The Seventh Veil (1945)

One dark summer night, Francesca Cunningham, a once world famed pianist, escapes from her hospital room and tries to commit suicide by jumping off a local bridge. She is rescued and taken ... See full summary »

Director:

Compton Bennett

Writers:

Muriel Box (original story and screenplay), Sydney Box (original story and screenplay)

Stars:

James Mason, Ann Todd, Herbert Lom

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Mason	...	Nicholas
Ann Todd	...	Francesca
Herbert Lom	...	Dr. Larsen
Hugh McDermott	...	Peter Gay
Albert Lieven	...	Maxwell Leyden
Yvonne Owen	...	Susan Brook
David Horne	...	Dr. Kendall
Manning Whiley	...	Dr. Irving
Grace Allardyce	...	Nurse
Ernest Davies	...	Parker
John Slater	...	James
Arnold Goldsborough	...	Conductor
Muir Mathieson	...	Conductor

Storyline

One dark summer night, Francesca Cunningham, a once world famed pianist, escapes from her hospital room and tries to commit suicide by jumping off a local bridge. She is rescued and taken back to the hospital and undergoes psychological treatment by Dr. Larsen. Larsen, desperately wants to know the events and persons who drove her to this state and help her. He makes Francesca talk about her past - a past with a controlling guardian, Nicholas, no friends, kept apart from the man she loved and forced to practice the piano 5-6 hours a day.

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Plot Keywords:

british noir | guardian | piano | pianist | piano concert | 

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Taglines:

Is There Always a SEVENTH VEIL Between a Woman and the Men Who Love Her?

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 February 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

El séptimo velo

Filming Locations:

Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£67,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ortus Films,Sydney Box Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film won the Best Writing, Original Screenplay Oscar for its only Academy Award nomination.

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Goofs

Francesca is about to make her continental debut and her former school friend Susan visits before the concert. When Nicholas enters the dressing room, Susan is heard speaking while her reflection can be seen in a mirror behind Francesca (her spoken words aren't synchronized with her reflected image).

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Connections

Referenced in Broadway Danny Rose (1984)

User Reviews

An old-fashioned Freudian drama

This is a great old film, with James Mason at his best as the brooding, aloof, complicated hero/villain. It contains a lot of cliches, not least of which is Hollywood's fervent faith in the almost occult power of hypnosis and psychiatry. But it also is full of great moments - the black and white photography seems to sing along with the glorious music. The scene where James Mason, from offstage, watches Ann Todd all alone at her piano, glowing in bright stage light against a blank background is superb. Sound and picture come together perfectly, and Mason's acting matches beautifully, as he expresses emotion struggling through layers of impassivity. The ending might seem a little dated to present-day audiences, with its implication that the heroine can be fully healed of her psychic wounds only by giving herself to one of her three suitors, but for those who like good old-fashioned happy endings, this is a fine one. Only one thing seemed rather obviously ridiculous: in the scene where the German psychiatrist is talking to the German painter who is in love with Francesca, they both carry on a long conversation in heavily-accented English, which becomes a bit comical once you realize how much more natural it would be for them just to speak German to each other.