Die Krone des Lebens (1959)

Die Krone des Lebens: Directed by Henry King. With Gregory Peck, Deborah Kerr, Eddie Albert, Philip Ober. Toward the end of his life, F. Scott Fitzgerald is writing for Hollywood studios to be able to afford the cost of an asylum for his wife. He is also struggling against alcoholism. Into his life comes the famous gossip columnist.

“Beloved Infidel is based on the memoirs of Hollywood columnist Sheilah Graham, specifically her three year affair with F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is still a legend in American literature, and a genuine legend in his own time.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThatu0026#39;s the key to the film. Can you imagine in the previous century Charles Dickens whose works in the United Kingdom were also acclaimed in his time getting a contract and asked to turn out potboiler drama three or four times a year for the London stage? In the late 1930s F. Scott Fitzgerald was in Hollywood having to pay mounting bills for his wife Zeldau0026#39;s care and his daughter schooling and the way to quick cash was in Hollywood writing screenplays.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut the studios donu0026#39;t want genius, they want entertainment churned out quickly on a mass scale. That isnu0026#39;t how Fitzgerald operates. So heu0026#39;s fired and returns to the alcoholism that was his lifestyle during his literary hey day in the Roaring Twenties. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs Fitzgerald, Gregory Pecku0026#39;s one consolation in his final years is the love affair with Hollywood columnist Sheilah Graham. I have to disagree with the other reviewers who say this film is too rosy a portrayal. Remember this is Sheilah Grahamu0026#39;s work this is based on and itu0026#39;s through her eyes we see Pecku0026#39;s disintegration. Deborah Kerr is once again a prim and proper Sheilah Graham whose slum background sheu0026#39;s worked like a demon to overcome. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePeck and Kerr work well together, but as this is a Henry King film from 20th Century Fox, I wouldnu0026#39;t be surprised if the film might have been intended for Tyrone Power at one point. If it had been Power would have been well cast in the part of Fitzgerald.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is also Henry Kingu0026#39;s next to last film and take a look at his film credits and the astonishing list of classic films that he did over 50 years in Hollywood. I guess as a followup to Beloved Infidel, King chose to do a film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgeraldu0026#39;s Tender is the Night. That one for some reason is never shown.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBeloved is a classic old fashioned romantic drama the kind that sadly is not being made any more.”