The Farmer's Wife (1928)

After his daughter weds, a middle-aged widower with a profitable farm decides to remarry, but finds choosing a suitable mate a problematic process.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Eden Phillpotts (play), Eliot Stannard (adaptation)

Stars:

Jameson Thomas, Lillian Hall-Davis, Gordon Harker

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jameson Thomas	...	Farmer Sweetland
Lillian Hall-Davis	...	Araminta Dench - Sweetland's Housekeeper (as Lilian Hall-Davis)
Gordon Harker	...	Churdles Ash - Sweetland's His Handyman
Gibb McLaughlin	...	Henry Coaker
Maud Gill	...	Thirza Tapper
Louie Pounds	...	Widow Windeatt
Olga Slade	...	Mary Hearn - Postmistress
Ruth Maitland	...	Mercy Bassett
Antonia Brough	...	Susan
Haward Watts	...	Dick Coaker
Diana Napier	...	Sibley Sweetland (as Mollie Ellis)

Storyline

Farmer Sweetland is a lonely old widower. He is determined to marry again and he enlists the help of his housekeeper Minta to pick a wife from the local single women.

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Plot Keywords:

widower | rural setting | farmer | housekeeper | spinster | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Alfred Hitchcock (I) in the famous interview held in 1966 by François Truffaut, the play by Eden Phillpotts, on which this movie was based, was performed 1400 times on stage in London.

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Goofs

After being rejected by Louisa, Farmer Sweetland's horse changes position in between shots as he mounts it.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sibley Sweetland: ...and don't forget to air your Master's pants, 'Minta.

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Connections

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

User Reviews

Longer version is at wrong speed

I have both versions, long and short, of "The Farmer's Wife", and they are identical except for the speed at which they were recorded onto tape/DVD. I strongly recommend against the 129-minute version, as it is slower than real-life speed and drags the humor from the film. The shorter version is much funnier and more like Hitchcock, whose films weren't known for their dragginess.

Jameson Thomas, who plays Samuel Sweetland, was at the time of filming a huge star in England. In 1930 he and his wife left England for Hollywood, where he played a few leads in "B" pictures and then settled into a continuous second lead/character groove. He's the doctor at the end of "The Invisible Man" who tells Henry Travers of Claude Rains' demise: "I'm afraid the end will be rather terrible." He also played Mr. Semple, the twitchy false heir, in "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town."

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

None English

Release Date:

4 January 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

La esposa del granjero

Filming Locations:

West St., Dunster, Somerset, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British International Pictures (BIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min (2012) (theatrical) 107 min (2012 restoration)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1