Representations of Gatsby: Ninety Years of Retrospective Christine Anne Auger University of South Florida, [email protected]
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University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School January 2015 Representations of Gatsby: Ninety Years of Retrospective Christine Anne Auger University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the American Literature Commons, and the Film and Media Studies Commons Scholar Commons Citation Auger, Christine Anne, "Representations of Gatsby: Ninety Years of Retrospective" (2015). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5638 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Representations of Gatsby: Ninety Years of Retrospective by Christine Anne Auger A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of English College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Phillip Sipiora, Ph.D. Hunt Hawkins, Ph.D. Victor Peppard, Ph.D. Tova Cooper, Ph.D. Date of Approval: April 23, 2015 Keywords: Fitzgerald, Gatz, Hollywood, adaptation Copyright © 2015, Christine Anne Auger DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of my mother, Caroline Lytle Auger, who constantly fostered my relationship with literature, and whose passion for reading was contagious and inspiring. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people have nurtured me during the course of this degree, and their support has buoyed me year after year. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Phillip Sipiora, who has taught me about literature, film, pedagogy, writing, editing, confidence, and perseverance since I began studying at the University of South Florida. I am also grateful for my dissertation committee, Drs. Hunt Hawkins, Victor Peppard, and Tova Cooper, for their excellent feedback guided me during the writing and revision process. Countless friends also deserve my gratitude, for they have prevented me from succumbing to any challenges I faced throughout the pursuit of this degree— their support is invaluable. My loving father, Jay Auger, encourages me to follow my dreams and explore the world, and without his boundless faith in me, I doubt I could accomplish many of my goals. I am most grateful for my intelligent, patient, and devoted husband, Michael Dema, whose love has become the anchor of my life, and whose strength has enabled me to finish this project. Finally, this scholarship would not have been possible without the steady companionship of my Basset Hound, Penny Lane, who took my mind on thousands of walks throughout graduate school. Penny’s presence in my study and office abated the solitude of my longest writing days, and fortunately, she saw me through the very last revision of this dissertation. Penny Lane will always be sorely missed and fondly remembered by those who loved her most. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iii INTRODUCTION – Jay Gatsby: From Fitzgerald to Film ............................................................ 1 F. Scott Hollywood: Fitzgerald and the Film Industry ............................................................... 2 Nick’s Narration .......................................................................................................................... 6 Adaptations as Biographies of Gatsby ........................................................................................ 7 The Selection Process ................................................................................................................. 9 Related Scholarship .................................................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER ONE – Fitzgerald’s Multitudinous Gatsbys .............................................................. 14 James Gatz ................................................................................................................................ 17 “Mr. Nobody from Nowhere” ................................................................................................... 21 Major Jay Gatsby ...................................................................................................................... 23 The Romantic ............................................................................................................................ 24 Trimalchio ................................................................................................................................. 26 “A Common Swindler” ............................................................................................................. 27 The Bully .................................................................................................................................. 30 “All Right in the End” ............................................................................................................... 31 CHAPTER TWO – The 1920s Adaptations ................................................................................. 34 Owen Davis’ 1926 Broadway Play ........................................................................................... 37 Herbert Brenon’s 1926 Silent Film (Lost) ................................................................................ 46 The 1926 Trailer ....................................................................................................................... 51 CHAPTER THREE – Jay Gatsby in the 1940s ............................................................................ 55 Fitzgerald Studies in the 1940s ................................................................................................. 56 Hollywood in the 1940s and the Motion Picture Production Code .......................................... 59 Nugent’s Film: An Overview .................................................................................................... 61 Ladd’s Gatsby ........................................................................................................................... 65 Gatsby as Dan Cody’s Protégé ................................................................................................. 70 i Gatsby and Daisy ...................................................................................................................... 72 Gatsby’s Redemption ................................................................................................................ 73 CHAPTER FOUR – Jay Gatsby in the 1970s .............................................................................. 79 Clayton’s Film: An Overview ................................................................................................... 79 Behind the Scenes: Clayton, Coppola, and The Great Gatsby ................................................. 83 The 1970s Fitzgerald Revival ................................................................................................... 85 Redford’s Gatsby ...................................................................................................................... 85 The Rumors ............................................................................................................................... 89 Mrs. Jay Gatsby? ....................................................................................................................... 94 Gatsby’s Personas ..................................................................................................................... 99 CHAPTER FIVE – Jay Gatsby in the New Millennium ............................................................ 102 John Collins’ Gatz: An Overview ........................................................................................... 103 Gatz and Gatsby’s Readers ..................................................................................................... 107 Luhrmann’s Film: An Overview ............................................................................................. 108 The Novel’s Revival ............................................................................................................... 114 An Institutionalized Nick’s Narration ..................................................................................... 115 DiCaprio’s Gatsby .................................................................................................................. 118 Jimmy Gatz’ Gatsby ............................................................................................................... 122 Gatsby and the Buchanans ...................................................................................................... 124 CONCLUSION – Jay Gatsby: From Film to Fitzgerald ............................................................ 130 Gatsby’s Evolution .................................................................................................................. 133 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 136 ii ABSTRACT Jay Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous character, has starred in a variety of stage and screen adaptations in the ninety years since he was first introduced in The Great Gatsby (1925). This