MARGARET LOCKWOOD became one of Great Britain's favorite actresses of the '40s with the sort of vivacious and headstrong roles she played in a number of British films, such as THE WICKED LADY. JAMES MASON also became an international star shortly after his work in this lusty Restoration tale about a woman, bored with her life as a housewife, who turns to highway robbery as a more exciting occupation.
MICHAEL RENNIE is the man she really loves, even though he never suspects she is the highway woman until she reveals herself at the very end. Since she was a woman who had lied and stolen another woman's husband along with being a thief and murderer, she had to pay for her criminal past according to the British film code. Thus, the unhappy ending for Lockwood and Rennie.
But GRIFFITH JONES and PATRICIA ROC find true love at the fadeout. It's a melodramatic romp, handsomely produced with lavish detail to period costumes and some especially low-cut gowns for the women. There are stories that for the American version, alterations in costuming had to be made to overcome too much exposure of Lockwood's bosom, but you'd never know it from the print shown on TCM. The revealing décolletage is especially noticeable on PATRICIA ROC as well as Lockwood. Both leading ladies play their roles with lots of heaving bosom revealed in low-cut costuming.
The story is a lot of nonsense about the aristocratic Lockwood pursuing a life of adventure by becoming a highwaywoman, but it's highly enjoyable as entertainment of this kind. MARGARET LOCKWOOD looks very much like a British version of Hedy Lamarr, except that Lamarr had more perfectly shaped full lips.
While JAMES MASON is good as the highwayman who falls in love with Lockwood, he was seen to much better advantage in other British films from this period and shortly afterwards migrated to Hollywood where his career was even more successful.
MICHAEL RENNIE is the man she really loves, even though he never suspects she is the highway woman until she reveals herself at the very end. Since she was a woman who had lied and stolen another woman's husband along with being a thief and murderer, she had to pay for her criminal past according to the British film code. Thus, the unhappy ending for Lockwood and Rennie.
But GRIFFITH JONES and PATRICIA ROC find true love at the fadeout. It's a melodramatic romp, handsomely produced with lavish detail to period costumes and some especially low-cut gowns for the women. There are stories that for the American version, alterations in costuming had to be made to overcome too much exposure of Lockwood's bosom, but you'd never know it from the print shown on TCM. The revealing décolletage is especially noticeable on PATRICIA ROC as well as Lockwood. Both leading ladies play their roles with lots of heaving bosom revealed in low-cut costuming.
The story is a lot of nonsense about the aristocratic Lockwood pursuing a life of adventure by becoming a highwaywoman, but it's highly enjoyable as entertainment of this kind. MARGARET LOCKWOOD looks very much like a British version of Hedy Lamarr, except that Lamarr had more perfectly shaped full lips.
While JAMES MASON is good as the highwayman who falls in love with Lockwood, he was seen to much better advantage in other British films from this period and shortly afterwards migrated to Hollywood where his career was even more successful.