Edith Wharton:  Filmography

  • INDIVIDUAL WORKS: Bibliographies of Individual Works (compiled from the MLA Bibliography and other sources)
  • CURRENT BIBLIOGRAPHY: Current scholarship on Edith Wharton, 1999 to the present (includes dissertations, articles, and books)
  • COMPREHENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY. This page contains works on Edith Wharton from 1953 to the present.  Warning: With 1,361 entries, it is a very long page.
  • FILMOGRAPHY. Filmography of Wharton's works made into movies
  • RECOMMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY. Bibliography of Wharton criticism, fiction about Wharton, and bibliographies of individual novels composed of works recommended by Wharton Society members and WHARTON-L subscribers. If you have a work to recommend, please contact us.
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    Information courtesy of the Internet Movie Database.  A more comprehensive discussion and a complete list of films made from Wharton's works appears in Scott Marshall's “Edith Wharton on Film and Television: A History and Filmography,” Edith Wharton Review 13.2 (1996): 15-26. Recent updates to this page include information from this article.

    Some are available on VHS or DVD; availability (according to the Internet Movie Database) is indicated below. Although individuals may have made tapes of the "not available" broadcasts for personal use, copyright restrictions might prohibit making them available to the general public.  If you know of an archive where the "not available" films, especially the more recent ones, may be viewed or rented by researchers or the general public, please send that information to the EWS site.

    The Age of Innocence (1920)

    From the Turner Classic Movies site: " The Age of Innocence has been a popular source for adaptation since it was published in 1920 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Edith Wharton. A 1924 Warner Bros. movie was directed by Wesley Ruggles. A 1928 Broadway stage adaptation by Margaret Ayer Barnes starred Katharine Cornell and ran 209 performances. It turned up on radio in 1947 with Gene Tierney and in 1951 with Claudette Colbert. Martin Scorsese's 1993 movie, however, will no doubt remain the definitive version."

    The Age of Innocence (1923; silent). Dir. Wesley Ruggles. Screenplay by Olga Printzlau. Starring Beverly Bayne as Ellen Olenska.
    (Lost film [Marshall, 21])

    The Age of Innocence (1934). Dir. Phillip Moeller. From the play by Margaret Barnes; screenplay by Victor Heerman. Starring Irene Dunne as Ellen Olenska, John Boles as Newland Archer, Lionel Atwill as Julius Beaufort, and  Laura Hope Crews as Mrs. Welland.
    (Has been shown on Turner Classic Movies; apparently not available on VHS or DVD. Search for showing dates at www.turnerclassicmovies.com.)

    The Age of Innocence (1993). Dir. Martin Scorsese. Screenplay by Jay Cocks.  Starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Ellen Olenska, Daniel Day-Lewis as Newland Archer, Winona Ryder as May Archer, and Geraldine Chaplin as Mrs. Welland.
    (VHS, DVD)

    The Buccaneers (1938)

    The Buccaneers (1995; television miniseries). Dir. Philip Saville. Screenplay by Maggie Wadey.  Starring Carla Gugino as Nan St. George, Mira Sorvino as Conchita Closson, Alison Elliott  as Virginia St. George,  Rya Kihlstedt as Lizzy Elmsworth, and Cherie Lunghi as Laura Testvalley.
    (VHS)

    4/14/06: Now available on DVD from BBC Video.

    The Children (1928)

    The Marriage Playground (1929; silent titles with background sound). Directed by Lothar Mendes. Written by  Doris Anderson (adaptation) (dialogue) and  J. Walter Ruben.  Starring Mary Brian as Judith Wheater,  Fredric March as Martin Boyne, and  Lilyan Tashman as Joyce Wheater.
    (Exists but not available on VHS or DVD [Marshall, 21])

    The Children (1990). Dir. Tony Palmer.  Writing credits: Timberlake Wertenbaker. Starring Ben Kingsley as Martin Boyne,  Kim Novak as Rose Sellars, Siri Neal as Judith Wheater, and Geraldine Chaplin as Joyce Wheater.
    (Limited release in an edited form [Marshall, 24])

    Ethan Frome (1911)

    Ethan Frome (1960; television). Dir. Alex Segal. Starring Julie Harris as Mattie Silver and Sterling Hayden as Ethan Frome.
    (Not available on VHS or DVD; may be viewed at the Museum of Broadcasting, New York City [Marshall, 22])

    Ethan Frome (1993). Dir.John Madden. Screenplay by Richard Nelson.  Starring Liam Neeson as Ethan Frome, Joan Allen as Zenobia, and Patricia Arquette as Mattie Silver.
    (VHS)

    The Glimpses of the Moon (1922)

    The Glimpses of the Moon (1923; silent). Dir. Allan Dwan. Screenplay by   Edfrid A. Bingham and  E. Lloyd Sheldon. Starring Bebe Daniels as Susan Branch, David Powell as Nick Lansing, Nita Naldi as Ursula Gillow, and Maurice Costello as Fred Gillow. (Lost film [Marshall, 21])

    The House of Mirth (1905)

    The House of Mirth  (1918; silent). Dir. Albert Capellani; Screenplay by Albert Capellani and June Mathis. Starring Katherine Corri Harris as Lily Bart and Henry Kolker as Lawrence Selden.
    (Lost film [Marshall, 21])

    The House of Mirth (1981; television) Dir. Adrian Hall. Starring Geraldine Chaplin as Lily Bart and William Atherton as Lawrence Selden.
    (Not available.  Since  The House of Mirth, Looking Back, and Summer (1981) were all NEH/PBS productions [Marshall 23], those interested might try contacting PBS to see if tapes are available.)

    The House of Mirth (2000). Dir. Terence Davies. Starring Gillian Anderson as Lily Bart and  Eric Stoltz as Lawrence Selden.
    (VHS, DVD)

    The Old Maid (1923)

    The Old Maid. (1939) Dir. Edmund Goulding. From the play by Zoe Akins; Screenplay Writing credits Zoe Akins and Casey Robinson.  Starring Bette Davis as Charlotte Lovell,  Miriam Hopkins as Delia Lovell Ralston, George Brent as Clem Spender,  Donald Crisp as Doctor Lanskell, and Jane Bryan as Tina.
    (VHS; shown on Turner Classic Movies)

    The Reef (1912)

    The Reef (1997); presented on television in 1999 under the title Passion's Way. Dir.  Robert Allan Ackerman. Screenplay by  William Hanley.  Starring Sela Ward as Anna Leath,  Timothy Dalton as George Darrow, and  Alicia Witt as Sophy Viner.
    (Not available)

    Summer (1917)

    Summer (1981; television) Dir. Dezsö Magyar. Adapted by Charles Gaines. Starring Diane Lane as Charity Royall and John Cullum (as Lawyer Royall).
    (Not available.  Since  The House of Mirth, Looking Back, and Summer (1981) were all NEH/PBS productions [Marshall 23], those interested might try contacting PBS to see if tapes are available.)

    "Bread upon the Waters" (short story)
    Strange Wives (1935), dir. Richard Thorpe. (Lost film [Marshall, 22])

    "The Lady's Maid's Bell" (short story)
    The Lady's Maid's Bell (television, 1983). Shown as part of the Mystery! series (Granada Television/WGBH). [Marshall, 23]

    Looking Back (PBS's Great Performances series; 1981).  Biographical film on Wharton starring Kathleen Widdoes, John Cullum and Stephen Collins. Thanks to Rosanna Bencoach for this reference and for recent corrections to this page.(Not available.  Since  The House of Mirth, Looking Back, and Summer (1981) were all NEH/PBS productions [Marshall 23], those interested might try contacting PBS to see if tapes are available.)

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