Svengali (1954 film)
| Svengali | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Noel Langley |
| Screenplay by | Noel Langley |
| Based on | Trilby by George du Maurier |
| Produced by | George Minter |
| Starring | Hildegard Knef Donald Wolfit Terence Morgan |
| Cinematography | Wilkie Cooper |
| Edited by | John Pomeroy |
| Music by | William Alwyn |
Production company | George Minter Productions |
| Distributed by | Renown Pictures Corporation (UK) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (US) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Svengali is a 1954 British drama film directed by Noel Langley and starring Hildegard Knef, Donald Wolfit and Terence Morgan.[1] A svengali hypnotises an artist's model into becoming a great opera singer, but she struggles to escape from his powers. It was based on the 1894 novel Trilby by George du Maurier.
Donald Wolfit was a last-minute replacement for actor Robert Newton, who left three weeks into filming and can still be seen in some long shots.[2][3][4]
Amongst the end credits is the acknowledgement: "The producer expresses his grateful appreciation for the magnificent singing voice of Madame Elizabeth Schwarzkopf."[2]
Cast
- Hildegard Knef as Trilby O'Ferrall
- Donald Wolfit as Svengali
- Terence Morgan as Billy Bagot
- Derek Bond as The Laird
- Paul Rogers as Taffy
- David Kossoff as Gecko
- Hubert Gregg as Durian
- Noel Purcell as Patrick O'Ferrall
- Alfie Bass as Carrell
- Harry Secombe ... Barizel
- Peter Illing ... Police Inspector
- Joan Haythorne ... Mrs. Bagot
- Hugh Cross ... Dubose
- David Oxley ... Dodor
- Richard Pearson ... Lambert
- Michael Craig ... Zouzou
- Arnold Bell ... Tout
- Martin Boddey ... Doctor
- Cyril Smith ... 1st Stage Manager
- Marne Maitland ... 2nd Stage Manager
- Elisabeth Schwarzkopf ... Trilby O'Ferrall (singing voice)
Critical reception
Under the heading, "Sixth Filming of Novel Fails to Hypnotize", The New York Times critic described the film as "a stylized curio that seems out of place in the atomic age...as old-fashioned as side whiskers and bustles".[5]
DVD Talk, comparing it to the 1931 John Barrymore version posited that "the 1954 British film fleshes out the characters of Trilby and Billy considerably and adds a lot of color and subtlety, but the results suggest that a more flamboyant approach might have worked better than the lush but tame version that resulted. The Eastmancolor production aims for an evocative atmosphere akin to John Huston's gorgeous Moulin Rouge (1952), photographed in Technicolor by Oswald Morris. Svengali was made on a fraction of that film's budget, though does look handsome for what it is."[3]
References
- ^ "Svengali (1954)". BFI. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Svengali (1955) - Notes". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Svengali". DVD Talk. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Rivals make the same film". The Sun. New South Wales, Australia. 23 December 1953. p. 17 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 29 May 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "Movie Review - Svengali - Dated 'Svengali'; Sixth Filming of Novel Fails to Hypnotize". nytimes.com. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
External links
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- 1954 films
- British films
- 1954 drama films
- English-language films
- British drama films
- Films based on British novels
- Films based on works by George du Maurier
- Films featuring hypnosis
- Films scored by William Alwyn
- Trilby (novel)
- Films with screenplays by Noel Langley
- Films directed by Noel Langley
- 1950s British film stubs