The Barretts of Wimpole Street ** (1957, Jennifer Jones, John Gielgud, Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna, Jean Anderson) – Classic Movie Review 10,420

Director Sidney Franklin’s 1957 colour remake The Barretts of Wimpole Street is a stiff, museum piece of a film, where more exuberance in both the handling and performing is needed.

More than 20 years later, Sidney Franklin, the director of the 1934 version of The Barretts of Wimpole Street returns to the scene of his great success, with much less satisfactory results.

John Gielgud makes something of the grand role of Elizabeth Barrett’s tyrannical brute of a father, Edward Moulton-Barrett, though Jones and Travers are dull and unappealing as the young lovers, Barrett’s daughter Elizabeth and the poet Robert Browning, whom she is planning to marry in opposition to her father’s will. Virginia McKenna is effective as Henrietta Barrett, Elizabeth’s romantically inclined, rebellious younger sister.

The Barretts of Wimpole Street is more than well enough crafted: there is nothing wrong with the screenplay by John Dighton, colour and widescreen cinematography by Freddie Young, score by Bronislau Kaper or designs by Alfred Junge.

It is made at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios in the UK. It is Franklin’s last film as director; he died in 1972.

Also in the cast are Jean Anderson, Vernon Gray, Susan Stephen, Leslie Phillips, Maxine Audley, Laurence Naismith, Moultrie Kelsall, Michael Brill, Kenneth Fortescue, Richard Thorpe and Keith Baxter.

The Barretts of Wimpole Street is directed by Sidney Franklin, runs 105 minutes, is made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), is released by MGM, is written by John Dighton, based on the play by Rudolph Besier [Rudolf Besier], is shot in Metrocolor colour and CinemaScope widescreen by Freddie Young, is produced by Sam Zimbalist, is scored by Bronislau Kaper, and is designed by Alfred Junge.

The towering 6′ 4½ Bill Travers was married to Virginia McKenna from 20 September 1957 till his death on 29 March 1994, with four children.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,420

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