Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1946
Bedelia (film)
Buy Bedelia (film) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'Bedelia' is a 1946 British drama film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Margaret Lockwood, Ian Hunter and Barry K. Barnes. It is an adaptation of the 1945 novel 'Bedelia' by Vera Caspary with events moved from the United States to England and Monaco.
Plot
Bedelia Carrington is apparently happily married and on her honeymoon in Monte Carlo with Charlie Carrington in the autumn of 1938. She has a strong aversion to being photographed by her husband, claiming she is not photogenic. Spotting her in a sidewalk cafe, young painter Ben Chaney starts drawing a sketch of her; seeing this, she abruptly turns her head away. He encounters her husband and has a drink with the couple. When the husband notices a pearl ring, she claims it is a cheap piece of fake jewellery, though Chaney knows otherwise. He was speaking to a jewellery store proprietor when she picked up the ring; the expert offered her 100,000 francs for the flawless pearl. Chaney begins probing into her past. In reality a detective, he suspects that Bedelia's obsession with money has led her to dispose of more than one husband for the insurance money.
Cast
* Margaret Lockwood as Bedelia Carrington
* Ian Hunter as Charlie Carrington
* Barry K. Barnes as Ben Chaney
* Anne Crawford as Ellen
* Beatrice Varley as Mary
* Louise Hampton as Hannah
* Jill Esmond as Nurse Harris
* Julien Mitchell as Dr. McAfee
* Vi Stevens as Mrs. McAfee
* Kynaston Reeves as Mr. Bennett
* Olga Lindo as Mrs. Bennett
* John Salew as Alec Johnstone
* Barbara Blair as Sylvia Johnstone
* Daphne Arthur as Miss Jenkins
* Claude Bailey as Capt. McKelvey
* Ellen Pollock as McKelvey's Housekeeper
* Henry De Bray as M. Martin
* Marcel Poncin as M. Perrin
* Michael Martin Harvey as Abb
* Sonia Sergyl as Abb's Housekeeper
* Aubrey Mallalieu as Vicar
* Oscar Nation as Police Inspector
Production
Original novel
The film was based on a novel by Vera Caspary which was published in 1945. It was about a bachelor in his thirties called Charlie who married a widow, Bedelia, he meets at a summer resort in 1913. 'The New York Times' said it was "guaranteed to raise gooseflesh on the hottest summer night." The 'Los Angeles Times' called it "one of the neatest and cleverest jobs of writing this season."Development
The film version of Caspary's novel 'Laura' had been a big hit in 1944 and there was much interest in 'Bedelia' even before publication. Caspary enjoyed the film of 'Laura' although had some reservations. "Hollywood simply can't visualise a girl who leads her own life, and in whom sex is not uppermost", said Caspary. "They always show the career woman as either frustrated or freakish. I know lots of balanced professional women who can take love or let it alone."This meant she was susceptible to approaches from British film companies as well as Hollywood. She also felt in Britain there was more respect for the writer. In late 1944 she sold the film rights to producer Isadore Goldsmith, who had impressed Caspary with 'The Stars Look Down', and wanted to set up the film in England. Goldsmith arranged financing through John Cornfield Productions, a unit of the Rank Organisation.
Caspary travelled to London to do an early draft of the script, which transplanted the action from Connecticut to Yorkshire.
"The movie will probably have one or two Hollywood names in it and will be an Arthur Rank release", said said. "Mr Rank is another who was wonderful to me but then in England even the producers respect writers... England is counting on pictures to be one of her great export items."
Early contenders for the title role included Geraldine Fitzgerald, Vivien Leigh and Merle Oberon."O'Brien in Mexico Yarn; Hodiak 'Frankie' Star" Schallert, Edwin. 'Los Angeles Times' 23 May 1945: A2."'Bedelia' Interpreter Quest Gains Momentum" Schallert, Edwin. 'Los Angeles Times' 28 May 1945: A2. Later on Marlene Dietrich, Valerie Hobson and Linden Travers were mentioned. Donald Woods, then appearing in a stage version of 'Laura', was a front-runner for the male lead."Author Hears Dietrich Likely 'Bedelia' Star" Schallert, Edwin. 'Los Angeles Times' 13 Oct 1945: A5.
Eventually Margaret Lockwood was cast in the lead, with Ian Hunter and Barry Barnes in support. It was Barnes' first film since 'The Girl in the News', also with Lockwood, and Hunter's first British film in 14 years. Jill Esmond, Laurence Olivier's first wife, was given a support role. The film was made with the American market very much in mind.
Shooting
Filming began December 1945. Filming was relatively elaborate by the standards of British filmmaking of the time. Production ended in April 1946.Goldsmith later optioned the film rights to Caspary's next novel, 'Out of the Blue'.
Alternative endings
Prior to filming, Goldsmith submitted the script to the Johnston office in the US (the censor). They had issues with the proposed ending, where Bedelia committed suicide with the tacit encouragement of her husband. It was decided to shoot an additional ending for the American market where Bedelia turned herself in to the police. This sequence cost $63,000. Lockwood thought it was "ridiculous" to have to shoot a new ending. Most British observers who saw the two endings preferred the suicide one.When Goldsmith showed the final film to the US censor, they said he could use the British ending if he wanted. Goldsmith showed the film to various Hollywood observers and press and found they preferred the American ending. According to 'The New York Times', Goldsmith thought the difference of opinion between British and American observers went to "the relative position of women on the two sides of the Atlantic. Americans, he believes, prefer to see their heroines in the most favourable light, even at the sacrifice of integrity in character study."
In addition to this, some scenes had to be reshot for the US to reduce the extent of Lockwood's visible cleavage.
Reception
Box office
According to trade papers, the film was a "notable box office attraction" at British cinemas.[https://books.google.com/books?id=xtGIAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA209 Robert Murphy, 'Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48' 2003 p209] 'Kinematograph Weekly' reported that the "biggest winner" at the box office in 1946 Britain was 'The Wicked Lady' starring Lockwood, with "runners up" being 'The Bells of St Marys', 'Piccadilly Incident', 'The Road to Utopia', 'Tomorrow is Forever', 'Brief Encounter', 'Wonder Man', 'Anchors Away', 'Kitty', 'The Captive Heart', 'The Corn is Green', 'Spanish Main', 'Leave Her to Heaven', 'Gilda' (also from a novel by Vera Caspray), 'Caravan', 'Mildred Pierce', 'Blue Dahlia', 'Years Between', 'O.S.S.', 'Spellbound', 'Courage of Lassie', 'My Reputation', 'London Town', 'Caesar and Cleopatra', 'Meet the Navy', 'Men of Two Worlds', 'Theirs is the Glory', 'The Overlanders', and 'Bedelia'.Lockwood wrote in her memoirs that although the film "was a great success, in truth had not done much to mollify my opinion of scripts in general."
U.S. release
The movie was the first released in America by Rank under its new agreement with Eagle-Lion Films, which Rank part owned. Rank hoped it would be a success, but it only grossed $350,000.Tino Balio, 'United Artists: The Company That Changed the Film Industry', University of Wisconsin Press, 1987 p. 32Critical
In terms of the critics, 'TV Guide' noted, "Margaret Lockwood appears in one of her best villainous roles, played this time with subtlety"; while Leonard Maltin called the film "absorbing but not terribly suspenseful"; and 'The New York Times' described it as "pretty much of a disappointment". In a retrospective review in 2010, 'Noir of the Week' wrote, "'Laura' is often identified as one of the all-time great noir films...but in many ways, 'Bedelia' is the better, more complex, and subversive film."'Filmink' said the film would have "seemed like a sure thing" but was hurt by "odd scripting decisions, minimal atmosphere and lack of firepower amongst the support cast."
"They [the filmmakers] did very well by me, I think", said Caspary later. She went on to sign a ten-year contract with Eagle Lion, calling for one story a year.
Radio adaptation
'Bedelia' was presented on 'Hollywood Star Time' 26 October 1946. Herbert Marshall and Gene Tierney starred in the adaptation.
References
Buy Bedelia (film) now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1946