Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Margaret Lockwood | ... | Barbara Skelton | |
James Mason | ... | Captain Jerry Jackson | |
Patricia Roc | ... | Caroline | |
Griffith Jones | ... | Sir Ralph Skelton | |
Michael Rennie | ... | Kit Locksby | |
Felix Aylmer | ... | Hogarth | |
Enid Stamp-Taylor | ... | Lady Henrietta Kingsclere (as Enid Stamp Taylor) | |
Francis Lister | ... | Lord Kingsclere | |
Beatrice Varley | ... | Aunt Moll | |
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Amy Dalby | ... | Aunt Doll |
Martita Hunt | ... | Cousin Agatha | |
David Horne | ... | Martin Worth | |
Emrys Jones | ... | Ned Cotterill | |
Helen Goss | ... | Mistress Betsy | |
Muriel Aked | ... | Mrs. Munce |
17th-century beauty Barbara Worth starts her career of crime by stealing her best friend's bridegroom. Her next exploit is to recover gambling losses by donning mask and cloak and taking to the roads as a highwayman! The thrill of these ventures proves addictive...especially when she meets a male highwayman who becomes her lover. Together, the two desperados lead a gay secret life, pursued by the local magistrate Sir Ralph Skelton...Barbara's husband! To what further crimes will the wicked Lady Skelton descend? Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
This Gainsborough Picture costume drama stars Margaret Lockwood and James Mason with Lockwood playing the title role of The Wicked Lady. If you think this film bear resemblance to Forever Amber you'd be right. But Amber St.Clair is a Girl Scout next to the beautiful and treacherous Lockwood as Barbara Worth.
It all starts with Lockwood coming to live with Roc who is about to be married to the propertied and nice, but rather dull Griffith Jones. Lockwood sees security there and when she sets her cap for Jones he and Roc don't have a prayer.
But after that this minx craves excitement that Jones who is not just a landed squire, but concerned with social issues and ahead of his time that way. Lockwood after losing a precious ruby at cards then impersonates notorious highwayman James Mason and steals it back. Mason catches her and he should have obeyed his first impulse to kill her. But Lockwood uses her charms on him and the dashing Dick Turpin like highwayman is also hooked.
This film really belongs to Lockwood. I've not seen too many people as amoral as Lockwood on the screen. Beautiful and deadly this woman is the equal of other amoral females such as Jane Greer in Out Of The Past and Anne Baxter in All About Eve. Four men who trusted her meet death at her hands.
James Mason also deserves a mention. He's got quite the swagger in him as highwayman Jerry Jackson. Sad in terms of acting is competing with Lockwood who gets the woman's role of a lifetime, but he more than holds his own.
If you like Gainsborough's English costume dramas you'll love The Wicked Woman.