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Svengali (1954 film)

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Director  Noel Langley
Music director  William Alwyn
Duration  
Language  English
5.8/10 IMDb

Genre  Drama, Romance
Cinematography  Wilkie Cooper
Country  United Kingdom
Svengali (1954 film) movie poster

Release date  December 1954 (UK)
Based on  the novel Trilby by George Du Maurier
Writer  George L. Du Maurier (novel), Noel Langley
Cast  Hildegard Knef (Trilby O'Farrell), Donald Wolfit (Svengali), Terence Morgan (Billy Bagot), Derek Bond (Landlord), Alfie Bass (Carrell), Noel Purcell (Patrick O'Farrell)
Similar movies  Mortdecai, Mission: Impossible, Inglourious Basterds, Amélie, Stolen Kisses, Sexual Chronicles of a French Family

Svengali 1931 full movie stars john barrymore marian marsh donald crisp


Svengali is a 1954 British drama film directed by Noel Langley and starring Hildegard Knef, Donald Wolfit and Terence Morgan. A svengali hypnotises an artist's model into becoming a great opera singer, but she struggles to escape from his powers. It was based on the novel Trilby by George Du Maurier.

Contents

Svengali (1954 film) wwwgstaticcomtvthumbmovieposters44500p44500

Donald Wolfit was a last minute replacement for actor Robert Newton, who left three weeks into filming, and can still be seen in some long shots.

Amongst the end credits is the acknowledgment: "The producer expresses his grateful appreciation for the magnificent singing voice of Madame Elizabeth Schwarzkopf."

Svengali 1954 donald wolfit hildegarde neff terence morgan


Cast

  • Hildegard Knef as Trilby O'Ferrall
  • Donald Wolfit as Svengali
  • Terence Morgan as Billy Bagot
  • Derek Bond as The Laird
  • Paul Rogers as Taffy
  • David Kossoff as Gecko
  • Hubert Gregg as Durian
  • Noel Purcell as Patrick O'Ferrall
  • Alfie Bass as Carrell
  • Harry Secombe ... Barizel
  • Peter Illing ... Police Inspector
  • Joan Haythorne ... Mrs. Bagot
  • Hugh Cross ... Dubose
  • David Oxley ... Dodor
  • Richard Pearson ... Lambert
  • Michael Craig ... Zouzou
  • Arnold Bell ... Tout
  • Martin Boddey ... Doctor
  • Cyril Smith ... 1st Stage Manager
  • Marne Maitland ... 2nd Stage Manager
  • Elisabeth Schwarzkopf ... Trilby O'Ferrall (singing voice)
  • Critical reception

    Under the heading, "Sixth Filming of Novel Fails to Hypnotize", The New York Times critic described the film as "a stylized curio that seems out of place in the atomic age...as old-fashioned as side whiskers and bustles";

    DVD Talk, comparing it to the 1931 John Barrymore version posited that "the 1954 British film fleshes out the characters of Trilby and Billy considerably and adds a lot of color and subtlety, but the results suggest that a more flamboyant approach might have worked better than the lush but tame version that resulted. The Eastmancolor production aims for an evocative atmosphere akin to John Huston's gorgeous Moulin Rouge (1952), photographed in Technicolor by Oswald Morris. Svengali was made on a fraction of that film's budget, though does look handsome for what it is."

    References

    Svengali (1954 film) Wikipedia
    Svengali (1954 film) IMDb Svengali (1954 film) themoviedb.org