Slipping under the radar upon its release, this has become a one-of-a-kind post-war romance. Daisy Kenyon feels modern, bold, and realistic in its portrayal of a love triangle, building to a finale wrapped in the complexity and poignancy of its performances, direction, and story. Daisy Kenyon streams on select platforms.
Otto Preminger is one of classic Hollywood’s central figures, known for pushing the boundaries of censorship by tackling topics considered taboo at the time. His films frequently depict off-limit themes, from illicit sex in The Moon Is Blue (1953) to drug addiction in The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), homosexuality in Advise and Consent (1962) and rape in Anatomy of a Murder (1959). Daisy Kenyon was a 1947 melodrama directed by Preminger, based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Elizabeth Janeway. Since its release, it has attracted a small cult following not for its controversial content but for its realistic treatment of a melodramatic plot.
Melodramas, especially at the time, were known for sensationalised, excessively sentimental conflicts and for using stereotypical characters to create a quick emotional connection. Daisy Kenyon, by contrast, explores its characters in more detail and focuses less on the plot, keeping many critical moments off-screen.
The film follows Daisy (Joan Crawford), a successful magazine illustrator in Manhattan, who is embarking on an affair with the arrogant lawyer Dan (Dana Andrews). Dan is in a loveless marriage with Lucille (Ruth Warrick) and has two children. However, all the couple do is constantly fight over Dan’s cheating, his job and their opposing views on parenthood. After Dan breaks off a planned date, Daisy opts to go out with a widowed war veteran, Peter (Henry Fonda). As a result, Daisy ends up torn between two men.
Initially, Preminger plays up the contrast between the two men. Peter is the single, gentle and quiet ‘good guy’ and the clear choice for Daisy. At the same time, Dan is both excited and troubled due to his impending marriage. This setup perfectly captures the stereotypical characters in melodramas, where the right choice and outcome appear predetermined. But Preminger quickly takes a wildly different turn and shows his characters from a new angle, showing that the audience’s initial assumptions may need correction.
None of Preminger’s characters feels clichèd or simply constructed. Daisy’s refreshing and outright modern take on female sexuality, strength, desire, and want joyously breaks through the 1940s glass ceiling. Meanwhile, Peter’s gentle and shy personality quickly reveals a harder centre, just as Dan’s caring side shines through his marital regrets.
The result leaves the audience ambivalent about the love triangle and its outcome, given the positives and negatives surrounding each character. Equally, the set design also sets out to confuse and challenge. Daisy Kenyon feels more like a noir, as it wraps us in cramped and shadowy interiors, rather than the typical extravagant melodrama – each interior a reflection of our character’s inner turmoil and choices.
Slipping under the radar upon its release, this has become a one-of-a-kind post-war romance. Daisy Kenyon feels modern, bold, and realistic in its portrayal of a love triangle, building to a finale wrapped in the complexity and poignancy of its performances, direction, and story.
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