Dirk Bogarde and Margaret Lockwood “Cast a Dark Shadow”

Cast a Dark Shadow (1955) is a British suspense film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Dirk Bogarde and Margaret Lockwood. Other cast members include Kay Walsh, Kathleen Harrison, and Robert Flemying.

Edward “Teddy” Bare (Bogarde) has been married to a rich older woman Monica (Mona Washbourme) for a year. When he learns that she is planning to change her will, he murders her, making it look like an accidental death. After her death, he inherits the house but not her money which has gone to her sister Dora (Walsh).

After Monica‘s death, Teddy meets Freda Jeffries (Margaret Lockwood) at a seaside resort. He charms Freda and they marry.

Will Teddy murder again?

Lewis Gilbert (1920 – 2018) was an English film director. Gilbert was a child actor, but decided he wanted to direct. He went on to work with Alfred Hitchcock on Jamaica Inn (1939). During the Second World War, he worked with the Royal Air Force’s film unit, eventually working with U.S. Army Air Force motion picture unit where his commanding officer was William Keighley (The Man Who Came to Dinner), an American film director. Gilber went on the direct Sink the Bismark! (1961), Alfie (1966), and three James Bond movies: You Only Live Twice (1967), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and Moonraker (1979).

Dirk Bogarde (1921 – 1999) was an English actor who was a matinee idol early in his career with films such as So Long at the Fair (1950),  Doctor in the House (1954), The Spanish Gardener (1956), and Song Without End (1960). Later in his career he co-starred with Judy Garland in I Could Go On Singing (1963) and made The Servant (1963), Darling (1965) co-starring Julie Christie and Laurence Harvey, and A Bridge Too Far (1977).

Margaret Lockwood (1916 – 1990) was an English actress who began her career on the stage but gained fame as one of Britain’s most popular movie stars during the 1930s and 1940s. She had a starring role in Bank Holiday (1938), directed by Carol Reed. The movie was a huge success and made Lockwood a star. Next up would be The Lady Vanishes (1938), which brought her to the attention of Hollywood. Lockwood didn’t take to Hollywood and soon returned to England where she made a series of popular costume dramas including The Wicked Lady (1945) co-starring James Mason.

 

Cast a Dark Shadow trivia

• Charlotte’s automobile repaired by Edward is a 1950 Jaguar Mark V.
• The 200 pounds left Emmie is approximately $8,000 today.
• Margaret Lockwood had hoped her role in the film would revive her movie career.
• Dirk Bogarde persuaded Lockwood to co-star with him.
• The film was a modest success but it failed to revive Lockwood’s film career. Her next move was in 1976.

 

Click HERE to watch the film on YouTube

Click HERE for to join the online discussion. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

 

Discussion questions

1. Would you classify this movie as a film noir? If yes, why?
2. What did you make of Dirk Bogarde’s characterization? Was he believable?
3. The film had a few plot twists. Did they surprise you?
4. Margaret Lockwood generally performed upper class characters. Her role as Freda was a woman of the lower classes. Was she convincing?
5. The supporting cast was strong. Did you have a favorite?
6. What do you make of the magazine Teddy was ready when he met Freda?
7. Did the ending surprise you? Was it satisfying?

 

Margaret Lockwood and Rex Harrison take the "Night Train to Munich"

Night Train to Munich (1940) is a British-American war thriller directed by Carol Reed and starring Margaret Lockwood and Rex Harrison.

When German forces take over Czechoslovakia in 1939, Axel Bomasch (James Harcourt) is flown to Britain for his own protection. His daughter, Anna (Lockwood) is arrested and sent to a concentration camp. At the concentration camp, she meets a fellow prisoner, Karl Marsen (Paul (von) Henried who befriends her. The two escape from the concentration camp, but Marsen is really a Gestapo agent assigned to befriend Anna and find out where her father is.

Dickie Randall (Harrison), a British intelligence officer attempts to rescue Anna and her father from the Nazis. Will his efforts be successful or will Anna and her father be turned over to the Gestapo?

Rex Harrison and Margaret Lockwood

Carol Reed (1906 – 1976) was an English film director. He directed several classic films including The Fallen Idol (1948), The Third Man (1949), and Oliver! (1968). Reed worked in a theatrical company in his teens. He eventually entered the film business in the UK where he worked his way up to the position of assistant director. He got his big break as a director with The Stars Look Down (1940) based on a novel by A. J. Cronin and starring Michael Redgrave. Other British films followed including Night Train to Munich (1940) starring Margaret Lockwood and Rex Harrison, Kipps (1941) with Redgrave again, and The Young Mr. Pitt (1942) starring Robert Donat.

Margaret Lockwood and Paul Henreid

Margaret Lockwood (1916 – 1990) was an English actress who began her career on the stage but gained fame as one of Britain’s most popular movie stars during the 1930s and 1940s. She had a starring role in Bank Holiday (1938), directed by Carol Reed. The movie was a huge success and made Lockwood a star. Next up would be The Lady Vanishes (1938), which brought her to the attention of Hollywood. Lockwood didn’t take to Hollywood and soon returned to England where she made a series of popular costume dramas including The Wicked Lady (1945) co-starring James Mason.

Rex Harrison (1908 - 1990) was an English stage and screen actor. He won a Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady (1964). He created the role of Higgins on Broadway in 1957. Harrison established himself as a film star in England in the 1930s but he also found success in Hollywood in films like Anna and the King of Siam (1946), The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), Cleopatra (1963), Doctor Dolittle (1967). He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1989.

Paul Henreid (1909 - 1992) was an Austrian-British-American actor, producer, writer, and director. Henreid is probably best known for two films released in 1942: Casablanca and Now, Voyager. Henreid was under contract with Warner Bros. where he was a popular leading man starring opposite the studio's top actresses including Bette Davis, Ida Lupino, and Eleanor Parker. After he left Warner Bros. Henreid made a series of adventure films. He later directed films and television shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Maverick, and The Big Valley.

Night Train to Munich trivia

• This was the last of seven films that Lockwood made with director Reed.
• Paul Henreid was billed as Paul von Henreid, his real name.
• The film debut of Hugh Griffith (uncredited) as a sailor.
• The film is considered the first to have an actor depicting Adolph Hitler (Billy Russell).
• In some publicity for the film, it was referred to as a sequel of The Lady Vanishes (1938).

To watch the movie on YouTube, click on the link below.

To join the discussion on February 27, 2023, at 6 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. This film is often compared to The Lady Vanishes (1938). Do you see the comparison?
2. The movie was released a year before the United States entered World War II. Do the events in this movie seem realistic, based on your knowledge of the war?
3. What did you think of the performances of Margaret Lockwood and Rex Harrison? Did they have on-screen chemistry?
4. Did you recognize Charters and Caldicott from The Lady Vanishes?
5. Was the ending believable and/or satisfying?

Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave in Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes

The Lady Vanishes (1938) is a British thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave. The success of this film caught the attention of producer David O. Selznick. Selznick signed Hitchcock to a long-term contract and brought him to Hollywood in 1940.

Michael Redgrave, Dame May Whitty, and Margaret Lockwood

The plot involves Iris Henderson (Lockwood), a young woman returning home to get married after a European vacation with two girlfriends. An avalanche blocks the train so she ends up staying an extra night where she meets a kindly old governess and music teacher named Mrs. Froy (Dame May Whitty). When Iris finally gets on the train home, she ends up sharing a compartment with Mrs. Froy. Sometime during her journey, Mrs. Froy disappears and no one in her compartment remembers the old woman, making Iris wonder if she dreamed up their meeting or if her fellow passengers are lying. She enlists the help of Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave), a young ethnomusicologist who is somewhat skeptical of her claims.

Will they find Mrs. Froy or did Iris dream up the whole thing, the result of an accident before boarding the train.

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1935), Sabotage (1936), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Alfred Hitchcock and Margaret Lockwood on the set of The Lady Vanishes

Margaret Lockwood (1916 – 1990) was an English actress who began her career on the stage but gained fame as one of Britain’s most popular movie stars during the 1930s and 1940s. She had a starring role in Bank Holiday (1938), directed by Carol Reed. The movie was a huge success and made Lockwood a star. Next up would be The Lady Vanishes (1938), which brought her to the attention of Hollywood. Lockwood didn’t take to Hollywood and soon returned to England where she made a series of popular costume dramas including The Wicked Lady (1945) co-starring James Mason.

Michael Redgrave (1909 – 1985) was an English stage and film actor and a director. He worked primarily on the British stage but had some significant film roles. He made his American film debut in Mourning Becomes Electra (1947) co-starring Rosalind Russell. For his performance, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Other notable film roles include The Stars Look Down (1940), Dead of Night (1945), and The Browning Version (1951). He is the father of actresses Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave.

Dame May Whitty (1865 – 1948) was an English stage and film actress. Whitty made her Hollywood debut at age 72 in Night Must Fall (1937) co-starring Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell. For her performance, Whitty was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. After her role for Hitchcock in The Lady Vanishes, Whitty moved permanently to Hollywood where she appeared in many classic films including Suspicion (1941), Mrs. Miniver (1942), Gaslinght (1944), and Green Dolphin Street (1947).

The Lady Vanishes trivia

• There is no background music, except for the beginning and end of the film
• Motion picture debut of Michael Redgrave
• The movie begins in the fictional European country of Bandrinka
• Charters and Caldicott were created for the movie; they don’t appear in the novel
• Vivien Leigh screen tested for the role of Iris Henderson

To watch the film, click on the link below.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x239ehl

After you watch the film, join us for a discussion on Zoom, October 13 at 6 p.m. Central Time. For links to the Zoom meeting click the Meetup link.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the Macguffin in this film? A Macguffin “is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself.”
2. The French film director Francois Truffaut said The Lady Vanishes was his favorite Hitchcock film and was the best representation of his work. What do you think he meant? Do you agree?
3. What did you think of the chemistry between Lockwood and Redgrave?
4. What did you make of the characters Charters and Caldicott?