(United States, 1939, 104 minutes, black & white)

Directed by William Wyler. Starring Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven.

 

This adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic 1847 novel about destructive love, obsession, jealousy and revenge stars Merle Oberon as Catherine Earnshaw, daughter of a wealthy landowner, and Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff, a “dark-skinned” orphan of uncertain origins. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.

 

Meet Mayukh Sen, author of a revelatory new biography of leading Hollywood actress Merle Oberon, Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood's First South Asian Star (2025), at the Albany Film Festival on Saturday, March 28th. Born in Bombay, Oberon hid her Asian origins throughout her career to escape racism in the film industry.