The Seventh Veil (1945)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Compton Bennett

Writers:

Muriel Box (original story and screenplay) &
Sydney Box (original story and screenplay)

Release Date:

15 February 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

One dark summer night, Francesca Cunningham, a once world famed pianist, escapes from her hospital room...

Plot Keywords:

Pianist | Piano | Concert | Hypnotism | Fear

Awards:

Won Oscar.

Cast

James Mason	...	Nicholas
Ann Todd	...	Francesca
Herbert Lom	...	Dr. Larsen
Hugh McDermott	...	Peter Gay
Albert Lieven	...	Maxwell Leyden
Yvonne Owen	...	Susan Brook
David Horne	...	Dr. Kendall
Manning Whiley	...	Dr. Irving
Grace Allardyce	...	Nurse
Ernest Davies	...	Parker
John Slater	...	James
Arnold Goldsborough	...	Conductor
Muir Mathieson	...	Conductor

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London, England, UK

Company:

Ortus Films

Trivia:

Came 10th in the UK's Ultimate Film, in which films were placed in order of how many seats they sold at cinemas

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Francesca is about to make her continental debut and her former school friend Susan visits before the concert. When Nicholas enters the dressing room, Susan is heard speaking while her reflection can be seen in a mirror behind Francesca (her spoken words aren't synchronized with her reflected image).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Broadway Danny Rose (1984)

High-minded tosh

A huge hit in the 1940's, (it was one of the few British films of its period to cross-over to the American market where it won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay). It has everything; classical music, cod psychology and a cad of a hero-cum-villain, (James Mason, marvelous), who treats the heroine abominably and who get to utter the immortal line, 'If you won't play for me, you won't play for anyone else ever again' before attempting to slam the piano-lid on her hands.

It's actually quite high-minded tosh and as the girl on the receiving end of Mr Mason's cane, (he's lame with it), Ann Todd hasn't just got alabaster hands but an alabaster face as well. (It's as expressionless as Garbo's to whom she bears a striking resemblance). It's a terrible performance but it's no more than the film deserves. Still, in its trashy, silly way it's hugely enjoyable.