Caravan (1946 film)
| Caravan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Detail from Italian poster | |
| Directed by | Arthur Crabtree |
| Written by | Roland Pertwee (writer) Eleanor Smith (original novel) |
| Produced by | Harold Huth |
| Starring | Stewart Granger Jean Kent Anne Crawford Dennis Price Robert Helpmann Gerard Heinz |
| Cinematography | Stephen Dade Cyril J. Knowles (location photography) |
| Edited by | Charles Knott |
| Music by | Bretton Byrd (uncredited) |
| Distributed by | General Film Distributors (UK) |
Release date | 3 June 1946 |
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | 649,800 admissions (France)[1] |
Caravan is a 1946 British black and white drama film directed by Arthur Crabtree. It was one of the Gainsborough melodramas and is based on a novel Caravan by Eleanor Smith.
Plot
In the late 19th-century, writer Richard Darrell (Stewart Granger) saves Don Carlos (Gerard Heinz) from two robbers. Don Carlos gives Richard the task of taking a valuable necklace to Spain. Bidding farewell to his fiancée, Oriana (Anne Crawford), Richard sets out. On the way, he meets Wycroft (Robert Helpmann), who assaults, robs and nearly kills Richard on behalf of his dastardly master Sir Francis Castteldow (Dennis Price), an aristocrat who plans to steal Oriana from Richard.
Oriana thinks Richard is dead and marries Francis, whilst Richard loses his memory as a result of the assault and marries a gypsy girl, Rosal (Jean Kent). However, everyone will meet again...
Cast
- Stewart Granger - Richard Darrell
- Jean Kent - Rosal
- Anne Crawford - Oriana Camperdene
- Dennis Price - Sir Francis Castleton
- Robert Helpmann - Wycroft
- Gerard Heinz - Don Carlos
- Arthur Goullet - Suiza
- John Salew - Diego
- Julian Somers - Manoel
- Pete Murray - Juan
- Josef Ramart - José
- Joseph O'Donohue - Bandit
- Sylvia St. Clair - Marie
- Patricia Laffan - Betty
- Henry Morrell - Cumbermere
Production
The film was meant to follow The Magic Bow but that was postponed due to an illness to Phyllis Calvert so Caravan had to be rushed into production.[2]
Jean Kent met her future husband during the making of the movie.[3]
Release
The film was one of the most popular British releases of 1946.[4] According to trade papers, the film was a "notable box office attraction" at British cinemas.[5]
Stewart Granger later called the movie "terrible".[6]
Critical reception
The New York Times wrote, "Granger and the rest of the cast alternate between grappling with stilted lines and an embarrassingly archaic situation with neither the players nor plot making much entertainment, while "Caravan" moves with the speed of an oxcart.";[7] but TV Guide noted "strong direction, brilliant individual performances, and production values far above the usual run of British films work beautifully together as one melodramatic situation is piled on another." [8]
References
- ^ Box office information for Stewart Granger films in France at Box Office Story
- ^ BUSY BRITONS: Two Down and One to Go By C.A. LEJEUNE. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 24 June 1945: 27.
- ^ "FILM CABLE FROM LONDON:". Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 17 March 1946. p. 13 Supplement: The Sunday Times MAGAZINE. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
- ^ "Britain's Best Films". Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 16 February 1947. p. 12 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE SUNDAY TIMES. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
- ^ Robert Murphy, Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48 2003 p209
- ^ Brian MacFarlane, An Autobiography of British Cinema, Methuen 1997 p 230
- ^ A.. W. (1949-04-21). "Movie Review - Caravan - Meredith Documentary, 'A Yank Comes Back,' at Symphony - 'Caravan' at Beacon". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
- ^ "Caravan Review". Movies.tvguide.com. 2012-11-28. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
External links
- Caravan at IMDb
- Caravan at AllMovie
- Caravan at BFI Screenonline
- Review of film at Variety