Jump to content

Svengali (1954 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Chris the speller (talk | contribs) at 03:05, 2 August 2023 (→Critical reception: replaced: Moulin Rouge → ''Moulin Rouge''). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Svengali
Directed byNoel Langley
Screenplay byNoel Langley
Based onTrilby
1894 novel
by George du Maurier
Produced byGeorge Minter
StarringHildegard Knef
Donald Wolfit
Terence Morgan
CinematographyWilkie Cooper
Edited byJohn Pomeroy
Music byWilliam Alwyn
Production
company
George Minter Productions
Distributed byRenown Pictures
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (US)
Release date
  • 1 December 1954 (1954-12-01)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Svengali is a 1954 British drama film directed by Noel Langley and starring Hildegard Knef, Donald Wolfit and Terence Morgan.[1] 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. The film was made at Walton Studios near London with sets designed by the art director Frederick Pusey and costumes by Beatrice Dawson. It was shot in Eastmancolor. It was picked up for distribution in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

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]

Synopsis

After being fired from working as a barmaid in Paris bar, Trilby O'Ferrall is hired by the sculptor Durian as a model. She encounters three British painters living next door, including the sensitive Billy Bagot with whom she gradually falls in love. She also encounters the street musician Svengali, but does not much like him. Billy wants to marry Trilby, but his wealthy family do not approve. He is also distressed when he discovers her posing nude for a class of art students. He is knocked down in the street by a carriage and suffers from ill health, returning to London.

In the meantime, Svengali takes control of Trilby's life, after he is able to cure her of a headache. Despite the fact that previously she has only been able to badly sing the parlour song "Alice, Where Art Thou?" which she learnt from her Irish father, he now coaches her and transforms her into a magnificent opera singer by his mesmerising technique. She becomes an international success, performing in capitals across Europe and led by the domineering Svengali she forgets Billy completely. However, when he attends a performance of hers in London, the spell is shattered and instead of performing classical opera to the expectant crowd she sings "Alice, Where Are Thou?" in her old voice.

Cast

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

  1. ^ "Svengali (1954)". BFI. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Svengali (1955) - Notes". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Svengali". DVD Talk. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ "Movie Review - Svengali - Dated 'Svengali'; Sixth Filming of Novel Fails to Hypnotize". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Svengali (1954 film).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Svengali_(1954_film)&oldid=1168323534"