The Woman in the Hall
The Woman in the Hall is a 1947 British drama film directed by Jack Lee and starring Ursula Jeans, Jean Simmons, Cecil Parker. The screenplay was written by Jack Lee, Ian Dalrymple and Gladys Bronwyn Stern, from Stern's 1939 novel.
| The Woman in the Hall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jack Lee |
| Produced by | Ian Dalrymple |
| Written by | Ian Dalrymple (screenplay) G. B. Stern (novel and screenplay) Jack Lee (screenplay) |
| Starring | Ursula Jeans Jean Simmons Cecil Parker |
| Music by | Temple Abady |
| Cinematography | C.M. Pennington-Richards |
| Edited by | John Krish |
Production company | Wessex Film Productions |
| Distributed by | General Film Distributors |
Release date | 28 October 1947 |
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
It was made at Pinewood Studios, with sets designed by Peter Proud.
It was the film debut of actress Susan Hampshire, as a young child.
Plot
Lorna Blake (Ursula Jeans) is a widow with two daughters. She augments her slender income by using her children to extort money, visiting the houses of the rich to tell a pathetic story and beg for help.
Lorna makes a rich capture when Sir Halmar Bernard (Cecil Parker) proposes marriage to her. She tells him that she has only one daughter, Molly (Jill Raymond). When her other daughter, Jay (Jean Simmons), is arrested for forging a cheque, Lorna refuses to help her.
Cast
- Ursula Jeans as Lorna Blake
- Jean Simmons as Jay
- Cecil Parker as Sir Halmar
- Martin Walker as Judge
- Lily Khan as Baronness
- Edward Underdown as Neil Ingelfield
- Susan Hampshire as Young Jay
Production
Jack Lee later recalled the experience of working for Wessex "revolted me" because "it reminded me of when I was a child and my mother would send me out on begging expeditions because she never had any money. It was a bloody awful novel and a terrible film."[1]
References
- Brian MacFarlane, An Autobiography of British Cinema, Methueun 1997 p 356