LAUGHING ANNE
UK, 1953, 90 minutes, Colour.
Margaret Lockwood, Wendell Corey, Forrest Tucker, Ronald Shiner, Robert Harris.
Directed by Herbert Wilcox.
Laughing Anne is a melodramatic story from Joseph Conrad. Robert Harris portrays Conrad telling this story and then there are flashbacks. The film was directed by Herbert Wilcox, the husband of Anna Neagle who made so many films over the thirties, forties and fifties with his wife. In a way this is an Anna Neagle role but Anne is portrayed by Margaret Lockwood. Wendell Corey is the Conrad sailor hero. This is not a particularly good film but it does highlight Conrad's themes of the sea, set in the East, and the sad lives that the outcasts of these islands live. Other versions of Conrad's novels include The Outcast of the Islands, Lord Jim and The Duellists.
1. An enjoyable sea adventure? Conrad story?
2. Contribution of colour, music, the stars? Eastern atmosphere and locations, Paris flashbacks?
3. The introduction of Joseph Conrad himself, his stories, the prologue and his telling the tale?
4. The interest and appeal of Conrad's sea stories and of the East: characters, situations, outcasts, the sea?
5. The film's atmosphere of the sea and life East of Suez, the people, style of life, problems. the sea itself and its effect on people?
6. The captain and his pride in his ship, waiting for his wife and the clash and her leaving? The 'Sunan' itself, Nobby and his humorous comments on situations? The character of the captain as an honourable man? His encounter with Anne and changing, her love of the sea compared with his wife's attitude? The various incidents in the town after his wife's departure, the encounter with Anne and her stowing away? The effect they had on each other, their child, the finale and his encounter with her and her giving her life for him?
7. How credible a character was Anne? As a singer? French, from Paris and her background, life in the Fast? The paint being taken off her face, learning to cook, becoming much more domesticated on the ship? In love with the captain and the effect on her life? Her not wanting to hurt him and so leaving him, even with the child? The effect on her life later and her decision to give the son to the captain and her death?
8. The appropriateness of the flashbacks: her songs and their use throughout the film and the Paris setting, the atmosphere of violence, easy-going people? The importance of the fight, Farrell and his influence on Anne, the temptation about the money, his decisions, his accepting the money, Anne's influence to change him, the subsequent
fight and the breaking of his hands?
9. Did the flashbacks and the encounter with Farrell explain Anne's decisions and the consequences of her decisions? Farrell and his bitterness, his attacking the ship for the gold, his hold over Anne and humiliating her, the number of deaths as consequence of Anne's decision?
10. The picture of the captain with the boy at the end and his growing up to be like his father and laughing like his mother?
11. The comic contribution of Nobby?
12. How well delineated was the character of Farrell ? the American, the fighter, Paris, Anne, the songs, the fight, the injury and his bitterness?
13. The adventure ingredients, blending with the romance ingredients, the songs? A successful blend for the film? As a representation of Conrad's story?
