Behind the Scenes of “A Room With a View”

Offical Movie Poster

Introduction:

       For the group blog and presentation assignment, our group, which consists of Brianna Brock, Andrew Clark, Brandi Gardner, Michaela Lahoz, and Elton Prince, were assigned A Room With a View (1985). As a group, we viewed the film, visited the James Ivory Collection to choose some items to explore, and finally we met to discuss and work on the project together in order to prepare both our group presentation, as well as, the blog entry portion of the project. Although the tale is familiar, the film is produced with what, by then, had become the ‘Merchant Ivory method’ and illustrates the capacity for a brilliant production born from a modest budget. Within the archives we all choose items related to production and/or distribution and opted to write our blog entry sections individually.  Brandi Gardner and Elton Prince viewed the production portion of the film in boxes 26 and 27, in an attempt to better understand the film’s structure. Michaela Lahoz, Brianna Brock and Andrew Clark all focused on the distribution/ reception portion of the collection in attempt to grasp the result of the film. During our third meeting we discussed organization, form and came to an agreement on our format for the presentation as well as for the paper.  These two sections of paperwork for the film are important in the understanding of both the structure of the movie making process, as well as, how society reacted to the film after its release. These concepts are important to know due to the changes in society and how we view and appreciate films of this era. Without knowledge on production of a film like A Room with a View, we would not realize the technological advances and advances in cinema as a whole. We also do not learn about the drama of filmmaking like we do when studying the movie documents. Furthermore, an understanding of the aftermath of a successful film is important for future films and what methods are effective. To truly grasp the effect of a film not just on the viewers, but on the cast, it is needed to overlook the intimate letters and documents that occurred after the films release.

Synopsis: A Room with a View (1985 James Ivory)

James Ivory directed the film A Room with a View, 1985, which is based off a novel by E.M. Forster and produced by Merchant Ivory Productions. This film, which stars actress Helena Bonham Carter, is about an English girl who travels with her elder cousin (Maggie Smith) to Italy. This girl, Lucy Honeychurch, meets a young man, George Emerson, who witnesses a violent crime with her. Lucy sees the young man again in her hometown, but Lucy is to marry a suitable gentleman, Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day Lewis). Lucy breaks off her engagement to Cecil, realizing she loves George (Julian Sands). The film ends with Lucy and George’s honeymoon in Italy, in love.

Smith and Carter exchange words

A Detailed Summary By: Brandi Gardner

     When researching through the James Ivory Papers on the film A Room with a View, which is based off a novel by E. M. Forster, I came across the film synopsis. A synopsis is created during the production stage of the film.

The definition of synopsis is: A brief outline or general view, as of a subject or written work; an abstract or summary.

Considering all the different parts of a film and what it takes to produce them, it may be difficult to understand the purpose of a synopsis. This can seem especially true considering all films have query letters, budgets, character bios, etc. However, a synopsis is a useful brief summary on the subject that can be passed around to whoever needs it. This gives the producers of the film an easy way to explain the entire film in a one page document.

Most synopsis pieces have the purpose of summarizing the author without imposing their own personal views and opinions. A synopsis also needs to have a thesis to give the arguments inside the synopsis a purpose and goal.

However, in the synopsis for A Room with a View I did not find a thesis or argument of a normal synopsis. This synopsis merely states a thorough, yet brief, plot line of the film from beginning to end. All synopsis pieces are different, but the one for the film leaves out the normal outline that a synopsis on a novel would have.

Films and novels although seemingly similar are different enough to make different uses of a synopsis. For James Ivory’s movie, a detailed summary was all that was necessary for the production. There were multiple slightly altered brief summaries to give outlines with different details.

This synopsis gives producers of the film the ability to quickly and easily tell others their story without giving the time or energy to give every detail or the full manuscript.

Lewis and Carter engaged.Elton Prince

 Detailed Production Costs By: Elton Prince

With regard to the production costs of a major motion picture, one may find that there are intricacies with which no amount of critical thought could foresee a workable budget. One such complication is the business relationship which develops among the various parties and entities involved. Another is how contract opacity and unforeseeable situations present themselves and they tend to do so well after the budget planning stage. The production of A Room With a View was no exception. With production taking place on location in Italy and the United Kingdom (IMDB.), and financial transactions taking place between these two countries as well as the United States, one must ultimately ask; how were all of the details accounted for in a pre-Internet world?

Nestled within the James Ivory Collection archive, and located inside boxes numbered 26 and 27, there is a folder which contains financial records and related writings. Within that folder is correspondence regarding possible financial shortcomings. It would seem that a Mr. Brian Auckland Snow felt that Merchant Ivory Productions did not fulfill the mutual contractual obligations. According to a letter, written by Ishmail Merchant, Mr. Snow had written and stated that he was owed £14,408. What was interesting about this particular issue was that the letters to and from Mr. Snow and his agent, and Ishmail Merchant and the Association of Cinematograph Television and allied Technicians took place across the period of a calendar year.  Mr Snow seems to have a bona fide complaint in that his company spent the money in order to provide production services to the film. Further reading, reveals a conflict in that the original dollar amount allocated for the services rendered was only £4,000. A discrepancy of over £10,000 was ultimately the issue. Throughout both sides of the conflict there is a fair amount of passive aggressive tone, and an even greater number of threats. The union threatened MIP, which warned Mr. Snow, who’s agent in turn snapped at Ishmail Merchant. Although the archive did not provide a clear resolution, it is assumed that one was found, as Merchant Ivory Productions went on to produce several additional award winning films. Ultimately, however, one is left to wonder how so many financial details could have been managed effectively during a period of analog communication.

Sands steals a kiss from Carter.

Congratulations on Nomination Letter from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences By: Andrew Clark

The letter from Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. to James Ivory on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a brief congratulations on the nominations for A Room with a View and includes detailed instructions for preparing the acceptance speech and the rules regulating the speech process. When taken in context with surrounding documentation, such as the March 30th, 1987 copy of “The Hollywood Reporter,” there emerges an interesting context of reception towards the film and the Academy Awards in general. In 1987, the Academy had asked Goldwyn to make format and technical changes for his first show as producer. Primary amongst this was the streamlining of categories and features such as soundtracks, coupled with new and innovative presentations happening during the reception, opening piece, and transition periods. The congratulations letter to Ivory details that only one person would be allowed to speak for the group, must limit the speech to less than 60 seconds, and directs ivory to prepare in advance in order to avoid forgetting any important thanks he wishes to include. What is intriguing is the almost pedantic tone in which the letter is written, a consistent theme in industry communications that was identified throughout official correspondences relating to this film.

A Room with a View won a total of 26 awards internationally and was nominated for an additional 21. The 1987 Academy Awards were for Best Art Direction (Gianni Quaranta, Brian Ackland-Snow, Brian Savegar, and Elio Altamura), Best Costume Design (Jenny Beavan and John Bright), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ruth Prawer Jhabvala). Clearly Ivory took notice of Goldwyn’s instructions to prepare for the speech, as there were several excerpts, phrases, and other scribbling to be found on several different pieces which bore no direct relationship to the Academy Awards specifically. These phrases and drafts were eventually compiled into a handwritten draft which is discussed elsewhere. Contextually, there is more information about the Academy Award than any other nomination this film received. For Merchant Ivory Productions, this was an opportunity to finally be recognized as “mainstream” in the US film market, and as such it is clear the Ivory put much consideration and preparation into leveraging this opportunity into a meaningful, albeit concise, presentation.

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

Don’t Forget about Ruth By: Michaela Lahoz

Ruth Jhabvala is part of what made MIP into the successful partnership. As was often for the time period she is often left out when discussing the success of Merchant Ivory. Well known for both her novels and screen writes she won an Academy Award and Writers Guild Award for writing the screen adaptation of “A Room With a View”. Jhabvala brought to the movies she wrote a sense of culture, her own being quite diverse. Born in Poland but raised mainly in London after her family fled Hitler, she later married an Indian man and lived in both India and New York. (NY Times, 2013) Included in the Ivory Papers collection for the movie “A Room With a View” was a telegram congratulating Jhabvala on her wins from Robert Lawrence and United Artist. The telegram was sent from Beverly Hills all the way to Delhi, India. The telegram was in rough shape after it’s cross ocean journey and 30 years later. Robert Lawrence at the time was a studio executive at United Artist a big studio in Hollywood at the time; he went on to produce cult classics such as “Clueless”, “Ghostbusters”, and “Die Hard”. (Filmbug)The acknowledgement by Lawrence of Jhabvala as a “first class act”  is significant because women in Hollywood are often overlooked. Jhabvala is often left out of the discussion when people are discussing Merchant Ivory Productions of which she is the often forgotten part of what made them a success. When she died, Ivory said that she was part of the trifecta that was Merchant Ivory Productions. Her place in cinema history now more widely recognized and backed up by her many awards for her screenwriting.

Merchant, Jhbaval, and Ivory

The Delivered Speech By: Brianna Brock

Four notecards from the Beverly Hills Hotel were found to have an acceptance speech written on them by James Ivory. The speech that was written on them is very similar to one James Ivory gave to accept the award for Best Writing for “A Room with a View” in the 1986 Academy Awards on behalf of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. The speech is very well written and thanks most people involved in the production and greatly praises Jhabvala. The speech is hand-written and thanks Time Associates, Ismail Merchant for being an inspiration. He also thanks Helena Bonham Carter and Dick Robbins for composing beautiful music. He ends his speech by thanking E.M. Forster, the author of  “A Room with a View.” This speech shows that the film did so well that it was not only able to make it into the Academy Awards but to win an Oscar as well.  Jhabvala had worked with Merchant-Ivory Productions since 1960 and was considered to be one-third of the indomitable trifecta including James Ivory and Ismail Merchant and Ivory was not about to leave her out. He really wanted to make sure everyone knew just how important she was to Merchant-Ivory Productions. The actual speech he ends up giving at the Academy Awards thanks Jhabvala and stresses how he can only hope to give as great a speech as her and hopes he does her justice. I feel that this relationship is very important to the films success and that the film would not have done as well without it. It also greatly shows how great of friends these two were, not just co-workers.

Conclusion:

With the joined viewing of the James Ivory documents for the film A Room with a View, we were able to learn the drama, and financial struggles of producing such a low budget film. We also viewed the multiple brief synopsis documents. These documents allowed us to get a full briefing of the film’s plot and underlying conflict. We were able to understand how the directors and producers of the film pitched the film and/or explained it to their colleagues.

What was also studied was the post film distribution and reception documents. We found a letter from Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. to James Ivory on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts offering a congrats on his nomination. The letter, after the rather short congratulations, transforms into a rather strict set of rules on how the thank you speech should be conducted. Although this piece is meant as a congrats, it has a snide tone. Once again we witness the slightly dramatic incidents of cinema. Ruth Jhabvala is the writer of the film. We find out that as a woman, she is impressive but under appreciated by others in the industry. Jhabvala was a key character in the Merchant Ivory Production team. We viewed the acceptance speech that Ivory gives on behalf of Jhabvala. Throughout the production, through the distribution and reception, there is drama and tension amongst the people involved in cinema; however, we see that even though there is pressure, Ivory remains thoughtful and kind during his acceptance speech for Jhabvala’s best writer award.

Our team achieved a better grasp on the behind the scenes of hollywood and cinema. The people involved can be passive aggressive or snide. We realize the difficulties and stress that cinema must place on the workers. Without these documents, we would not learn what it takes to make a film, how people react to them, and how concepts and technologies have changed with the times.

Works Cited

“1986 Academy Awards Acceptance Speech for Best Writing (Screenplay).” Academy Awards Acceptance Speeches. aaspeechesdb.oscars.org. Web. 15 May 2014.

Gates, Anita. “Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Screenwriter, Dies at 85.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Apr. 2013. Web. 15 May 2014.

Goldwyn, Samuel. “Letter of Congratulations.” Box 28. Fol. 6 Coll. 283. James Ivory Collection, University of Oregon, Eugene. 5/7/14.

Hollywood Reporter, The. “March 30, 1987 Edition” Box 28. Fol. 7 Coll. 283. James Ivory Collection, University of Oregon, Eugene. 5/7/14.

Internet Movie Database: Filming Locations; A Room With a View. Worldwideweb ,http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091867/locations. Accessed 11th May, 2014.

Ivory, James. “A Room with a View.” Short Synopsis. Box 27. Folder 5. Coll 283. 5/7/14

Ivory, James. Financial Correspondance; A Room With a View. Boxes 26 and 27. Folder 2. Collection 283. Accessed 7th May, 2014. 

Ivory, James. Telegram to Ruth Jhabvala; A Room With a View. Boxes 27. Folder 4. Collection 283. Accessed 7th May, 2014.

Ivory, James. “The Delivered Speech.” Box 28. Fol. 14 Coll. 283. 5/7/14

“Robert Lawrence.” Filmbug Birthdays RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.

Walker, Jade. “Ruth Prawer Jhabvala Dead: Oscar-Winning Screenwriter And Novelist Dies At 85.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Apr. 2013. Web. 9 May 2014.