Ivy (1947 film)
| Ivy | |
|---|---|
 Magazine advertisement | |
| Directed by | Sam Wood |
| Written by | Marie Belloc Lowndes |
| Screenplay by | Charles Bennett |
| Based on | The Story of Ivy by Marie Belloc Lowndes |
| Produced by | W. Cameron Menzies |
| Starring | Joan Fontaine Patric Knowles Herbert Marshall Richard Ney |
| Cinematography | Russell Metty |
| Edited by | Ralph Dawson |
| Music by | Daniele Amfitheatrof |
Production companies | Sam Wood Productions Inter-Wood Productions |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ivy is a 1947 American crime film noir directed by Sam Wood and written by Charles Bennett, based on the 1927 novel The Story of Ivy by Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes. The drama features Joan Fontaine, Patric Knowles, Herbert Marshall and Richard Ney.[1] The film was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
The song "Ivy," written to promote the film by Hoagy Carmichael but not included in the soundtrack, has become a jazz standard. The film was later adapted in 1951 for the radio version of the NBC drama anthology show Screen Directors' Playhouse, with George Marshall directing in place of Wood, who had died two years after the film's completion in 1949, and Fontaine reprising the title role as Ivy Lexton.
Plot[]
In Edwardian England, Ivy Lexton (Joan Fontaine) is a woman with a taste for the finer things in life. Despairing of her husband Jervis's (Richard Ney), poor prospects, Ivy sees an opportunity in wealthy Miles Rushworth (Herbert Marshall), and is determined to have him, despite being married and having the additional obstacle of her affair with the infatuated Dr. Roger Gretorex (Patric Knowles).
However, because she is already married, Miles shows no interest in her. In response, Ivy tries unsuccessfully to persuade her husband to divorce her, then plans to poison him and pin the blame on Roger, clearing the way for a relationship with Miles. Inspector Orpington (Cedric Hardwicke) is called in to investigate Jervis' mysterious death.
Cast[]
- Joan Fontaine as Ivy Lexton
- Patric Knowles as Roger Gretorex
- Herbert Marshall as Miles Rushworth
- Richard Ney as Jervis Lexton
- Cedric Hardwicke as Inspector Orpington
- Lucile Watson as Mrs. Gretorex
- Sara Allgood as Martha Huntley
- Henry Stephenson as Judge
- Rosalind Ivan as Emily
- Lillian Fontaine as Lady Flora
- Molly Lamont as Bella Crail
- Una O'Connor as Mrs. Thrawn
- Isobel Elsom as Miss Chattle
- Alan Napier as Sir Jonathan Wright
- Paul Cavanagh as Doctor Berwick
- Lumsden Hare as Doctor Lanchester
- Norma Varden as Joan Rodney
- C. Montague Shaw as Stevens
Critical reception[]
The staff of Variety magazine said of the film, "William Cameron Menzies' production has an off-the-beaten path design that helps generate the melodramatic mood desired. Sets are small and players and settings are lensed from close range. Cast performances are good, but reflect directorial obviousness."[3]
References[]
External links[]
- 1947 films
- English-language films
- 1947 crime films
- Adultery in films
- American films
- American black-and-white films
- American crime films
- Film noir
- Films based on British novels
- Films based on works by Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes
- Films directed by Sam Wood
- Universal Pictures films
- Films scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof
- Films set in the 1900s
- Films set in London
- American historical films
- 1940s historical films