Wings of the Morning (1937)

First Technicolor movie shot in the British Isles, features Gypsies, horse racing, singing and romance.

Director:

Harold D. Schuster

Writers:

Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne (story), Thomas J. Geraghty (narration written by),

Stars:

Annabella, Henry Fonda, Leslie Banks

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Annabella	...	Young Marie (Prologue) / Maria, Duchess of Leyva
Henry Fonda	...	Kerry Gilfallen
Leslie Banks	...	Lord Clontarf
Stewart Rome	...	Sir Valentine
Irene Vanbrugh	...	Old Marie
Harry Tate	...	Paddy
Helen Haye	...	Aunt Jenepher
Edward Underdown	...	Don Diego (as Teddy Underdown)
Mark Daly	...	James Patrick Aloysius 'Jimmy' Brannigan
Sam Livesey	...	Angelo
E.V.H. Emmett	...	Racing Commentator
R.C. Lyle	...	Racing Commentator (as Captain R.C. Lyle)
John McCormack	...	Himself - the Tenor
Steve Donoghue	...	Himself
D.J. Williams	...	Marik (Prologue)

Storyline

1889. An Irish lord marries a beautiful gypsy but falls off his horse and dies. His family, who hates the gypsy, chase her out of home and she takes refuge in Spain. 1937. Nearly half a century later, the gypsy, fleeing the Spanish Civil War, returns to Ireland in the company of Maria, her pretty granddaughter. Maria falls for handsome Kerry, a young horse trainer, but the trouble is that she was engaged to a man in Spain. One day, the Spanish fiancé reappears.

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Plot Keywords:

gypsy | horse | horse racing | spanish civil war | ireland | 

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Taglines:

ANNABELLA - Remember her unusual name...you'll never forget her lovely face!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 March 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Zigeunerprinzessin

Filming Locations:

Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

New World Pictures Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filming started with Glenn Tryon as director and Harold D. Schuster as editor; Tryon was fired and Schuster took over in June 1936.

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Connections

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978)

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Soundtracks

"Marche Militaire"
(uncredited)
from I Stand Condemned
Music by Bronislau Kaper and Walter Jurmann

User Reviews

Strange film of Lords and Ladies and gypsies and horse-racing

The first British Technicolor film, it has a script that is somehow from another world; a sentimental world where gypsies travel in wooden horse-drawn caravans and dance round camp fires; and where gentlemen train horses and live only for victory at the racecourse.

Maria, played by Annabelle, is dressed as a boy to escape the hostilities of the Spanish civil war, and becomes involved with Kerry (played by a young Henry Fonda). Kerry doesn't realise it's a girl, of course, until later when she reveals herself, when it's love at first sight.

The climax of the film is at the Derby, the year's main race for the whole of Britain, and we get a glimpse there of the real world through the mist of the obscure direction (Harold D Schuster's first film).

The Irish tenor John McCormack sings at a ball, and champion jockey Steve Donaghue appears as himself.