That seems to be the motive of the troubled heroine played here by Sally Gray, the illegitimate daughter of Catherine Lacey and Stanley Holloway who is desired for adoption for three monsterous great aunts and kept with her natural parents when they decide to marry. Told by her mother as a young girl that she has the potential to become a much desired stage star, she does just that, becoming a popular young ballerina and the object of much affection. Brought up to act like a great lady, she's also strong willed, selfish and uppity, the hallmark of many a classic soap opera diva, but happiness is not to be hers. An ill-fated romance with the dashing but struggling artist Michael Wilding leads her into an extremely unhappy marriage with visiting farmer Bernard Miles whose religious fiend of a mother (Nancy Price) badgers him to become insanely possessive and judgmental towards everything that Gray does.
There's much left to be assumed about the leading character, seemingly a sweet little girl but oh so haughty when she grows up, filled with resentment to anything lower class and determined to hit the top and erase her past as much as she can. It's a great acting exercise for the gorgeous Sally Gray who is as regal as a young lady can be, but nothing in the script indicates that her long suffering mother raised her to rise above her station. Some of the performances are quite dark (Miles), over the top (Price) or so low key (Wilding) that you barely notice them. Jean Kent is quite good as Gray's best friend, an interloper who infiltrates her way onto a private dinner between Wilding and Gray. The film starts off darkly, lightens up a bit, then goes way off the beam in the last few reels. Still, the photography and musical score are haunting and the other production values first rate, so it's hard to completely find fault with the film as a whole.
There's much left to be assumed about the leading character, seemingly a sweet little girl but oh so haughty when she grows up, filled with resentment to anything lower class and determined to hit the top and erase her past as much as she can. It's a great acting exercise for the gorgeous Sally Gray who is as regal as a young lady can be, but nothing in the script indicates that her long suffering mother raised her to rise above her station. Some of the performances are quite dark (Miles), over the top (Price) or so low key (Wilding) that you barely notice them. Jean Kent is quite good as Gray's best friend, an interloper who infiltrates her way onto a private dinner between Wilding and Gray. The film starts off darkly, lightens up a bit, then goes way off the beam in the last few reels. Still, the photography and musical score are haunting and the other production values first rate, so it's hard to completely find fault with the film as a whole.