Kind Lady (1951 film)

Kind Lady is a 1951 American film noir crime film directed by John Sturges. It stars Ethel Barrymore, Maurice Evans, Keenan Wynn and Angela Lansbury.

Kind Lady
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Sturges
Produced byArmand Deutsch
Screenplay byJerry Davis
Edward Chodorov
Charles Bennett
Based onThe Silver Mask
1932 story
by Hugh Walpole
1935 play by Edward Chodorov
StarringEthel Barrymore
Maurice Evans
Music byDavid Raksin
CinematographyJoseph Ruttenberg
Edited byFerris Webster
Production
company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • June 20, 1951 (1951-06-20)
Running time
78 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$911,000[1]
Box office$500,000[1]

The film is remake of the 1935 film of the same name, which starred Aline MacMahon in the title role.

Plot

A seemingly kind painter, Henry Elcott, tricks wealthy art collector Mary Herries into letting him, his wife Ada and their baby live in her London home. Ada has collapsed and a doctor claims it is best she not be moved. It turns out to be a diabolical scheme by Elcott to sell off the artwork of Mrs. Herries and everything else of value she owns while holding her and her housemaid Rose captive in their bedrooms. Elcott's accomplices, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, take over as the butler and maid. Elcott masquerades as the lady's nephew, come to take care of her affairs due to a sudden mental breakdown.

The criminals taunt Mrs. Herries, placing her chair near a window, having informed the neighborhood that any screams they hear would be those of a woman who has gone mad. In no hurry to leave, Elcott goes so far as to paint a portrait of her. Mrs. Edwards gets anxious that they are staying too long in the house, which Elcott intends to sell. Mrs. Herries tries to bribe her, but the brutal Mr. Edwards snatches the money from his wife and refuses to leave. Tensions rise as Mrs. Herries learns the true identity of Elcott from a portrait of his wife that he signed with his real name. Ada has seen Elcott kill before and realizes he will again. She tries to free Rose, but the maid is murdered by Mr. Edwards. The time comes to pack up and leave. Mr. Edwards goes upstairs to push Mrs. Herries out the window, an apparent suicide. But the body in the chair has been switched by Mrs. Herries and Ada and is actually that of Rose. The police are on their way and Elcott realizes that he and Mr. and Mrs. Edwards have made a fatal mistake.[2]

Cast

Reception

According to MGM records, the film made $361,000 in the US and Canada and $139,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss to the studio of $664,000.[1]

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References
  1. The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. "Kind Lady". FilmScoreMonthly. Retrieved December 26, 2017.


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