The Heart of the Matter *** (1953, Trevor Howard, Elizabeth Allan, Maria Schell) – Classic Movie Review 10,196

The 1953 British drama The Heart of the Matter is an interesting film of one of Graham Greene’s best novels. Trevor Howard is effective as the unhappily married British security policeman who has a guilty fling with a young Austrian refugee (Maria Schell).

Director George More O’Ferrall 1953 British black and white drama film The Heart of the Matter is an interesting but gloomy and only just adequate version of one of Graham Greene’s best novels.

However Trevor Howard is ideally cast and very effective as Harry Scobie, the unhappily married British security police officer stationed in World War Two Sierra Leone, who has a guilty fling with Austrian refugee young woman Helen Rolt (Maria Schell) in the absence of his sick wife Louise (Elizabeth Allan).

Harry Scobie is then troubled by both his Roman Catholic conscience and a blackmailer, the trader he has borrowed money from to pay for the wife’s vacation.

Maybe if Carol Reed had directed instead of O’Ferrall, more would have been made of Greene’s words, themes and thoughts, which however still manage to come through the murk and gloom. Denholm Elliott as the wife’s lover Wilson, Peter Finch as Father Rank, and Gérard Oury as Yusef are also assets.

It was nominated for four 1954 BAFTA Film Awards, and the Grand Prix at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival, but scored no wins.

Also in the cast are George Coulouris, Earl Cameron, Michael Hordern, Cyril Raymond, Colin Gordon, Orlando Martins, Gillian Lind, Evelyn Roberts, John Rae, Peter Burton, Eileen Thorndike, Anthony Snell and Judith Furse.

It features indigenous music from Sierra Leone, West Africa, where location filming occurred, while the interiors were filmed at Shepperton Studios, London. The sets are by Joseph Bato and the black and white cinematography is by Jack Hildyard.

The screenplay is by Lesley Storm and the film’s producer Ian Dalrymple, taking liberties with Graham Greene’s 1948 novel mostly with the considerably changed, though still bleak, ending.

The cast are Trevor Howard as Harry Scobie, Elizabeth Allan as Louise Scobie, Maria Schell as Helen Rolt, Denholm Elliott as Wilson, Peter Finch as Father, Rank, Gérard Oury as Yusef, George Coulouris as Portuguese Captain, Michael Hordern as Commissioner, Peter Burton as Perrot, Earl Cameron as Ali, Judith Furse as Dr Sykes, Evelyn Roberts as Col. Wright, Colin Gordon as Secretary, Orlando Martins as the Rev Clay, Cyril Raymond as Carter, Gillian Lind as Mrs Carter, Evelyn Roberts, John Rae, Peter Burton, Eileen Thorndike, Anthony Snell and Judith Furse.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,196

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