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Fanny by Gaslight (Gainsborough 1944, James Mason, Phyllis Calvert)

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Gainsborough Pictures contributed to the war effort by producing several highly entertaining costume dramas during the height of the British-German conflict. The best were The Man in Grey (1943), The Wicked Lady (1945) and Fanny by Gaslight.

Only Margaret Lockwood is absent from this critically acclaimed dramatisation of Michael Sadleir’s Victorian melodrama, which otherwise features the ‘Gainsborough Foursome’ of Phyllis Calvert, James Mason, and Stewart Granger. The director, Anthony Asquith (son of former Liberal Prime Minister Herbert), was known as ‘Puffin’ and belonged to the old school of film directors.
‘Anthony Asquith was the most wonderful director,’ Margaretta Scott recalls. ‘He was very gentle; he would ask you to do something and you might say, ‘I don’t think I can do that,’ and he would say ‘I’m so sorry, but I’m afraid you must.’ He was quite firm but with such charm.’

The lavish and sophisticated Victorian settings of Fanny by Gaslight are right up Asquith’s alley. Fanny (Calvert) is the illegitimate daughter of a cabinet minister, Clive Seymour (Stuart Lindsell), in this 1870s-set retelling of the Cinderella story. After the death of her mother and foster father at the hands of Lord Manderstoke’s (Mason’s) horse, she is sent to work as a servant in the home of her biological father. She learns that her father’s wife, Alicia (Scott), is having an affair with her stepfather, Manderstoke.

Alicia’s husband commits suicide after being devastated by her divorce request. Fanny’s father’s lawyer, Harry Somerford (Granger), becomes the one positive thing in her life after the deaths of both of her fathers. But since Harry’s folks are against getting hitched, Fanny cuts herself off from him. He eventually finds her in Paris, but Lord Manderstoke is about to make yet another appearance in Fanny’s life.

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Fanny by Gaslight is an unabashedly romantic delight, with James Mason suitably evil in the type of role for which he first made his name, and Phyllis Calvert charming as the misbegotten heroine who must overcome a hill of problems. No doubt about it, products like that are no longer produced.

production details
UK / Gainsborough – Rank / 107 minutes / 1944

Director: Anthony Asquith
Writers: Doreen Montgomery, Aimée Stuart, based on the novel by Michael Sadleir,

cast
James Mason as Lord Manderstoke
Phyllis Calvert as Fanny
Stewart Granger as Harry Somerford
Jean Kent as Lucy Beckett
Margaretta Scott as Alicia
Cathleen Nesbitt as Kate Somerford
Helen Haye as Mrs. Somerford
Wilfred Lawson as Chunks
Nora Swinburne as Mary Hopwood
Stuart Lindsell as Clive Seymore
Ann Wilton as Carver
Amy Veness as Mrs. Heaviside
John Laurie as William Hopwood

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Alastair James is the editor in chief for Memorable TV. He has been involved in media since his university days. Alastair is passionate about television, and some of his favourite shows include Line of Duty, Luther and Traitors. He is always on the lookout for hot new shows, and is always keen to share his knowledge with others.

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