IMDb > Under Capricorn (1949)
Under Capricorn
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Under Capricorn (1949) More at IMDbPro »

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Under Capricorn (1949) -- 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...

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   1,856 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Writers:
John Colton (play) and
Margaret Linden (play) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Under Capricorn on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 October 1949 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Romance more
Tagline:
Mystery, murder and passion from the master of suspense! more
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... more | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
NewsDesk:
Veteran Actor Hume Cronyn Dies at 91
 (From WENN. 16 June 2003)
User Comments:
Hitchcock's least interesting film. Not surprising that it was a massive flop. more (28 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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)
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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
Bert Rule .... assembly cutter (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Louis Levy .... musical director
 
Other crew
Joan Bridge .... associate technicolor color director
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)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
117 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
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 more
Company:
Transatlantic Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Many French critics consider Under Capricorn as one of Hitchcock's finest films. more
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). more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers (2009) (TV) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
16 out of 27 people found the following comment useful.
Hitchcock's least interesting film. Not surprising that it was a massive flop., 12 September 2004
Author: Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Wakefield, England

Transatlantic Pictures (Hitchcock's own production company) must've rubbed their hands with glee when they decided to co-produce this film with Warner Bros. For not only did they have the world's leading female actress (Ingrid Bergman) in their film, they also had gifted stars Joseph Cotten, Michael Wilding and Margaret Leighton lending support, and naturally the great Alfred Hitchcock at the helm. If ever a film was sure to be a critical and commercial hit, Under Capricorn was it. Such a shame, then, that Under Capricorn emerged as the worst film of Hitchcock's career. The critics roasted it, the public ignored it, and Transatlantic Pictures went bust.

Irish aristocratic lady Henrietta (Bergman) elopes to Australia with her cruel lover Sam Flusky (Cotten). She gradually develops the illness dipsomania, what with her lover controlling her every move with over-bearing authority and their maid Milly (Leighton) plying her with drink. A childhood friend of Henrietta's, Charles Adare (Wilding) turns up and, realising pretty quickly that all is not well, tries to help her regain a sense of stability.

The film is a laughably overwrought costume melodrama, totally ill-suited to Hitchcock's playful, suspenseful directing style. A year previously, the director had made the thriller Rope, using experimental ten minute takes, and in this film he still seems to be in the habit of allowing scenes to go on and on (maybe not ten minutes, but some bits last for six or seven minutes without a single cut). Frequently, the film feels tediously unspooled as a result. The actors seem to over-act much of the time, but it's hard to see how they could've avoided this as much of the screenplay requires them to handle some horribly overripe dialogue and reactions. Under Capricorn is undoubtedly the least interesting film that Hitchcock ever made. Those who try to persuade us that it is a misunderstood masterpiece are, I'm sorry to report, well and truly kidding themselves.

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