The Heiress
“A truly great motion picture.”
Synopsis
In 1840s New York, the uneventful and boring days of the daughter of a wealthy doctor come to an end when she meets a dashing poorer man — who may or may not be after her inheritance.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Heiress - Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2008-10-16
Top Cast
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Olivia de Havilland
Catherine Sloper
Montgomery Clift
Morris Townsend
Ralph Richardson
Dr. Austin Sloper
Miriam Hopkins
Lavinia Penniman
Vanessa Brown
Maria
Mona Freeman
Maria Almond
Ray Collins
Jefferson Almond
Betty Linley
Mme. Montgomery
Selena Royle
Elizabeth Almond
Paul Lees
Arthur Townsend
Harry Antrim
M. Abeel
Russ Conway
Quintus
David Thursby
Geier
Nan Boardman
French Maid (uncredited)
Loulette Sablon
French Maid (uncredited)
Jack Chefe
French Waiter (uncredited)
Ray De Ravenne
French Waiter (uncredited)
Marcel De La Brosse
French Porter (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
October 6, 1949
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 1, 2000
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$2.6M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$2.3M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.88x
-$300K deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- William Wyler
- Screenplay & Story
- Augustus Goetz, Ruth Goetz
- Original Score
- Aaron Copland
- Original Title
- The Heiress
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 55m
- Production Budget
- $2.6M
- Worldwide Gross
- $2.3M
- Production Studios
- Paramount Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
William Wyler
Augustus Goetz, Ruth Goetz, Henry James
Aaron Copland
Leo Tover
William Hornbeck
William Wyler
Department Leadership Roster
William Wyler
Director
Aaron Copland
Original Music Composer
Leo Tover
Director of Photography
Harry Horner
Production Design
Edith Head
Costume Design
Augustus Goetz
Screenplay
Ruth Goetz
Screenplay
William Hornbeck
Editor
William Wyler
Producer
Gile Steele
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Heiress.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Heiress.
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1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
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The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Heiress
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Heiress about?
In 1840s New York, the uneventful and boring days of the daughter of a wealthy doctor come to an end when she meets a dashing poorer man — who may or may not be after her inheritance.
Who directed The Heiress?
The Heiress was directed by William Wyler.
Who stars in The Heiress?
The principal cast of The Heiress includes Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins, Vanessa Brown.
When was The Heiress released and how long is it?
The Heiress was released in 1949 with a total runtime of 1h 55m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Heiress?
The Heiress had a reported production budget of $2.6M and grossed $2.3M at the worldwide box office (0.88 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Heiress?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Heiress was composed by Aaron Copland.
Is The Heiress based on a book or true story?
The Heiress is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Henry James".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Heiress?
The Heiress holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).