Brief Ecstasy
Brief Ecstasy is a 1937 British drama film directed by Edmond T. Gréville and starring Paul Lukas, Hugh Williams, Linden Travers and Marie Ney.[1] It was made at Ealing Studios.
| Brief Ecstasy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Edmond T. Gréville |
| Produced by | Hugh Perceval |
| Written by | Basil Mason |
| Starring | Paul Lukas Hugh Williams Linden Travers Marie Ney |
| Music by | Walter Goehr |
| Cinematography | Henry Harris Ronald Neame |
| Edited by | Ray Pitt |
Release date |
|
Running time | 72 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Cast
- Paul Lukas - Professor Paul Bernardy
- Hugh Williams - Jim Wyndham
- Linden Travers - Helen Norwood Bernardy
- Marie Ney - Martha Russell
- Renee Gadd - Marjorie
- Fred Withers - Gardener
- Howard Douglas - Coleman
- Fewlass Llewellyn - Director of Steel Company
- Peter Gawthorne - Chairman of Steel Company
- Norman Pierce - Landlord
Reception
Writing for Night and Day in 1937, Graham Greene gave the film a good review, expressing admiration for producer Perceval's ability to "wring twenty shillings' worth out of every pound" and director Gréville's recognition that for a film whose subject is sexual passion "the story doesn't matter; it's the atmosphere which counts". Greene praised Gréville's "wanton and vivid" depictions of "undifferentiated desire" as well as his French education in "photograph[ing] a woman's body - uncompromisingly", and noted that "the film at its finest [...] generalizes", and "there isn't, thank God, any love in it".[2]
References
- BFI.org
- Greene, Graham (16 September 1937). "Action for Slander/Brief Ecstacy". Night and Day. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. Oxford University Press. p. 167. ISBN 0192812866.)