The Lady with a Lamp
| The Lady with a Lamp | |
|---|---|
 Australian daybill poster | |
| Directed by | Herbert Wilcox |
| Produced by | Herbert Wilcox |
| Written by | Warren Chetham Strode |
| Based on | play by Reginald Berkeley |
| Starring | Anna Neagle |
| Music by | Anthony Collins |
| Cinematography | Mutz Greenbaum (as Max Greene) |
| Edited by | Bill Lewthwaite |
Production company |
Herbert Wilcox Productions (as Imperadio) |
Release dates | 29 October 1951 |
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | £151,091 (UK)[1] |
The Lady With A Lamp is a 1951 British historical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding and Felix Aylmer.[2] The film depicts the life of Florence Nightingale and her work with wounded British soldiers during the Crimean War.
Plot
Illustrating the political complexities the hard-headed nurse had to battle in order to achieve sanitary medical conditions during the Crimean War. Opposed in the uppermost circles of British government because she is "merely" a woman, Florence Nightingale is championed by the Hon. Sidney Herbert (Michael Wilding), minister of war. Herbert pulls strings to allow Nightingale and her nursing staff access to battlefield hospitals, and in so doing changes the course of medical history.[3]
Partial cast
- Anna Neagle as Florence Nightingale
- Michael Wilding as Lord Herbert
- Felix Aylmer as Lord Palmerston
- Gladys Young as Mrs Bracebridge
- Julian D'Albie as Mr Bracebridge
- Arthur Young as William Gladstone
- Edwin Styles as Mr Nightingale
- Helen Shingler as Parthenope Nightingale
- Rosalie Crutchley as Mrs Sidney Herbert
- Clement McCallin as Richard M. Milnes
- Helena Pickard as Queen Victoria
- Peter Graves as Prince Albert
- Sybil Thorndike as Miss Bosanquet
- Monckton Hoffe as Lord Stratford
- Cecil Trouncer as Sir Douglass Dawson
Critical reception
TV Guide gave the film three out of four stars, and noted, "the contrast in settings--between stately British homes and the squalor of the hospital--focuses the viewer's attentions on what the real battles were. Honorable mention should be given to Lewthwaite's editing of the war sequences.";[4] while Leonard Maltin also gave the film three out of four stars, noting a "Methodical recreation of 19th- century nurse-crusader Florence Nightingale, tastefully enacted by Neagle.";[5] while Variety observed, "Anna Neagle adds another portrait to her screen gallery of famous women. Her characterization of Florence Nightingale is a sincerely moving study...Michael Wilding is not too happily cast as Sidney Herbert, War Minister. Within limitations, he makes the best of this part. The strong feature cast includes Felix Aylmer, with an exceptionally good study of Lord Palmerston. Herbert Wilcox, as always, directs in a plain, straightforward manner."[6]
References
- ↑ Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p495
- ↑ "BFI | Film & TV Database | The LADY WITH THE LAMP (1951)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
- ↑ "The Lady with a Lamp (1951) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
- ↑ "The Lady With A Lamp Review". Movies.tvguide.com. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
- ↑ "Lady with a Lamp, The (1951) - Overview". TCM.com. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
- ↑ "The Lady with the Lamp". Variety. 1950-12-31. Retrieved 2014-06-21.