Madeleine's middle-class family cannot understand why she puts off marrying a respectable young man; they know nothing about her long-term affair with a Frenchman.Madeleine's middle-class family cannot understand why she puts off marrying a respectable young man; they know nothing about her long-term affair with a Frenchman.Madeleine's middle-class family cannot understand why she puts off marrying a respectable young man; they know nothing about her long-term affair with a Frenchman.
André Morell
- Defending Counsel
- (as Andre Morell)
Douglas Barr
- William the Boot Boy
- (uncredited)
Eva Bartok
- Girl
- (uncredited)
Hyma Beckley
- Man in Crowd
- (uncredited)
George Benson
- Estate Agent
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAnn Todd had portrayed the title character in a production of the play on which this movie was based and had always wanted to play it in a movie adaptation. Shortly after she married director Sir David Lean, he agreed to make this movie and cast her as the lead, as a wedding present of sorts.
- GoofsWhen the prosecutor first walks away from addressing the jury the first time, the shadow of a boom can clearly be seen following after him across the jury.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Foul Play (1978)
Featured review
Neither guilty nor not guilty.
The greatest directors are entitled to the occasional misfire and this would appear to be one of David Lean's. He was persuaded to do it by his wife Ann Todd who had played the part of alleged poisoner Madeleine Smith on stage a few years earlier. Ironically nothing of the play would remain and the film would become an original screenplay. Difficult to put ones finger on why 'nothing seemed to fit', to use Lean's own words. Even allowing for Ann Todd's customary 'temperament' this was by all accounts a far from happy experience and it certainly shows.
I think that Todd is excellent in the role and her final, enigmatic look to the camera after the jury has found the charges against her 'not proven' is masterful. Ivan Desny is very good as the vain social climber but it is difficult to warm to him so that his demise fails to excite our sympathy. Apparently Gerard Philipe was considered for the role. What a tantalising prospect! Notable performances by Leslie Banks as her unbending father and by Andre Morell as the defending counsel in the stupendous trial scenes whose oratory and impassioned pleas put sufficient doubts in the jurors' minds to enable Madeleine to escape the executioner. Norman Wooland is okay as faithful Mr. Minnoch but as an actor lacks that certain 'something'. This is by no means a 'bad' film and there are very effective moments but it simply lacks that elusive and magic alchemy by which everything comes together. Lean put the blame fairly and squarely on the writing. The film was both a critical and commercial failure and Lean was not to be so harshly judged until 'Ryan's Daughter' twenty years later.
helpful•30
- brogmiller
- Apr 19, 2020
- How long is Madeleine?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Strange Case of Madeleine
- Filming locations
- Blythswood Square, Glasgow, Scotland, UK(Madeleine Smith's home)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content