Kitty (1945 film)

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Kitty

Theatrical poster to Kitty (1945)
Directed by Mitchell Leisen
Produced by Mitchell Leisen
Written by Rosamond Marshall (novel)
Karl Tunberg
Darrell Ware
Starring Paulette Goddard
Ray Milland
Music by Victor Young
Cinematography Daniel L. Fapp
Editing by Alma Macrorie
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) 31 March 1946
Running time 103 minutes
Country United States
Language English
IMDb profile

Kitty is a 1945 film directed by Mitchell Leisen, based on the novel by Rosamond Marshall, with a screenplay by Karl Tunberg. It stars Paulette Goddard, Ray Milland, Constance Collier (in a fine comedic performance), Patric Knowles, Reginald Owen, and Cecil Kellaway as the English Painter Thomas Gainsborough. Sara Allgood is also featured in another fine supporting performance.

It concerns a rags to riches story about a young guttersnipe girl from the slums during the time of the 18th century in London.

[edit] Plot summary

Kitty (Goddard) is found working on the streets picking pockets by the painter Thomas Gainsborough (Kellaway) and agrees to sit for a portrait for him. She then attracts the attention of wealthy playboy Sir Hugh Marcy (Milland) who upon finding out her real social status uses her for revenge against a former colleague whom he lost his job in the foreign office by posing Kitty off as a lady of fashion, what Sir Marcy does not count on is the attraction Kitty develops for him.

[edit] Notes

  • The author of the novel was also responsible for the The Bixby Girls another work later turned into the film All the Fine Young Cannibals, starring Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood. It was considered very successful as a novel and not considered to be as scandalous as Forever Amber released around the same time and subsequently banned by the Roman Catholic legion of Decency.
  • To acquire a Cockney accent,Goddard shared a room with the actress Ida Lupino's mother who had quite a thick one for a time, and learned diction from Constance Collier who had also acted in the film.
  • The film was nominated for one Oscar for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White. Director Leisen worked very hard with the set and costume designers to create a historically correct picture of 18th. London.