Berkeley Square

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Movie
Original title Berkeley Square
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1933
length 84 minutes
Rod
Director Frank Lloyd
script John L. Balderston
Sonya Levien
production Jesse L. Lasky
music Peter Brunelli
Louis De Francesco
John Stepan Zamecnik
camera Ernest Palmer
cut Harold D. Schuster
occupation

Berkeley Square is an American fantasy film from 1933. The screenplay is based on the unfinished novel The Sense of the Past by Henry James and the resulting play by John L. Balderston.

action

England 1784. Wealthy American Peter Standish arrives to court his distant cousin Kate Pettigrew. The Pettigrew family are among the most respected families in England. Kate's brother Tom and her mother, Lady Ann, urge Kate to ensnare the American so they can pay the debt. At the same time, Helen, the daughter of the house, receives an unexpected visit from her beau, Mr. Throstle. When Peter enters the house, the scene changes.

London 1933. The American architect Peter Standish, a descendant of Peter Standish from the previous scene, examines his legacy, the house of the Pettigrews. His fiancée Marjorie Trant is concerned about Peter's appearance. For the past three days he has been studying his ancestor's diaries. Marjorie takes Peter to tea with the American ambassador. Peter confides to him that his ancestor entered the Pettigrews' house exactly 149 years ago to the day. He believes that if he enters the house at the exact same time, he will travel back to 1784. The ambassador admonishes Peter to be careful and not to change the future.

Peter's theory becomes the truth. When he enters the house, he is greeted by Kate. The Pettigrews are dismayed by their strange cousin because he brings up things that have not yet happened. Helen is more fascinated than scared, and after a while the two fall in love. At first Peter is taken with the simple life at this time. But over time he is more and more bothered by the circumstances, primarily because of the ignorance of the people and the poor hygiene. On a few occasions, with the exception of Helen, he distresses the Pettigrews with his views. They think Peter is possessed by a demon. Helen learns Peter's true origins and is in despair when she sees the future in his eyes: World War I, gangsters, railways and modern cities. Peter and Helen ensure their love. Peter wants to stay because he changed the future. The animosities between Peter and the rest of the Pettigrews reach their peak. Helen convinces him that he'd better travel back to his time. She tells him that she will always be with him and gives him an Egyptian statue as a symbol of eternal life.

Peter returns to 1933. Marjorie, the ambassador, and his landlady, Mrs. Barwick, are relieved. The ambassador believes Peter drank too much and fantasizes about the 18th century. Peter visits Helen's grave. He is shocked to realize that he has changed history. Due to his relationship with Helen, she did not live with Throstle and died three years later. Peter tells Marjorie that he cannot marry her. He mourns Helen. Then he hears her voice telling him they will be together in God's times.

criticism

The Variety described the film as an imaginative, beautiful, and well-crafted production.

Awards

In 1934 Leslie Howard was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Actor .

background

The world premiere took place on September 15, 1933.

The play was directed and produced by Leslie Howard at the London premiere in March 1929. He also worked in these functions at Broadway production, which started in November of the same year. Valerie Taylor and Irene Browne played the roles on Broadway that they played in the film.

Roy Ward Baker remake the film in 1954, titled I'll Never Forget You, starring Tyrone Power and Ann Blyth .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Review: 'Berkeley Square'. In: Variety . Archived from the original on March 5, 2016 ; accessed on January 27, 2019 (English).