A Woman's Vengeance (1948)

95-96 mins | Drama | February 1948

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HISTORY

The working titles of this film were Mortal Coils and Vengeance. The film's title card reads: "Aldous Huxley's A Woman's Vengeance."  According to production notes, Huxley's short story was inspired by an actual murder trial, in which a Welsh barrister was acquitted of the poison murder of his wife. Portions of the film were shot on location at the Riviera Country Club in Santa Monica, California. Charles Boyer and Ann Blyth repeated their performances in a Lux Radio Theatre broadcast of A Woman's Vengeance on 22 Mar 1948. Aldous Huxley wrote and produced a play based on his short story, The Giaconda Smile, which opened in London in Jun 1948, starring Clive Brooks as "Henry Maurier" and Pamela Brown as "Janet Spence." ...

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The working titles of this film were Mortal Coils and Vengeance. The film's title card reads: "Aldous Huxley's A Woman's Vengeance."  According to production notes, Huxley's short story was inspired by an actual murder trial, in which a Welsh barrister was acquitted of the poison murder of his wife. Portions of the film were shot on location at the Riviera Country Club in Santa Monica, California. Charles Boyer and Ann Blyth repeated their performances in a Lux Radio Theatre broadcast of A Woman's Vengeance on 22 Mar 1948. Aldous Huxley wrote and produced a play based on his short story, The Giaconda Smile, which opened in London in Jun 1948, starring Clive Brooks as "Henry Maurier" and Pamela Brown as "Janet Spence."

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GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS
SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Box Office
27 Dec 1947
---
Film Daily
18 Dec 1947
p. 7
Hollywood Reporter
18 Jul 1947
p. 15
Hollywood Reporter
5 Sep 1947
p. 17
Hollywood Reporter
16 Dec 1947
p. 3
Hollywood Reporter
2 Feb 1948
p. 6
Motion Picture Herald Product Digest
27 Dec 1947
p. 3993
New York Times
30 Jan 1948
p. 19
Variety
24 Dec 1947
p. 13
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
Asst dir
PRODUCER
WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dir of photog
ART DIRECTORS
Art dir
FILM EDITOR
Film ed
SET DECORATORS
Russell Gausman
Set dec
T. F. Offenbecker
Set dec
COSTUMES
Orry Kelly
Cost des
MUSIC
MAKEUP
Hairstylist
Makeup
PRODUCTION MISC
Asst to prod
SOURCES
LITERARY
Based on the short story "The Giaconda Smile" by Aldous Huxley in his Mortal Coils (New York, 1922)
LITERARY SOURCE AUTHOR
DETAILS
Alternate Titles:
Aldous Huxley's A Woman's Vengeance
Mortal Coils
Release Date:
February 1948
Premiere Information:
New York opening: 29 Jan 1948
Production Date:
mid Jul--early Sep 1947
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Universal Pictures Co., inc.
8 March 1948
LP1648
Physical Properties:
Sound
Western Electric Sound
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
95-96
Length(in feet):
8,788
Country:
United States
PCA No:
12774
SYNOPSIS

Wealthy, middle-aged English squire Henry Maurier has a bitter quarrel with his querulous, invalid wife Emily, when he finds her giving a check to her no-account brother, Robert Lester. Henry tears up the check and orders Robert from the house, then turns to long-time friend and neighbor, Janet Spence, to help him patch things up with Emily. Janet, who has spent most of her life caring for her arthritic father, General Spence, agrees, but finds that Emily is bitterly cynical about Henry. Janet also talks with Emily's nurse, the man-hating Caroline Braddock, who is contemptuous of Henry's insensitivity toward Emily. Later that evening at a club, Henry meets young Doris Mead, whom he has secretly been romancing for some months, then runs into Robert, who promptly demands money to remain silent. When Henry returns home that night, family physician James Libbard informs him that Emily has died, apparently of a heart attack. Janet is shocked when Henry immediately takes a trip after Emily's death. Upon his return, Janet meets Henry at his home during a violent thunderstorm and when the power goes out, gains the courage to confess she has been in love with him for years. Embarrassed, Henry admits he has married Doris while away and Janet pretends her revelation was only a joke. Later, when Nurse Braddock, angered over Henry giving Doris a broach meant for her, tells Janet she believes Henry murdered Emily, Janet encourages her to report her suspicions to the police. Henry and Doris are called back from their honeymoon and Emily's body is exhumed for an autopsy, which confirms that she was indeed poisoned by ...

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Wealthy, middle-aged English squire Henry Maurier has a bitter quarrel with his querulous, invalid wife Emily, when he finds her giving a check to her no-account brother, Robert Lester. Henry tears up the check and orders Robert from the house, then turns to long-time friend and neighbor, Janet Spence, to help him patch things up with Emily. Janet, who has spent most of her life caring for her arthritic father, General Spence, agrees, but finds that Emily is bitterly cynical about Henry. Janet also talks with Emily's nurse, the man-hating Caroline Braddock, who is contemptuous of Henry's insensitivity toward Emily. Later that evening at a club, Henry meets young Doris Mead, whom he has secretly been romancing for some months, then runs into Robert, who promptly demands money to remain silent. When Henry returns home that night, family physician James Libbard informs him that Emily has died, apparently of a heart attack. Janet is shocked when Henry immediately takes a trip after Emily's death. Upon his return, Janet meets Henry at his home during a violent thunderstorm and when the power goes out, gains the courage to confess she has been in love with him for years. Embarrassed, Henry admits he has married Doris while away and Janet pretends her revelation was only a joke. Later, when Nurse Braddock, angered over Henry giving Doris a broach meant for her, tells Janet she believes Henry murdered Emily, Janet encourages her to report her suspicions to the police. Henry and Doris are called back from their honeymoon and Emily's body is exhumed for an autopsy, which confirms that she was indeed poisoned by arsenic. At the subsequent inquest, Henry's relationship with Doris before Emily's death is revealed, as is Doris' pregnancy and the fact that on the day of Emily's death, Henry purchased a weed killer laced with arsenic. In a moment of guilt and doubt, Doris attempts suicide, but is saved by Dr. Libbard, who believes Henry is innocent. Henry is bound over for trial, found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. When Dr. Libbard notices Janet's increasing strain during and after the trial, and she admits to being plagued by insomnia. Just before the execution, Janet visits Henry in prison and coldly reveals that she murdered Emily hoping he would then marry her. Henry tries to have this reported to the authorities, in vain. The night of the execution, Dr. Libbard, in an attempt to force a confession from Janet, sets the clock forward an hour, and as the time of execution approaches, she breaks down and ultimately confesses in exchange for medication that allows her to sleep. Dr. Libbard telephones the authorities and stops Henry's execution in time.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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