Under Capricorn (1949)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

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

Release Date:

8 October 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | 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:

Ex Convict | Governor | Fortune | Housekeeper | Secret

Awards:

1 win

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	...	1st Guard in Hall (uncredited)
Martin Benson	...	Man Carrying Shrunken Head (uncredited)
Ronnie Hill	...	2nd Guard in Hall (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)
Richard Turner	...	Clerk (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
John Colton		(play) and
Margaret Linden		(play)
Helen Simpson		(novel)
Hume Cronyn		(adaptation)
James Bridie		(screenplay)
Peter Ustinov		uncredited &
Joseph Shearing		uncredited

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

Original Music by
Richard Addinsell

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff		(director of photography)

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)
Joan Smallwood	....	assistant hairdresser (uncredited)
Neville Smallwood	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

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)
Geoffrey Somerton	....	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	....	operator of camera movement
Ian Craig	....	operator of camera movement
Jack Haste	....	operator of camera movement
David MacNeilly	....	operator of camera movement
Jim Dawes	....	grip (uncredited)
George Pink	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Bert Rule	....	assembly cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Levy	....	musical director

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

Production Companies

• Transatlantic Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros (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)
• Warner Bros. (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (Portugal)
• Warner Bros. (Spain)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

117 min | West Germany:111 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Spain:13 | Peru:14 | UK:A (original rating) (1949) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | West Germany:16 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Transatlantic Pictures

Trivia:

Jack Cardiff (Cinematographer of this film) mentioned about his cinematography and the long take technique of this film in the documentary "Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)."

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: (at around 1h 02 mins) By way of mentioning an invitation to a ball, Charles tells Hattie and Sam, "Oh by the way, I have a bit of news for you," but his mouth is closed for much of the sentence.

Quotes:

The Governor:[referring to the crowd's reaction to his speech] Not a very warm welcome.
Hon. Charles Adare:The climate's making up for that.

Movie Connections:

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

Hitchcocks Greatest?

Under Capricorn, is along with Notorious, I Confess and Rear Window Hitchcocks greatest film. Under Capricorn has been greatly under appreciated mainly because it was a commercial failure and because Hitchcock talked the movie down saying that he only made it for Ingrid Bergman. The truth is that he had been working on getting it made for years, would he really put his production company under pressure on it's second project with a $2.5 million budget if he didn't care for it. Maybe part of its mixed reputation is because it's not a thriller, being a character driven movie, at just under two hours long its not you're typical Hitchcock movie. But the story is revealed in a wonderful way, with such a great romantic feeling that I'm amazed that it's not more highly thought off by the general public. If there ever was a more beautifully film movie I've never seen it. Ingrid Bergman is as she always is, brilliant; her 10-minuet scene in which she tells wilding the whole story of what happened is pure magic. Another great moment is when Bergman has locked herself in her room and wilding comes through her window. Joseph Cotton is also on top form. Really all that I've got left to say is if you haven't yet seen this film and you get the chance to don't waste that chance. I wish it would come out on DVD or video I've nearly worn my copy out.