Under Capricorn (1949)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Colton (play) and
Margaret Linden (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 October 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Romance

Tagline:

Mystery, murder and passion from the master of suspense!

Plot:

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...

Plot Keywords:

Governor | Ex Convict | Cousin | Fortune | Shooting

Cast

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
Maureen Delaney	...	Flo
Julia Lang	...	Susan
Betty McDermott	...	Martha
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ivor Barry	...	Guard in hall (uncredited)
Martin Benson	...	Man Carrying Shrunken Head (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man at Governor's Reception (uncredited)
David Keir	...	Man Checking Invitations At Ball (uncredited)
Roderick Lovell	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Lloyd Pearson	...	Land Agent (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
John Colton		(play) and
Margaret Linden		(play)
Helen Simpson		(novel)
Hume Cronyn		(adaptation)
James Bridie		(writer)

Produced by
Sidney Bernstein	....	producer (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Richard Addinsell

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff

Film Editing by
Bert Bates		(as A.S. Bates)

Art Direction by
Thomas N. Morahan		(as Thomas Morahan)

Costume Design by
Roger K. Furse		(as Roger Furse)
Julia Squire		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Charles E. Parker	....	makeup artist (as Charles Parker)

Production Management
Fred Ahern	....	production manager
John Palmer	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
C.R. Foster-Kemp	....	assistant director (as C. Foster Kemp)
Cliff Owen	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
John Pellatt	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Philip Stockford	....	set dresser
Ted Clements	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Kenneth McCallum Tait	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Peter Handford	....	sound recordist
A.W. Watkins	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Beeson	....	camera operator
Ian Craig	....	camera operator
Jack Haste	....	camera operator
David McNeilly	....	camera operator
Jim Dawes	....	grip (uncredited)
George Pink	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Joan Bridge	....	associate color director: Technicolor
Bert Rule	....	assembly cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Levy	....	musical director

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
David O. Selznick	....	actor arrangement: Mr. Cotten
Peggy Singer	....	script supervisor
Jean Dyball	....	assistant continuity (uncredited)
Hazel Swift	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Transatlantic Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1967) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• VidAmerica (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (video)
• Silver Screen (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Balboa Film Distributors (????) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (Portugal)
• Warner Bros. (Spain)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) (1949) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Transatlantic Pictures

Trivia:

In 1958, Cahiers du Cinema (French Film Magazine) voted Under Capricorn (1949) as one of the ten greatest films of all time.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: 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).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Topaz': An Appreciation by Film Critic/Historian Leonard Maltin (2001) (V)

Underrated and beautifully photographed

While certainly uncharacteristic of Hitchcock's American films this film still has the Master's unmistakable imprint. Joseph Cotton is excellent in his role as a common man who resents the upper class of which he can never be a part. The rest of the actors do a fine job including Ingrid Bergman's turn as Cotton's drunk half mad wife. Perhaps the best and most interesting aspect of the film is the gorgeous Technicolor cinematography by Jack Cardiff. Cardiff who is probably best known for his work with Powell and Pressburger does a great job bringing the rich color of this period piece to the screen. The camera work is also characteristically Hitchcock with many long traveling shots with wonderfully complex compositions. The pace is slow and lacking suspense, but the characters and the situations are interesting and make the film work despite the pacing problems. Certainly not one of Hitchcock's strongest films, but definitely worth watching.