Under Capricorn (1949)

In 1831, Irishman Charles Adare travels to Australia to start a new life with the help of his cousin who has just been appointed governor. When he arrives he meets powerful landowner and ... See full summary »

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Colton (play), Margaret Linden (play),

Stars:

Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, Michael Wilding

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ingrid Bergman	...	Lady Henrietta Flusky
Joseph Cotten	...	Sam Flusky
Michael Wilding	...	Hon. Charles Adare
Margaret Leighton	...	Milly
Cecil Parker	...	The Governor
Denis O'Dea	...	Mr. Corrigan
Jack Watling	...	Winter
Harcourt Williams	...	The Coachman
John Ruddock	...	Mr. Potter
Bill Shine	...	Mr. Banks
Victor Lucas	...	The Rev. Smiley
Ronald Adam	...	Mr. Riggs
Francis De Wolff	...	Major Wilkins (as Francis de Wolff)
G.H. Mulcaster	...	Dr. Macallister
Olive Sloane	...	Sal

Storyline

In 1831, Irishman Charles Adare travels to Australia to start a new life with the help of his cousin who has just been appointed governor. When he arrives he meets powerful landowner and ex-convict Sam Flusky, who wants to do a business deal with him. Whilst attending a dinner party at Flusky's house, Charles meets Flusky's wife Henrietta who he had known as a child back in Ireland. Henrietta is an alcoholic and seems to be on the verge of madness.

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Plot Keywords:

ex convict | governor | fortune | housekeeper | secret | 

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Taglines:

Ingrid Bergman Shows You The Heights And The Depths To Which A Woman Like This Can Go!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Les amants du Capricorne

Filming Locations:

Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Transatlantic Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many French critics consider Under Capricorn as one of Hitchcock's finest films.

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Goofs

As the characters gather for the dinner party, fairly early on in the film, the camera tracks backwards across the dining room. The table has been pushed into the path of the camera by the time it comes into view, but the candlesticks are still shaking severely from the jerking appearance of the table (their shaking lessens as the take continues).

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Quotes

[last lines of the movie]
Winter: We'll be sorry to lose you, sir.
Hon. Charles Adare: If I may say so, Winter, I'm sorry to go. Not a bad place. It is said that there is some future for it, there must be- it's a big country.
Winter: Then why are you leaving, sir?
Hon. Charles Adare: That's just it, Winter. It's not quite big enough. Bye, good luck.

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Connections

Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers (2009)

User Reviews

To be proper.. a bit of a let down, I'd say.

As a lover of Hitchcock I couldn't take 2 viewings of this one. The story has potential but the characters are horribly developed. The acting is fine, since the cast was superb. However, I wouldn't have wanted to be an actor in this one. Without spoiling, there is just too much anger without explanation. Too many characters lack character. The utter blindness of the leads to the glaring and painful flaws in the antagonists is almost comical. Finally, the sudden restoration of everyone's honesty and peace in the last scene is intolerable. A story is believable if the characters act like real humans would act. This film is an attempt to fool the viewer into thinking that a leopard can change it's spots in the blink of an eye! It is interesting to note that, even in a melodramatic story driven piece, Hitch still found a place for the falsely accused in the plot. Hitchcock was great, there will never be an equal, but, even he made a dud.. makes me feel better about myself!