Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Kim Novak | ... | Moll Flanders | |
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Claire Ufland | ... | Young Moll |
Richard Johnson | ... | Jemmy | |
Angela Lansbury | ... | Lady Blystone | |
Leo McKern | ... | Squint | |
Vittorio De Sica | ... | The Count | |
George Sanders | ... | The Banker | |
Lilli Palmer | ... | Dutchy | |
Peter Butterworth | ... | Grunt | |
Noel Howlett | ... | Bishop | |
Dandy Nichols | ... | Orphanage Superintendant | |
Cecil Parker | ... | The Mayor | |
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Barbara Couper | ... | The Mayor's wife |
Daniel Massey | ... | Elder Brother | |
Derren Nesbitt | ... | Younger Brother |
Based on Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel of the famed English adventuress Moll Flanders (Kim Novak). Moll is first engaged as a maid by an eighteenth-century English family chiefly composed of sex-starved males. She marries the imbecilic second son, who prefers booze to copulation. Too embarrassed to speak the truth of him, she demurely tells friends, "Modesty forbids me to reveal the secrets of the marriage bed." She then meets a rich banker (George Sanders), becomes maid-companion to a Count (Vittorio De Sica) and his Lady, and finally weds the banker, but leaves him on their first night together. She then joins a group of thieves, falls in love with James "Jemmy" Seagrave (Richard Johnson), and becomes their number one asset before she is sent to prison. After she is released, she finds Jemmy, and, in the end, everyone is on an America-bound boat except the banker, who fortuitously dies of a heart attack before he has had an opportunity to alter his will. Written by alfiehitchie
It can be interesting to look at films from years ago and see how one's views have changed. I saw this when it came out in 1965, and again when it was revived a few years later. I quite enjoyed it then, although the critics were not impressed, however it must be fifty years since I last saw it, so when I saw that Talking Pictures TV were showing it, I set my TV to record it so that I could watch it at my leisure. Looked at today, my impression is that it has not aged at all well. There seems to be a lot of energy expended to little effect. At times, it resembles a Carry-on movie, and it hardly helps that Kim Novak seems to be miscast. However credit is due to Leo McKern playing Richard Johnson's sidekick, who adds some much needed fun to the proceedings. It has a good supporting cast, but I can't help but feel that with this cast, it really should have been a lot better.