cut of the film. In the U.S. cut, the shot fades as she whispers the details of the "game" she played with Charlie at camp. In the UK print, the shot continues as Humbert mumbles that he's not familiar with the game. She then bends down again to whisper more details. Kubrick then cuts to a closer shot of Lolita's head as she says "Well, allrighty then" and then fades as she begins to descend to Humbert on the cot. The British cut of the film was used for the Region 1 DVD release.

★ The Criterion laserdisc release is the only one to use a transfer approved by Stanley Kubrick. This transfer alternates between a 1.33 and a 1.66 aspect ratio (as does the Kubrick-approved 'Strangelove' transfer). All subsequent releases to date have been 1.66 (which means that all the 1.33 shots are slightly matted).

★ The BBFC cut the film in 1961 for an 'X' rating.

Actors who came close to appearing

★ James Mason was the first choice of director Stanley Kubrick and producer James B. Harris for the role of Humbert Humbert, but he initially declined due to a Broadway engagement. Laurence Olivier then refused the part, apparently on the advice of his agents. Kubrick considered Peter Ustinov, but decided against him. Harris then suggested David Niven; Niven accepted the part, but then withdrew for fear the sponsors of his TV show, "Four Star Playhouse" (1952), would object. Mason then withdrew from his play and got the part. Harris denies claims that Noel Coward also rejected the role.^[8]

★ Tuesday Weld was considered for the role of Lolita.⁸

★ Close to 800 girls auditioned for the part of Lolita Haze.

★ Hayley Mills also turned down the role of Lolita. At the time, her father, John Mills was credited with the decision; later, Walt Disney.⁸

★ Stanley Kubrick originally wanted Joey Heatherton for the title role of Lolita, but her father Ray Heatherton said no for fear his daughter would be typecast as a "promiscuous sex kitten".⁸

Trivia

★ Peter Sellers modeled the voice of his character Clare Quilty on that of famed jazz producer Norman Granz.

★ Sue Lyon was chosen for the title role partly due to the size of her breasts. Stanley Kubrick had been warned that censors felt strongly against the use of a less developed actress to portray the sexually active 14-year-old.

★ In the opening scene, Quilty says, "I am Spartacus," a reference to Stanley Kubrick's earlier film, ''Spartacus'' (1960).

★ The famous heart-shaped sunglasses that Lolita wears appear only in publicity photos taken by Bert Stern; Lolita wears normal sunglasses in the movie.

★ Since the censors would allow nothing close to a suggestion of pedophilia, Lolita's age had to be increased from 12 in Vladimir Nabokov's original novel to 14 for the film. They also objected to a scene in which Humbert Humbert was to gaze at Lolita's picture while in bed with her mother Charlotte; in the end, the scene was filmed with Charlotte lying fully dressed on the bed and Humbert lying beside her wearing a robe.

★ The clip they are watching at the drive-in is from Terence Fisher's ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' (1957). When it cuts to the shot of them in the car, the soundtrack from the movie is fabricated to make it seem like there is far more mayhem occurring in that movie.

★ This movie was aired on ABC in 1966, which sparked a high viewership for the network, due to the contreversy of this movie. This movie was the launching pad for ABC to finally be successful enough to compete with CBS and NBC

Continuity error

★ In a scene where Humbert and Charlotte are arguing and Humbert has his back to the camera, the shadow of a human head is clearly visible on the back of his coat. It steps out of the light after a second.

See also

★ Lolita

★ Lolita (1997 film)

References

1. "An Interview with Stanley Kubrick (1969)" by Joseph Gelmis. Excerpted from ''The Film Director as Superstar'' (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1970).
2. "'Lolita': Complex, often tricky and 'a hard sell'" by Jeff Edmunds.
3. IMDB entry for Sue Lyon
4. IMDB, "Business Data for ''Lolita''"
5. "Lolita (1962)" A Review by Tim Dirks - A comprehensive review containing extensive dialogue quotes. These quotes include other details of Humbert's narration.
6. Kubrick in Nabokovland by Thomas Allen Nelson. Excerpted from ''Kubrick: Inside a Film Artist's Maze'' (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2000, pp 60–81)
7. "Lolita (1962)" A Review by Tim Dirks.
8. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056193/trivia


★ Richard Corliss, ''Lolita'' (London: British Film Institute, 1994; ISBN 0-85170-368-2). A witty exploration of the film, patterned on ''Pale Fire''.

External links

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