The Seventh Sin ** (1957, Eleanor Parker, Bill Travers, George Sanders) – Classic Movie Review 9292

Director Ronald Neame’s 1957 The Seventh Sin is a soapy drama based on W Somerset Maugham’s novel The Painted Veil, with an unfaithful wife, the selfish American Carolyn Carwin (Eleanor Parker), enjoying a fling with French shipping executive Paul Duvel (Jean Pierre Aumont) although she is married to dull but noble doctor/ bacteriologist Walter Carwin (Bill Travers), eventually discovering a sense of true worth in fighting disease in the Orient.

The Seventh Sin is a potentially explosive combination of talented cast members, a writer of stature and some exotic locations shot around Hong Kong. But it is scuppered by the various elements not being brought together with enough drama. And it is a shame it is filmed in black and white. The daft title is not on its side either, with the original The Painted Veil much better.

However, the film’s lack of firm direction and urgency, and the smell of stale air are partially redeemed by the fine playing of the underrated Parker as the unfulfilled lady, though Travers and Aumont are much less interesting.

Karl Tunberg adapts Maugham’s novel.

Also in the cast are George Sanders, Françoise Rosay, Ellen Corby, James Hong, Leslie Denison, Bruce Lester, Owen McGiveney, Forbes Murray, Leoda Richards, and Phyllis Stanley.

The film is set in 1949 Hong Kong, but Parker’s clothes and hairstyle are very much of 1957.

It is the uncredited producer Sidney Franklin’s last film; he died in 1972.

It is filmed in CinemaScope, but often shown on TV in pan and scan.

The Seventh Sin is a remake of The Painted Veil (1934) with Greta Garbo, and it was remade again as The Painted Veil in 2006.

The Seventh Sin is directed by Ronald Neame and Vincente Minnelli (uncredited), runs 94 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Karl Tunberg, based on W Somerset Maugham’s novel The Painted Veil, is shot in black and white and CinemaScope by Ray June, is produced by Sidney Franklin and David Lewis, is scored by Miklos Rozsa, and is designed by Daniel B Cathcart and William A Horning.

Neame felt Parker was miscast and the actress was unhappy during the shoot. MGM eventually fired Neame and replaced him with Vincente Minnelli, who took no screen credit.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9292

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