Kind Lady (1951)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Jerry Davis (screenplay) and
Edward Chodorov (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 June 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama

Plot:

Mary Herries has a passion for art and fine furniture. Even thought she is getting on in years, she enjoys being around these priceless articles...

Plot Keywords:

Art Theft | Captive | Kidnapper | Con Artist | Suspense

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Ethel Barrymore	...	Mary Herries
Maurice Evans	...	Henry Springer Elcott
Angela Lansbury	...	Mrs. Edwards
Keenan Wynn	...	Edwards
Betsy Blair	...	Ada Elcott
John Williams	...	Mr. Foster
Doris Lloyd	...	Rose
John O'Malley	...	Antique Dealer
Henri Letondal	...	Monsieur Malaquaise
Moyna MacGill	...	Mrs. Harkley
Barry Bernard	...	Mr. Harkley
Sally Cooper	...	Lucy Weston
Arthur Gould-Porter	...	Chauffeur
Sherlee Collier	...	Aggie Edwards
Phyllis Morris	...	Dora

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Sweden:15

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Moyna MacGill (Mrs. Harkley) is Angela Lansbury's mother in real life.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Edwards drops load of firewood behind her, Mrs. Edwards acts startled even before bundle noisily hits floor.

Movie Connections:

Version of Kind Lady (1935)

Miss Spinney in a Web

After the demise of ITV ON Digital in the UK, I missed their old classic movie channel, "Carlton Cinema" as I have taped several good films from there, including "Portrait of Jennie (1948)", starring my favourite actress Jennifer Jones.In that film Ethel Barrymore played Miss Spinney, a partner in a New York art gallery who saves Eban Adams from apparent starvation by buying some of his art work. We recently had SKY TV installed which includes "Turner Classic Movies" a.k.a. "TCM".I only saw the last 2/3 of "Kind Lady" but stayed to the end despite my wife saying we had to go out to the shops!I was fascinated by Ethel Barrymore again playing an art connoisseur,(3 years after the aforementioned film), in a movie I had not seen before on UK tv.I just had to see it to the end.And there was a very young Angela Lansberry playing a tough wife of a criminal played with shifting accent by Keenan Wynn!.Of course Hollywood did round up a clutch of British actors and a right-hand drive vintage car to give the movie some authenticity.This film has a nightmare like quality.We could all visualise what it would be like for us to be old, alone and have no protector when a person inveigles themselves into your home on an apparant genuine pretext and then systematically takes over your whole house and possessions!Yes the conventions of film making in 1951 meant that producers could not allow criminals on screen to get away with their ill-gotten booty and you don't see the death of the faithful maid.Maurice Evans is Ok but I would have cast someone like George Sanders in the chief "baddie" role - much more menacing!(Perhaps he wasn't available).It is nevertheless a rip roaring melodrama and next time I hope to see the first 1/3 of this film.