MovieChat Forums > The Heiress (1949) Discussion > Was Dr Sloper right about Morris?

Was Dr Sloper right about Morris?

posted 9 years ago by Maddyclassicfilms
7 replies | jump to latest

I think that at the beginning Morris really was after Catherine's money but as he spent more time with her he genuinely did come to care for her . Catherine fell in love with him and because of how innocent and sheltered she was had no idea that he could just be after her money.

Dr Sloper certainly was a cruel father but I think in this case he was right and was looking out for Catherine. He knew that there were many young men out there who would marry a young heiress just for her inheritance and nothing more. I think he read Morris like a book, he did what he did to protect Catherine. Yes it was cruel to Catherine that Dr Sloper refused the marriage but in the end I think for once in his life he was acting in her best interest.

I have never read the novel so I don't know if the motivations of Morris are explained and explored more than they are in the film. Does he actually love her in the book, or is he just after her money?

Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .

[–] hka-3 9 years ago

Before Dr. Sloper interfered, the most important thing was the strong potential for Catherine to be ignorantly happy with Morris, whether he was more of a golddigger or not. I agree that Morris was convincingly caring towards her. Even if a wealthy man married Catherine, he still may have only married her to increase his financial power and he may not have given her the impression that she was loved. That wouldn't have been any better than marrying Morris.

Does he actually love her in the book, or is he just after her money?

If I recall correctly it's more clear-cut in the book that he's just after her money. I like the ambiguity of it in this film. Coincidentally I just watched another Olivia de Havilland film in which the ambiguity was poorly done. It seemed more of a cop-out so that the writer of the story didn't have to finish it.

Mag, Darling, you're being a bore.

[–] JPLogan54 9 years ago

Dr Sloper was dead spot on about Morris.
Morris attempted to manipulate situations throughout the film and he as much told us so in his line. How does he always win the game against the aunt? He cheats.
Why is he sure that Austin loves Catherine? Because he wants to protect Catherine from people like Morris.
Morris was a con man.

Austin was not right to compare Catherine to her mother and Catherine could have used more positive reinforcement, but Austin throughout the film sought to protect Catherine and always wanted the best for her.

Catherine never had a shred of confidence until the end. Unfortunately by then she was also somewhat cruel, but at least she didn't get taken by that rat Morris.

[–] lynnrnsd 8 years ago

I think Catherine was right -- that Dr Sloper didn't care if she was ignorantly happy. He just didn't want "his" money wasted. I think she would have been happy with Morris. Maybe he was only after her money, but I don't think he would have let her see that.
Dr Sloper didn't love Catherine or respect her. He thought she was stupid and ugly, and barely hid his contempt for her.

[–] hodie1 8 years ago

Dr. Sloper didn't love Catherine any more than Morris did. It was pretty clear in the novel that Morris was after Catherine's inheritance.

[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 8 years ago

But WASit better than being taken by Morris? At least Catherine would have had the object of HER affection, even if she wasn't the (# 1, anyway) object of Morris'? I think that's one of the questions asked by the film, the brilliance being that no clear answer is given. The viewer is left to decide for his or herself.

Catherine wasn't going to end up in an ideal situation no matter what, once she fell for Morris. It's always a possibility that Morris would have abandoned his (if they were, in fact) "fake" affections toward Catherine once married, but being the sheltered child she was, and unworldly, and hungry for any affection, she'd have been happy to take that chance. As it is, sure, Morris didn't get any of her money, but Catherine had also become bitter and angry, never having had ANY time spent living with Morris. IF the cliche "it's better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all" holds any truth, then she'd have been better off marrying Morris. She seemed to care very little for money ( having always had it, after all). Then again, if Morris leaves her bankrupt and destitute...

[–] Sponiatowski 8 years ago

she'd have been better off marrying Morris.

If Morris married Catherine for her money, he may have tired of her and found someone else. It would only take a roller skate on that three-story staircase or a bit of an overdose in her claret and all the money would be his and he could go after a more energetic match.

There are so many movies where heiresses are bumped off for a younger model that I can barely believe anyone would want her to take that chance with Morris.

I think her father loved her after all, probably even more than he thought.

And how any fiancé that loved someone could run off without even sending a goodbye note is rather hard to comprehend. It's easy for the "dumped" to make excuses for such a duplicitous person because they were infatuated with them, but eventually the waiting must be concluded and the life lived, lonely as it may appear at first. Her life would not be empty. There was her hospital work, her embroidery, travels, her aunt, her domestic help who were fond of her and her inheritance.

Many of us have less to work with than that.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good (wo)men to do nothing.E. Burke

[–] liscarkat (18605) 4 years ago

If she had married Morris, he would have been a drunk lay-about who stayed out all night squandering her money on gambling and whores. Even if at first he did have some real feelings for her, he never would have made her happy.