The Skin Game (1931 film)

The Skin Game is a 1931 British feature film by Alfred Hitchcock, based on the 1920 play by John Galsworthy and produced by British International Pictures. The story revolves around two rival families, the Hillcrists and the Hornblowers, and the disastrous results of the feud between them.

The Skin Game
Region 4 bootleg DVD cover
Directed byAlfred Hitchcock
Produced byJohn Maxwell
Written byJohn Galsworthy (play)
Alfred Hitchcock (adaptation)
Alma Reville (scenario)
StarringEdmund Gwenn
Helen Haye
C. V. France
Jill Esmond
John Longden
Phyllis Konstam
CinematographyJack E. Cox
Edited byA.R. Gobbett
Rene Marrison
Production
company
Distributed byWardour Films Ltd.
Release date
26 February 1931 (UK)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Edmund Gwenn and Helen Haye reprised their respective roles as Mr. Hornblower and Mrs. Hillcrist from the 1921 silent version.[1]

Plot

The plot concerns a feud between two affluent families, the long-established (upper class) Hillcrists, played by C.V. France, Helen Haye, and Jill Esmond, and the nouveau riche (formerly working class) Hornblowers, played by Edmund Gwenn, John Longden, and Frank Lawton. Two underlying themes in the story are class warfare and the urbanization of the countryside.

The Hillcrists are upset by the actions of Mr. Hornblower, whom they consider to be ostentatious and crass, in buying up land, evicting tenant farmers, and surrounding the area with factories. The Hillcrists make every effort they can to preserve the last large piece of open land that adjoins their beautiful rural estate.

After being tricked out of the land in an auction, the Hillcrists learn a dark secret about Mr. Hornblower's beautiful daughter-in-law Chloe (played by Phyllis Konstam). It turns out that she had previously earned a living by playing the professional "other woman" in pre-arranged divorce cases.

When Mr. Hornblower learns of this secret, and that the Hillcrists have discovered it and are prepared to use it against his family, Mr. Hornblower agrees to sell the rural land to the Hillcrists for less than half the auction price, on the condition that the family swears to keep the information secret. However, the news starts to leak out, precipitating a crisis in the family.

Chloe Hornblower goes to the Hillcrists, begging them to help keep the secret from her husband, who is aware that something is going on. She hides behind a curtain when her husband unexpectedly storms into the Hillcrist home, demanding to know the secret.

Keeping his promise to Chloe, Mr. Hillcrist makes up a story, but the young Mr. Hornblower is not convinced, and declares that he intends to end his marriage, even though Chloe is pregnant with his child.

Upon hearing this, Chloe runs to the lily pond outside the Hillcrist home and drowns herself. When her body is discovered, the elder Hornblower concedes that Hillcrist has destroyed him and his family completely; he says if he can, he will harm Hillcrist or one of Hillcrist's family. Hillcrist makes a sincere apology but Hornblower calls him a hypocrite.

Cast (in credits order)

The Skin Game, like all of Hitchcock's other British films, is copyrighted worldwide[2][3] but has been heavily bootlegged on home video.[4] Despite this, various licensed, restored releases have appeared on DVD and Blu-ray and video on demand services from Optimum in the UK, Lionsgate and Kino Lorber in the US, and others.[1]

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References
  1. "Alfred Hitchcock Collectors' Guide: The Skin Game (1931)". Brenton Film.
  2. "Alfred Hitchcock Collectors' Guide: Slaying the public domain myth". Brenton Film.
  3. "Alfred Hitchcock: Dial © for Copyright". Brenton Film.
  4. "Bootlegs Galore: The Great Alfred Hitchcock Rip-off". Brenton Film.
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