Most of us have seen Gainsborough's film of "The Wicked Lady" (1945) as it is easily commercially available on DVD/Video and is shown on old movie channels and I suppose is arguably Margaret Lockwood's (ML) most famous role in the public's eyes."The Man in Grey" (1943), another Gainsborough costume drama film, was produced two years earlier and must have had a decisive influence when casting for the aforementioned film.Once again Margaret is at her scheming, calculating, evil best in the role of Hesther.In the "Miss Goody Two Shoes" role of Clarissa, Phyllis Calvert oozes genuine charm.James Mason (JM) was developing his character of the upper class sadistic cad as Lord Rohan (he and ML of course had the principal roles in "The Wicked Lady"), while Stuart Grainger inhabits his customary charm in the role of Rokeby.Included in the main supporting character roles (who also appeared in the latter film) were Gainsborough stalwarts Martita Hunt as Miss Patchett and a disguised (it didn't fool me) Beatrice Varley playing a gypsy.Finally consistent direction for these two films was given by its director, Leslie Arliss.
The action opens at an auction when a later generation of Clarissa and Rokeby (played by the same actors mentioned above) form a similar friendship as their forebears.They are bidding on objects which subsequently feature in the "go back in time" drama.Shift back 250 years or so and Lord Rohan needs an aristocratic brood mare to carry on the line of Rohans.Clarissa is put in the starting frame at a time when marriages were more of a property contract between "noble" families, and certainly not bound in love.That's where mistresses came in.I will not provide a "spoiler" but like in "The Wicked Lady" the good lady invites a veritable cobra into her house and soon ML is plotting to take over her role since she and JM have so much in common.
If you enjoyed "The Wicked Lady" you are bound to relish "The Man in Grey".With such a pedigree of actors on hand it cannot fail to please.
The action opens at an auction when a later generation of Clarissa and Rokeby (played by the same actors mentioned above) form a similar friendship as their forebears.They are bidding on objects which subsequently feature in the "go back in time" drama.Shift back 250 years or so and Lord Rohan needs an aristocratic brood mare to carry on the line of Rohans.Clarissa is put in the starting frame at a time when marriages were more of a property contract between "noble" families, and certainly not bound in love.That's where mistresses came in.I will not provide a "spoiler" but like in "The Wicked Lady" the good lady invites a veritable cobra into her house and soon ML is plotting to take over her role since she and JM have so much in common.
If you enjoyed "The Wicked Lady" you are bound to relish "The Man in Grey".With such a pedigree of actors on hand it cannot fail to please.