The Innocents (1961)

A young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.

Director:

Jack Clayton

Writers:

Henry James (based on the story "The Turn of the Screw"), John Mortimer (additional scenes & dialogue)

Stars:

Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Deborah Kerr	...	Miss Giddens
Peter Wyngarde	...	Peter Quint
Megs Jenkins	...	Mrs. Grose
Michael Redgrave	...	The Uncle
Martin Stephens	...	Miles
Pamela Franklin	...	Flora
Clytie Jessop	...	Miss Jessel
Isla Cameron	...	Anna

Storyline

In Victorian England, the uncle (Sir Michael Redgrave) of orphaned niece Flora (Pamela Franklin) and nephew Miles (Martin Stephens) hires Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) as governess to raise the children at his estate with total independence and authority. Soon after her arrival, Miss Giddens comes to believe that the spirits of the former governess Miss Jessel (Clytie Jessop) and valet Peter Quint (Peter Wyngarde) are possessing the children. Miss Giddens decides to help the children to face and exorcise the spirits.

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Plot Keywords:

downward spiral | fear | children | governess | estate | 

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Taglines:

A New And Adult Motion Picture Experience!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joe Dante cites this as his favorite horror movie.

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Goofs

When Ms. Giddens goes upstairs to the bedroom, the candle varies in size between shots.

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Quotes

Miles: What shall I sing to my lord from my window? What shall I sing for my lord will not stay? What shall I sing for my lord will not listen? Where shall I go when my lord is away? Whom shall I love when the moon is arisen? Gone is my lord and the grave is his prison. What shall I say when my lord comes a calling? What shall I say when he knocks on my door? What shall I say when his feet enter softly? Leaving the marks of his grave on my floor. Enter my lord. Come from your prison. Come from your ...

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Crazy Credits

The film begins with a totally black screen and the sound of Flora singing for several seconds; then the 20th Century Fox logo fades in and out. The singing continues for a few seconds before the opening credits begin. As the credits display, we see an anguished Miss Giddens praying on the left side of the screen. Her actions are not explained until the film's climax.

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Connections

Referenced in Les échos du cinéma: Episode #1.47 (1962)

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Soundtracks

O Willow Waly
Music by Georges Auric
Lyric by Paul Dehn
Performed by Isla Cameron

User Reviews

The Innocents (1961) ***

This one was slow going for awhile, but in the end I just had to admire its creepiness and much of its sinister ambiance and attention to detail. It's a British film based on the 1898 American novella "The Turn of the Screw", about a young woman (Deborah Kerr) who accepts a job as governess for two small children somewhere off in the English countryside. Neglected by their distant uncle (Michael Redgrave), little orphans Miles and Flora are of special interest to Miss Giddens (Kerr), as she adores children and cares about their well being. But very soon she begins hearing voices and seeing vivid apparitions of the deceased former governess and her dead lover, an evil valet who used to work on the Estate. Are they ghosts? Have the two children become possessed and corrupted by the spirits of the dead? Deborah Kerr's paranoid performance is very good here, and I appreciated the ambiguous nature of the proceedings; not everything is spelled out, and much is left to the viewer's imagination, including the ending -- which is not completely resolved, but is very powerful. *** out of ****

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 December 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Turn of the Screw

Filming Locations:

Bluebell Railway, East Sussex, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP430,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,103

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Achilles

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1