Stolen Face (1952)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Martin Berkeley (writer)
Richard H. Landau (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

16 June 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A plastic surgeon has a brief fling with a concert pianist, then she leaves him to go back to her previous boyfriend...

Plot Keywords:

Plastic Surgery

Cast

Paul Henreid	...	Dr. Philip Ritter
Lizabeth Scott	...	Alice Brent / Lily Conover, after surgery
André Morell	...	David
Mary Mackenzie	...	Lily Conover, before surgery
John Wood	...	Dr. John 'Jack' Wilson
Arnold Ridley	...	Dr. Russell
Susan Stephen	...	Betty
Diana Beaumont	...	May
Terence O'Regan	...	Pete Snipe, Lily's friend
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Bramhall	...	Miss Simpson, receptionist (uncredited)
John Bull	...	Charles Emmett (uncredited)
Janet Burnell	...	Maggie Bixby (uncredited)
Howard Douglas	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Alexis France	...	Mrs. Emmett (uncredited)
Grace Gavin	...	Hospital presurgical nurse (uncredited)
Everley Gregg	...	Lady Millicent Harringay (uncredited)
Frank Hawkins	...	Commercial Traveler (uncredited)
Bartlett Mullins	...	(uncredited)
William Murray	...	Floor Walker (uncredited)
Russell Napier	...	Det. Cutler (uncredited)
Hal Osmond	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Ambrosine Phillpotts	...	Miss Patten - Fur department clerk (uncredited)
Cyril Smith	...	Alf Bixby, Innkeeper (uncredited)
Robert Brooks Turner	...	(uncredited)
James Valentine	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Philip Vickers	...	(uncredited)
John Warren	...	Commercial Traveler (uncredited)
Richard Wattis	...	Mr. Wentworth, Store Manager (uncredited)
Ben Williams	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Terence Fisher

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Martin Berkeley		writer
Richard H. Landau		writer
Alexander Paal		story
Steven Vas		story

Produced by
Anthony Hinds	....	producer

Original Music by
Malcolm Arnold

Cinematography by
Walter J. Harvey		(as Walter Harvey)

Film Editing by
Maurice Rootes

Casting by
Nora Roberts

Art Direction by
C. Wilfred Arnold		(as Wilfred Arnold)

Makeup Department
Bill Griffiths	....	hair stylist
Philip Leakey	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Arthur Barnes	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jimmy Sangster	....	assistant director
Bill Shore	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bill Salter	....	sound recordist
Percy Britten	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Bryan	....	camera operator
Neil Binney	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Tom Friswell	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
John Jay	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	wardrobe: Miss Scott

Editorial Department
Bill Lenny	....	assembly editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Bronwyn Jones	....	solo pianist
Jack Parnell	....	specialty number
Renée Glynne	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions (in association with)
• Lippert Films

Distributors

• Exclusive Films (1952) (UK) (theatrical)
• Lippert Pictures (1952) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kit Parker Films (2004) (USA) (all media)
• Leisureview (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• VCI Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Weiss Global Enterprises (????-????) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Deanfield of London  furs

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

The first film of John Wood.

Not bad

In 1950, American producer Robert Lippert formed a business alliance with Hammer studios. Under the agreement, Lippert would provide American acting talent - frequently shop-worn stars or just supporting actors who fancied a profitable trip out of the country - while Hammer would supply the rest of the cast and the production facilities. Together they would split the profits. Famous for his concern with the bottom line, Lippert produced over 140 films between 1946 and 1955, characteristically genre pieces such as I Shot Jesse James or Rocketship XM. For the British deal, most of the films were noir-ish thrillers - and include this title.

Stolen Face (1952) offers the characteristic noir idea of loss, or confusion, of identity often through surgery, as seen in the plots of such titles as Dark Passage (1947), or Hollow Triumph (1958). In the present film, which has echoes of both Pygmalion and Vertigo, a plastic surgeon falls in love with a concert pianist during a vacation, thinks he has lost her to another man, and sets to copy her features when restoring the looks of another woman - incidentally a habitual criminal - whom he thereupon marries. If this sounds far fetched, then it is, but is carried of well enough by the two leads Paul Henreid and Lizabeth Scott, who between them produce sympathetic moments enough during early scenes that almost makes one forget limitations elsewhere. Another standout element of this film is the musical score by the late Malcom Arnold. There is also an interestingly ambiguous ending.