THE MAN IN GREY

UK, 1943, 116 minutes, Black and white.
James Mason, Margaret Lockwood, Phyllis Calvert, Stewart Granger, Martita Hunt, Norah Swinburne.
Directed by Leslie Arliss.

The Man in Grey was the first of the costume melodramas produced at Gainsborough studios during the early and mid 40s. It was a Regency melodrama, highlighting the clash of personalities and wills, arranged marriages, love affairs, violence and murder. It was done with the impeccable taste of British film-making of the 40s - with full blooded melodrama.

The stars of this film were to appear in many of these dramas in the coming years. The Man in Grey really launched their careers. The cast was led by Phyllis Calvert (Fanny by Gaslight, Madonna of the Seven Moons), Margaret Lockwood (The Wicked Lady, Hungry Hill, Jassy), James Mason (Fanny by Gaslight, The Wicked Lady) and Stewart Granger (The Magic Bow, Saraband for Dead Lovers). The film was co-written and directed by Leslie Arliss who wrote a number of these films. The film is heightened in its presentation of characters and interactions and has the ingredients for what would in later decades be a miniseries.

1. Entertaining of its kind. The impact of this kind of melodrama? Period, the Regency? The Gainsborough films of the 40s?

2. The cast? Recreation of a period?

3. The framework in the 40s: black and white photography? light and shadow? The contrast with the early 19th century, with light and darkness, compositions? Score?

4. The title and its focus? The women as the central characters but the title? service, at the auction...?

5. Peter and the meeting, Peter's mistake, bid, their friendship, interest in the past, their identities? The souvenirs of the Regency period? Their return, meeting, destiny to be with each other and fulfilling in happiness the unhappiness of the past?

6. Phyllis Calvert as Clarissa: as a girl at the finishing school, her family background, behaviour at school, popular among the girls, interactions? The headmistress and her prim style, demanding? The staff? Manners, education? for what? Hester's arrival and her being nice to her, staying back from the outing, their becoming friends? The honesty and warning? The gypsy foretelling her future and to beware of women friends? The gossip in the school? Her hopes, coming out? The man in grey and the encounter, the arranged marriage, no love between them? Their separate life styles? The absence of Clarissa's son? Going to the theatre and meeting Hokeby? Seeing him in the performance of Othello? Hester as Desdemona? Her seeking them out? Taking Hester home, wanting her to be the tutor, the arrangement for her to be her companion? Sharing experiences? Going to the races? Finding Hokeby as the busker? His coming to be the librarian? The infatuation, the affair? The gypsy reading her palm again? Her taking Hester's advice and pouring out her heart to her? Leaving her husband, his reaction, her friends, the Prince of Wales and Mrs Fitzherbert? The farewell to Hokeby on the ship? Her returning home, her illness, Hester opening the windows, her getting pneumonia and dying? The loyalty of her maid, of the black boy? His getting her revenge?

7. Margaret Lockwood as Hester: the contrast with Clarissa, arriving at the school, class differences, poverty, resentment? Her ambitions? Her work, the girls mocking her? Friendship with Clarissa despite herself, the needlework keepsake? Her angers? with the director of the school? The gypsy and the fortunetelling? refusing to tell her fortune? Her warning Clarissa? Leaving the school, as Desdemona in the theatre? Her explanation of her life and the man in grey telling her the truth: leaving her husband, her ambitions, prostitution? working with Hokeby, the clash with him? Returning with Clarissa, timing her entries, becoming Clarissa's companion? her continued scheming, insinuating herself, the affair, the passionate liaison? Seeking out Hokeby to be librarian, manouvering Clarissa and Hokeby together? Her plans, their going awry? Her decision to kill Clarissa? The irony of the black boy seeing her the confrontation by the man in grey, her death?

8. James Mason as the man in grey: his style, arrogance, reputation, gambling? The meeting with Clarissa, the arranged marriage? Separate life styles and dwellings? His son? Business, society, breeding horses, the races? The influence of the Prince of Wales and Mrs Fitzherbert? The attraction towards Hester, seeing through her, the passionate affair? His respect for her? His demanding respect for himself? Anger with Clarissa, the challenge to Hokeby and fighting him, being stopped by the Prince of Wales? The discovery of the truth, his killing Hester?

9. Stewart Granger as Hokeby, acting as Othello, acting as a busker, the attraction towards Clarissa, with her and the gypsy and the fortune telling, coming as librarian as he thought Clarissa wanted it, the clashes with Hester, her love, the affair, the decision to leave, his story of Jamaica and the loss of his property, returning the fare to Clarissa?

10. The atmosphere of the school, the young ladies, the type of education, good manners, the head mistress and her prim style?

11. Clarissa's family, the expectations at the period, arranged marriages, fortunes, children?

12. The world of the servants, the kitchen, the black boy and his loyalty to Clarissa, serving her in death? The truth and the revenge?

13. The Prince of Wales, his liaison with Mrs Fitzherbert, her values, decisions, support of Clarissa?

14. A drama of manners and morals, intrigue, class and wealth, position, ambitions, violence? Popular appeal for entertainment?