A Place of One's Own
Encyclopedia
A Place of One's Own is a British
film directed by Bernard Knowles
. An atmospheric ghost story based on the novel by Osbert Sitwell
, it stars James Mason
, Barbara Mullen
, Margaret Lockwood, Dennis Price
and Dulcie Gray
. Mason and Mullen are artificially aged to play the old couple.
and Barbara Mullen
) are a middle-aged business couple wanting to retire. They find an old but cheap mansion
in the country that has been vacant for 40 years, Bellingham House, and proceed to buy it. They move in along with their servants and soon learn the house is supposedly haunted
– but Mr Smedhurst in particular is sceptical of the paranormal myth. They invite a young companion, Annette (Margaret Lockwood), to join them but within days of arriving she steadily begins hearing strange voices. The new owners learn that a young invalid girl was believed to have been murdered 40 years previously in the house – and their preconceptions of the supernatural
are challenged.
When the spirit of the murdered girl possesses Annette, her health declines drastically and soon she’s at death's door. A young doctor, Dr Selbie (Dennis Price
), has fallen deeply in love with Annette and attempts to cure her but to no avail. In a state of delirium, Annette calls for old Dr Marsham (Ernest Thesiger
), the GP who had attended to the dead girl 40 years earlier.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
film directed by Bernard Knowles
Bernard Knowles
Bernard Knowles was an English film director, producer, cinematographer and screenwriter. Born in Manchester, Knowles worked with Alfred Hitchcock on numerous occasions before the director emigrated to Hollywood...
. An atmospheric ghost story based on the novel by Osbert Sitwell
Osbert Sitwell
Sir Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell, 5th Baronet, was an English writer. His elder sister was Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell and his younger brother was Sir Sacheverell Sitwell; like them he devoted his life to art and literature....
, it stars James Mason
James Mason
James Neville Mason was an English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason remained a powerful figure in the industry throughout his career and was nominated for three Academy Awards as well as three Golden Globes .- Early life :Mason was born in Huddersfield, in the...
, Barbara Mullen
Barbara Mullen
Barbara Mullen was an American actress well known in the UK for playing the part of Janet the housekeeper in Dr Finlay's Casebook...
, Margaret Lockwood, Dennis Price
Dennis Price
Dennis Price was an English actor, remembered for his suave screen roles, particularly Louis Mazzini in Kind Hearts and Coronets, and for his portrayal of the omniscient valet Jeeves in 1960s television adaptations of P. G...
and Dulcie Gray
Dulcie Gray
Dulcie Gray, CBE was a British singer and actress of stage, screen and television, a mystery writer and lepidopterist.-Early life and career:...
. Mason and Mullen are artificially aged to play the old couple.
Plot
Mr and Mrs Smedhurst (James MasonJames Mason
James Neville Mason was an English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason remained a powerful figure in the industry throughout his career and was nominated for three Academy Awards as well as three Golden Globes .- Early life :Mason was born in Huddersfield, in the...
and Barbara Mullen
Barbara Mullen
Barbara Mullen was an American actress well known in the UK for playing the part of Janet the housekeeper in Dr Finlay's Casebook...
) are a middle-aged business couple wanting to retire. They find an old but cheap mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
in the country that has been vacant for 40 years, Bellingham House, and proceed to buy it. They move in along with their servants and soon learn the house is supposedly haunted
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
– but Mr Smedhurst in particular is sceptical of the paranormal myth. They invite a young companion, Annette (Margaret Lockwood), to join them but within days of arriving she steadily begins hearing strange voices. The new owners learn that a young invalid girl was believed to have been murdered 40 years previously in the house – and their preconceptions of the supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
are challenged.
When the spirit of the murdered girl possesses Annette, her health declines drastically and soon she’s at death's door. A young doctor, Dr Selbie (Dennis Price
Dennis Price
Dennis Price was an English actor, remembered for his suave screen roles, particularly Louis Mazzini in Kind Hearts and Coronets, and for his portrayal of the omniscient valet Jeeves in 1960s television adaptations of P. G...
), has fallen deeply in love with Annette and attempts to cure her but to no avail. In a state of delirium, Annette calls for old Dr Marsham (Ernest Thesiger
Ernest Thesiger
Ernest Frederic Graham Thesiger CBE was an English stage and film actor. He is best known for his performance as Dr...
), the GP who had attended to the dead girl 40 years earlier.
Cast
- Margaret Lockwood as Annette
- James MasonJames MasonJames Neville Mason was an English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason remained a powerful figure in the industry throughout his career and was nominated for three Academy Awards as well as three Golden Globes .- Early life :Mason was born in Huddersfield, in the...
as Mr. Smedhurst - Barbara MullenBarbara MullenBarbara Mullen was an American actress well known in the UK for playing the part of Janet the housekeeper in Dr Finlay's Casebook...
as Mrs. Smedhurst - Dennis PriceDennis PriceDennis Price was an English actor, remembered for his suave screen roles, particularly Louis Mazzini in Kind Hearts and Coronets, and for his portrayal of the omniscient valet Jeeves in 1960s television adaptations of P. G...
as Dr. Selbie - Helen HayeHelen HayeHelen Haye was a British stage and film actress.She began acting on the stage in 1898 and debuted in London in 1911 as Gertrude in Hamlet. Her film career began in 1917. She often worked with director Alexander Korda...
as Mrs. Manning-Tutthorn - Michael ShepleyMichael ShepleyMichael Shepley , was a British actor, appearing in films and some television between 1931 and 1961....
as Major Manning-Tutthorn - Dulcie GrayDulcie GrayDulcie Gray, CBE was a British singer and actress of stage, screen and television, a mystery writer and lepidopterist.-Early life and career:...
as Sarah - Moore MarriottMoore MarriottMoore Marriott was a British character actor most notable for a series of films he made with Will Hay in the 1930s.-Career:...
as George - O. B. Clarence as Perkins
- Helen GossHelen Goss-Selected filmography:* Important People * The Reverse Be My Lot * Fanny by Gaslight * A Place of One's Own * They Were Sisters * The Wicked Lady * Pink String and Sealing Wax...
as Rosie, the Barmaid - Gus McNaughtonGus McNaughtonGus McNaughton was an English film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1930 and 1947.He was born in London and died in Castor, Cambridgeshire.-Selected filmography:* Children of Chance...
as Police Constable Hargreaves - Muriel GeorgeMuriel GeorgeMuriel George was an English singer and film actress. She appeared in some 55 films between 1932 and 1955.She also appeared on the variety stage and sang on radio with her husband, Ernest Butcher for thirty years...
as Nurse - John TurnbullJohn Turnbull (actor)-Selected filmography:* The Amazing Quest of Mr. Ernest Bliss * The Wickham Mystery * Rodney Steps In * The Midshipmaid * The Medicine Man * The Man Outside * The Iron Stair...
as Sir Roland Jervis - Ernest ThesigerErnest ThesigerErnest Frederic Graham Thesiger CBE was an English stage and film actor. He is best known for his performance as Dr...
as Dr. Richard Marsham - Aubrey MallalieuAubrey MallalieuAubrey Mallalieu was an English actor with a prolific career in supporting roles in films in the 1930s and 1940s....
as Canon Mowbray