The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957 film)

Infobox Film
name = The Barretts of Wimpole Street


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director = Sidney Franklin
producer = Sam Zimbalist
writer = Rudolf Besier (play) John Dighton (screenplay)
narrator =
starring = John Gielgud Jennifer Jones Bill Travers Virginia McKenna
music = Bronisław Kaper
cinematography = Freddie Young
editing = Frank Clarke
distributor = Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
released = January 16, 1957
runtime = 105 minutes
country = UK
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0050169

The Barretts of Wimpole Street was a 1957 film originating from the United Kingdom, and was a re-make of the earlier 1934 version by the same director, Sidney Franklin. [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/84457/The-Barretts-of-Wimpole-Street/overview Film synopsis and details] : New York Times website. Retrieved on January 15 2008.] Both films are based on the play by Rudolf Besier. The screenplay for the 1957 film is credited to John Dighton, although Franklin used exactly the same script for the second movie as he did for the first. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050169/trivia Same script] : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on January 15 2008.] The film, set in the early 19th century, starred Jennifer Jones, John Gielgud, and Bill Travers.

ynopsis

Elizabeth Barrett (Jones) is the disabled grown-up daughter of Edward Moulton-Barrett (Gielgud), and has an intense interest in poetry. However, she lives under the obsessive rule of her father, and this severely limits her ability to develop her love of rhyme amongst her peers. Edward in fact shows clear incestuous tendencies towards her, and discourages close contact with any males. When the poet Robert Browning enters her life, though, matters are brought to a head, through the intervention of Browning. Edward finds that his control over Elizabeth, and her younger sister Henrietta, is far from complete.

Cast

*John Gielgud as Edward Moulton-Barrett
*Jennifer Jones as Elizabeth Barrett
*Bill Travers as Robert Browning
*Virginia McKenna as Henrietta Barrett
*Vernon Gray as Captain Surtees Cook
*Susan Stephen as Bella
*Jean Anderson as Wilson
*Maxine Audley as Arabel
*Leslie Phillips as Harry Bevan
*Laurence Naismith as Dr. Chambers
*Moultrie Kelsall as Dr. Ford-Waterlow
*Michael Brill as George
*Kenneth Fortescue as Octavius
*Nicholas Hawtrey as Henry
*Richard Thorp as Alfred
*Keith Baxter as Charles
*Brian Smith as Septimus

Production notes

To lend the whole project an air of authenticity, producer Sam Zimbalist moved filming from the 1934 location in the USA to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios [ [http://www.francisfrith.com/search/england/hertfordshire/borehamwood/photos/borehamwood_AFR4054.htm MGM studios, Borehamwood] , circa 1938: Francis Frith website. Retrieved on January 15 2008.] in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, using only "fine English actors" and as many correct locations as possible, including St Marylebone Parish Church in London. [ [http://media-imdb.com/List?endings=on&&locations=Marylebone%20Church,%20Marylebone,%20London,%20England,%20UK&&heading=18;with+locations+including;Marylebone%20Church,%20Marylebone,%20London,%20England,%20UK Marylebone Church, London] , used as film location: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on January 15 2008.] Bill Travers (Browning) and Virginia McKenna (Henrietta), though cast to play future in-laws in the film, were actually husband and wife in real life. [ [http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article.jsp?cid=87371&mainArticleId=184917 Production details] : from an article at the TCM website. Retrieved on January 15 2008.]

The film was made in Metrocolor, using CinemaScope, with an aspect ratio of 2.35 : 1 on 35mm film. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050169/technical Technical specifications] : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on January 15 2008.] The 4-track stereo sound was supplied by Westrex. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050169/combined Other technical info] : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on January 15 2008.]

References

External links

*imdb title|0050169|The Barretts of Wimpole Street