The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957 film)
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Release date 16 January 1957 (1957-01-16) Cast (Elizabeth Barrett), (Robert Browning), (Edward Moulton-Barrett), (Henrietta Barrett), (Arabel), (Bella) Similar movies Dr. No , For Your Eyes Only , The Wolf of Wall Street , Mission: Impossible , From Russia With Love , The Spy Who Loved Me Tagline The "Many-Splendored" Star In Her Greatest Romance! |
The Barretts of Wimpole Street is a 1957 Metrocolor CinemaScope film originating from the United Kingdom, and was a re-make of the earlier 1934 version by the same director, Sidney Franklin. Both films are based on the play The Barretts of Wimpole Street by Rudolf Besier. The screenplay for the 1957 film is credited to John Dighton, although Franklin used exactly the same script for the second movie as he did for the first. The film, set in the early 19th century, stars Jennifer Jones, John Gielgud, and Bill Travers.
Contents
- Jeremy brett in the barretts of wimpole street 1 17
- Plot
- Relationship to the real story of the Brownings courtship
- Reception
- References

Jeremy brett in the barretts of wimpole street 1 17
Plot

Elizabeth Barrett (Jennifer Jones) is the disabled grown-up daughter of Edward Moulton-Barrett (John Gielgud) of Wimpole Street, and has an intense interest in poetry. However, she lives under the obsessive rule of her father, and this severely limits her ability to develop her love of rhyme amongst her peers. Edward in fact shows clear incestuous tendencies towards her, and discourages close contact with any males. When the poet Robert Browning (Bill Travers) enters her life, though, matters are brought to a head, through the intervention of Browning. Edward finds that his control over Elizabeth, and her younger sister Henrietta (Virginia McKenna), is far from complete.
Relationship to the real story of the Brownings' courtship

Although most of the names of the individuals involved are correct in the play and films, by definition motivations of individuals cannot be known. The numerous love letters that Robert and Elizabeth exchanged before their marriage, however, can give readers a great deal of information about this famous courtship in their own words. The correspondence was well underway before they ever met in person, he having admired the collection Poems that she published in 1844. He opens his first letter to her, 'I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett,' and a little later in that first letter he says 'I do, as I say, love these books with all my heart—and I love you too' (10 January 1845).

Several editions of these letters have been published, starting with one by their son in 1898. Flush by Virginia Woolf, a version of the courtship from the perspective of Elizabeth's dog, is also an imaginative reconstruction, though more closely based on reading the letters. Both the play and film reflect popular concerns at the time, particularly Freudian analysis. Although Edward Barrett's behaviour in disinheriting the children who married seems bizarre, there is no evidence of his being sexually aggressive toward any family members.
Reception

The film was an expensive financial failure. According to MGM records it earned $330,000 in the US and Canada and $725,000 in other countries, resulting in a loss of $1,897,000.





References
The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957 film) WikipediaThe Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957 film) IMDbThe Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957 film) Rotten TomatoesThe Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957 film) themoviedb.org