Mourning Becomes Electra

Lincoln’s “house divided against itself”.

O’Neill’s technique is as simple as making town gossips the observed chorus, and as complex as making the play his own in modern temper and full knowledge.

Variety looked askance at play and film, but had to acknowledge the latter well done, more or less, “for those who like that sort of thing.”

Tremendous amounts of technique and style have been applied to bring the film to a successful conclusion, so it is a pity to see Halliwell and Agee and Kael exerting themselves after a fashion to deride it, the point was lost to them somewhere along the way.