The Great Gatsby (1974 Film)

The Great Gatsby (1974 Film) Study Guide

Adapted from the novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is a 1974 film directed by Jack Clayton, starring Robert Redford as the eponymous Jay Gatsby. The film also features Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan, Sam Waterston as Nick Carraway, Bruce Dern as Tom Buchanan, and Karen Black as Myrtle Wilson. Clayton's film received mixed reviews, with some lauding it as a masterpiece and others suggesting it fell flat.

Director Jack Clayton was known for his treatment of literary adaptations and was part of the British New Wave when he signed on to work on Gatsby. Truman Capote was originally slated to write the screenplay, but was replaced by Francis Ford Coppola, who finished the screenplay just before The Godfather was released. Filming took place at the Rosecliff and Marble House mansions in Newport, Rhode Island.

Critics praised how the film stayed true to its novel roots, though some said it lacked the passion and emotion of the 1920s age in which it was set. The film won two Oscars, for Costume Design and Music. Karen Black won a Golden Globe for her performance as Myrtle.