“Under Capricorn” is a drama film involving a murder mystery and a love triangle from director Alfred Hitchcock (“Foreign Correspondent” 1941). He used his superior expertise at movie-making putting together this film, which is not his usual suspense thriller or espionage drama. The screenplay was written by James Bridie, from an adaptation by Hume Cronin. It was adapted from a 1937 novel by Helen Simpson and a play by John Colton. It was filmed in Technicolor.
The stars of the show are Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, and Michael Wilding, all delivering the expected top-rate performances. The supporting cast includes Margaret Leighton, Cecil Parker, Bill Shine, Denis O’Dea, Harcourt Williams, John Ruddick, Bill Shine, and Jack Watling as the butler. The watchable “Under Capricorn” was a box office failure for producer Alfred Hitchcock, Transatlantic Pictures, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Part of the problem of the public’s reception of the picture may have been the publicity surrounding Ingrid Bergman’s adulterous relationship with Italian director Roberto Rossellini, and their subsequent pregnancy. Also, as mentioned above, the melodramatic nature of the film was not Hitch’s usual suspense-filled spy thriller.
Under Capricorn (1949)
cinema
My Review
“Under Capricorn” is a drama film involving a murder mystery and a love triangle from director Alfred Hitchcock (“Foreign Correspondent” 1941). He used his superior expertise at movie-making putting together this film, which is not his usual suspense thriller or espionage drama. The screenplay was written by James Bridie, from an adaptation by Hume Cronin. It was adapted from a 1937 novel by Helen Simpson and a play by John Colton. It was filmed in Technicolor.
The stars of the show are Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, and Michael Wilding, all delivering the expected top-rate performances. The supporting cast includes Margaret Leighton, Cecil Parker, Bill Shine, Denis O’Dea, Harcourt Williams, John Ruddick, Bill Shine, and Jack Watling as the butler. The watchable “Under Capricorn” was a box office failure for producer Alfred Hitchcock, Transatlantic Pictures, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Part of the problem of the public’s reception of the picture may have been the publicity surrounding Ingrid Bergman’s adulterous relationship with Italian director Roberto Rossellini, and their subsequent pregnancy. Also, as mentioned above, the melodramatic nature of the film was not Hitch’s usual suspense-filled spy thriller.