Svengali (1954 film)

Svengali
Directed by Noel Langley
Produced by George Minter
Screenplay by Noel Langley
Based on the novel Trilby by George Du Maurier
Starring Hildegard Knef
Donald Wolfit
Terence Morgan
Music by William Alwyn
Cinematography Wilkie Cooper
Edited by John Pomeroy
Production
company
George Minter Productions
Distributed by Renown Pictures Corporation (UK)
Release dates
December 1954 (UK)
Running time
82 min
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 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]

Amongst the end credits is the acknowledgment: "The producer expresses his grateful appreciation for the magnificent singing voice of Madame Elizabeth Schwarzkopf." [2]

Cast

Critical reception

Under the heading, "Sixth Filming of Novel Fails to Hypnotize," The New York Times described the film as "a stylized curio that seems out of place in the atomic age...as old-fashioned as side whiskers and bustles" ;[4] while DVD Talk, comparing it to the 1931 John Barrymore version wrote, "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". BFI.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Svengali (1955) - Notes - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Svengali (1931 & 1954 versions)". DVD Talk.
  4. "Movie Review - Svengali - Dated 'Svengali'; Sixth Filming of Novel Fails to Hypnotize - NYTimes.com".

External links