Fortune Is a Woman (1957)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Sidney Gilliat

Writers:

Sidney Gilliat (writer)
Winston Graham (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

8 July 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

They Can't Kiss Away Their Conscience

Plot:

An insurance investigator runs into an ex-girlfriend, who is still as beautiful as he remembered her but is now married. He soon finds himself involved in arson, blackmail and murder.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Blackmail | Arson | Beautiful Woman | British Noir

Cast

Jack Hawkins	...	Oliver Branwell
Arlene Dahl	...	Sarah Moreton Branwell
Dennis Price	...	Tracey Moreton
Violet Farebrother	...	Mrs. Moreton
Ian Hunter	...	Clive Fisher
Malcolm Keen	...	Old Abercrombie
Geoffrey Keen	...	Michael Abercrombie aka Young Abercrombie
Patrick Holt	...	Fred Connor
John Robinson	...	Berkeley Reckitt
Michael Goodliffe	...	Detective Insp. Barnes
Martin Lane	...	Det. Constable Watson
Bernard Miles	...	Mr. Jerome
Christopher Lee	...	Charles Highbury
Greta Gynt	...	Vere Litchen
John Phillips	...	Willis Croft
Patricia Marmont	...	Ambrosine
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rosalind Knight	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney Gilliat

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sidney Gilliat		writer
Winston Graham		novel
Frank Launder		writer
Val Valentine		writer

Produced by
Leslie Gilliat	....	associate producer
Sidney Gilliat	....	producer
John Harvel	....	executive producer
Frank Launder	....	producer

Original Music by
William Alwyn

Cinematography by
Gerald Gibbs

Film Editing by
Geoffrey Foot

Art Direction by
Wilfred Shingleton
Frank Willson

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson

Makeup Department
Colin Garde	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
John Aldred	....	sound
John Cox	....	sound supervisor

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	musical director

Production Companies

• Individual Pictures
• John Harvel Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1957) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• R&B Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

She Played with Fire (USA)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Individual Pictures

Perhaps one of the scariest dream sequences ever in a very interesting thriller

I saw this film when a child and it has haunted me ever since, mainly because of the very dark and disturbing dream sequences experienced by the insurance investigator played by Jack Hawkins.

These are typically Sidney Gilliat with glimpses of vignettes - a technique he has used elsewhere as in his later underrated thriller Endless Night. Brilliantly conceived.

As a previous reviewer has commented, the film captures London from the 50's very well - a London I remember as a kid so seeing it again by accident on afternoon TV recently was a nostalgic experience. A great old movie which should be on DVD.