Under Capricorn (1949)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Colton (play) and
Margaret Linden (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 October 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Romance

Tagline:

Mystery, murder and passion from the master of suspense!

Plot:

In 1831, Irishman Charles Adare travels to Australia to start a new life with the help of his cousin who has just been appointed governor...

Plot Keywords:

Governor | Ex Convict | Cousin | Fortune | Shooting

Cast

Ingrid Bergman	...	Lady Henrietta Flusky
Joseph Cotten	...	Sam Flusky
Michael Wilding	...	Hon. Charles Adare
Margaret Leighton	...	Milly
Cecil Parker	...	The Governor
Denis O'Dea	...	Mr. Corrigan
Jack Watling	...	Winter
Harcourt Williams	...	The Coachman
John Ruddock	...	Mr. Potter
Bill Shine	...	Mr. Banks
Victor Lucas	...	The Rev. Smiley
Ronald Adam	...	Mr. Riggs
Francis De Wolff	...	Major Wilkins (as Francis de Wolff)
G.H. Mulcaster	...	Dr. Macallister
Olive Sloane	...	Sal
Maureen Delaney	...	Flo
Julia Lang	...	Susan
Betty McDermott	...	Martha
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ivor Barry	...	Guard in hall (uncredited)
Martin Benson	...	Man Carrying Shrunken Head (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man at Governor's Reception (uncredited)
David Keir	...	Man Checking Invitations At Ball (uncredited)
Roderick Lovell	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Lloyd Pearson	...	Land Agent (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
John Colton		(play) and
Margaret Linden		(play)
Helen Simpson		(novel)
Hume Cronyn		(adaptation)
James Bridie		(writer)

Produced by
Sidney Bernstein	....	producer (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Richard Addinsell

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff

Film Editing by
Bert Bates		(as A.S. Bates)

Art Direction by
Thomas N. Morahan		(as Thomas Morahan)

Costume Design by
Roger K. Furse		(as Roger Furse)
Julia Squire		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Charles E. Parker	....	makeup artist (as Charles Parker)

Production Management
Fred Ahern	....	production manager
John Palmer	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
C.R. Foster-Kemp	....	assistant director (as C. Foster Kemp)
Cliff Owen	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
John Pellatt	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Philip Stockford	....	set dresser
Ted Clements	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Kenneth McCallum Tait	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Peter Handford	....	sound recordist
A.W. Watkins	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Beeson	....	camera operator
Ian Craig	....	camera operator
Jack Haste	....	camera operator
David McNeilly	....	camera operator
Jim Dawes	....	grip (uncredited)
George Pink	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Joan Bridge	....	associate color director: Technicolor
Bert Rule	....	assembly cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Levy	....	musical director

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
David O. Selznick	....	actor arrangement: Mr. Cotten
Peggy Singer	....	script supervisor
Jean Dyball	....	assistant continuity (uncredited)
Hazel Swift	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Transatlantic Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1967) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• VidAmerica (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (video)
• Silver Screen (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Balboa Film Distributors (????) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (Portugal)
• Warner Bros. (Spain)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) (1949) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Transatlantic Pictures

Trivia:

Burt Lancaster was the original choice to play Sam Flusky in Under Capricorn (1949), but the part went to Joseph Cotteninstead because Lancaster was deemed too expensive.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As the characters gather for the dinner party, fairly early on in the film, the camera tracks backwards across the dining room. The table has been pushed into the path of the camera by the time it comes into view, but the candlesticks are still shaking severely from the jerking appearance of the table (their shaking lessens as the take continues).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Topaz': An Appreciation by Film Critic/Historian Leonard Maltin (2001) (V)

Hitchcocks Greatest?

Under Capricorn, is along with Notorious, I Confess and Rear Window Hitchcocks greatest film. Under Capricorn has been greatly under appreciated mainly because it was a commercial failure and because Hitchcock talked the movie down saying that he only made it for Ingrid Bergman. The truth is that he had been working on getting it made for years, would he really put his production company under pressure on it's second project with a $2.5 million budget if he didn't care for it. Maybe part of its mixed reputation is because it's not a thriller, being a character driven movie, at just under two hours long its not you're typical Hitchcock movie. But the story is revealed in a wonderful way, with such a great romantic feeling that I'm amazed that it's not more highly thought off by the general public. If there ever was a more beautifully film movie I've never seen it. Ingrid Bergman is as she always is, brilliant; her 10-minuet scene in which she tells wilding the whole story of what happened is pure magic. Another great moment is when Bergman has locked herself in her room and wilding comes through her window. Joseph Cotton is also on top form. Really all that I've got left to say is if you haven't yet seen this film and you get the chance to don't waste that chance. I wish it would come out on DVD or video I've nearly worn my copy out.