Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

A.J. Cronin's Hatter's Castle

Original title: Hatter's Castle
  • 19421942
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
359
YOUR RATING
Deborah Kerr, James Mason, and Robert Newton in A.J. Cronin's Hatter's Castle (1942)
Drama
James Brodie (Robert Newton) is the only hatter in a small area in Scotland. Ruthless in business as well as at home, he is a tyrant to his family and intimidating to everyone he knows. But,... Read allJames Brodie (Robert Newton) is the only hatter in a small area in Scotland. Ruthless in business as well as at home, he is a tyrant to his family and intimidating to everyone he knows. But, when his mistress convinces him to give her "step-brother" Denis (former boyfriend) a job... Read allJames Brodie (Robert Newton) is the only hatter in a small area in Scotland. Ruthless in business as well as at home, he is a tyrant to his family and intimidating to everyone he knows. But, when his mistress convinces him to give her "step-brother" Denis (former boyfriend) a job at the hat shop, tragedy starts creeping towards all involved with Brodie.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
359
YOUR RATING
    • Lance Comfort
  • Writers
    • A.J. Cronin(novel)
    • Paul Merzbach(screenplay)
    • Rudolph Bernauer(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Robert Newton
    • James Mason
    • Deborah Kerr
    • Lance Comfort
  • Writers
    • A.J. Cronin(novel)
    • Paul Merzbach(screenplay)
    • Rudolph Bernauer(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Robert Newton
    • James Mason
    • Deborah Kerr
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 15User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Deborah Kerr in A.J. Cronin's Hatter's Castle (1942)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Newton
    Robert Newton
    • James Brodie
    James Mason
    James Mason
    • Dr. Renwick
    Deborah Kerr
    Deborah Kerr
    • Mary Brodie
    Emlyn Williams
    Emlyn Williams
    • Dennis
    Enid Stamp-Taylor
    Enid Stamp-Taylor
    • Nancy
    Beatrice Varley
    Beatrice Varley
    • Mrs. Brodie
    Henry Oscar
    Henry Oscar
    • Grierson
    Lawrence Hanray
    • Dr. Lawrie
    Brefni O'Rorke
    Brefni O'Rorke
    • Foyle
    Claude Bailey
    • Paxton
    George Merritt
    George Merritt
    • Gibson
    Roddy Hughes
    Roddy Hughes
    • Gordon
    Stuart Lindsell
    • Lord Winton
    David Keir
    • Perry
    Aubrey Mallalieu
    Aubrey Mallalieu
    • Clergyman
    Mary Hinton
    Mary Hinton
    • Lady Winton
    Ian Fleming
    Ian Fleming
    • Sir John Latta
    Tony Bateman
    • Angus Brodie
    • (as Anthony Bateman)
      • Lance Comfort
    • Writers
      • A.J. Cronin(novel)
      • Paul Merzbach(screenplay)
      • Rudolph Bernauer(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    This Gun for Hire
    7.4
    This Gun for Hire
    Black Legion
    6.9
    Black Legion
    Caught
    7.0
    Caught
    The Baron of Arizona
    7.0
    The Baron of Arizona
    Kiss of Death
    7.4
    Kiss of Death
    She Played with Fire
    6.8
    She Played with Fire
    Quo Vadis
    7.1
    Quo Vadis
    To Be or Not to Be
    8.2
    To Be or Not to Be
    Major Barbara
    6.8
    Major Barbara
    Dante's Inferno
    6.6
    Dante's Inferno
    Leave Her to Heaven
    7.6
    Leave Her to Heaven
    Blondie Johnson
    6.6
    Blondie Johnson

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      One of over 700 Paramount productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since. Its initial USA television broadcast took place in Chicago Wednesday 4 March 1959 on WBBM (Channel 2). It first aired in Seattle 29 October 1959 on KIRO (Channel 7), in Minneapolis 21 November 1959 on WTCN (Channel 11), in Detroit, in two parts, 8-9 December 1959 on WJBK (Channel 2), and in Indianapolis 6 February 1960 on WFBM (Channel 6).
    • Goofs
      When the real Tay Bridge collapsed, it was the center section, which was made of high girder through trusses. However, the film shows the low deck trusses collapsing.
    • Quotes

      Lord Winton: After all, it's not essential to belong to the peerage, is it?

    • Connections
      Featured in Film Preview: Episode #1.3 (1966)
    • Soundtracks
      There Is a Tavern in the Town
      (uncredited)

      Traditional

      Arranged by Horace Shepherd

      Sylvester Music Ltd

    User reviews15

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    This is a difficult film to watch...
    ... not because it is dull or bad, but because the main character, James Brodie (Robert Newton) has no redeeming values whatsoever. He is a cruel vile man, a complete narcissist. People are either customers, servants, or enemies to him. Everyone else is invisible to him.

    Brodie is a Scottish hatter in Victorian times. He has a sickly wife that he constantly belittles, a grown teen daughter Mary (Deborah Kerr) that he practically keeps prisoner, and a son Angus that he sees as an extension of himself, so he puts tremendous pressure on the boy to excel in school to show off to his rivals. Brodie also lives in a large castle, "Hatter's Castle", it is called derisively by the town, because it is just ridiculously large and medieval for a simple merchant to be living there. But because his customers tend to be important men, Brodie sees himself as important. Oh, and he has a mistress. And this mistress' brother-in-law, Dennis, needing a job, and Brodie granting that job, brings chaos into Brodie's family and business. For one thing, Dennis is not exactly a brother-in-law, and also he is a slimy little weasel, the likes of which a brute like Brodie would never expect would get the better of him.

    James Mason, as a physician, is one of the few nice and normal characters in the cast, if you can believe that. He has very few scenes. There is a really good rendition of the Tay Bridge railroad disaster of 1879, and it is too bad that the film's physical condition is so rough, because it would be great to see in detail. In fact, this film is just crying out for a restoration. What you can see of the art design is impressive. It would be wonderful to see it in its original glory. A clearer print might even raise its appraisal another star. Mainly, though, this is Robert Newton's film. He does a splendid job of playing a despicable human being. I cringed every time he entered a room, and he made me want to stick around to the end to see what happened to his character. Recommended.
    helpful•5
    1
    • AlsExGal
    • Feb 20, 2021

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 19, 1948 (United States)
      • United Kingdom
      • English
    • Also known as
      • D&P Studios, Denham, Uxbridge, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Grafton Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 42 minutes
      • Black and White

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Deborah Kerr, James Mason, and Robert Newton in A.J. Cronin's Hatter's Castle (1942)
    Top Gap
    What is the English language plot outline for A.J. Cronin's Hatter's Castle (1942)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.