The Man in Grey (1946)

The Man in Grey is directed by Leslie Arliss and adapted to screenplay by Margaret Kennedy and Doreen Montgomery from the novel of the same name written by Eleanor Smith. It stars Margaret Lockwood, James Mason, Phyllis Calvert and Stewart Granger. Music is By Cedric Mallabey and cinematography by Arthur Crabtree.A forerunner of Gainsborough's Wicked Women movies, The Man in Grey is a delicious slice of British noir pie.Proudly decked out in period attire, story is ripe with dastards, narcissists, connivers, the selfish and the cruel. Headed up by Mason's Lord Rohan and Lockwood's Hesther Shaw, these people will stop at nothing to get what they want in life. It doesn't matter who is around them, friends and family etc, if they can in any way hinder their respective selfish goals then they will be trampled upon and not a further thought will be given. It all simmers to the boiling point where lives will not just be ruined, but also ended.The four principal players are great, their respective careers well on the way to leaving behind considerable bodies of work. Arliss (The Night Has Eyes) keeps the story simple in spite of the many character strands and traits jostling for meaty exposure, and photographer Crabtree (Waterloo Road) accentuates the miserablist ambiance with sharp black and white lensing.The use of black-face on white actors is awfully out dated, as is some of the dialogue, but don't hold these things against The Man in Grey. It's a darn fine bodice botherer, resplendent with characters straight out of noir's dark alleyways. 8/10

The Man In Grey is directed by Leslie Arliss,based on the popular novel by Eleanor Smith and stars Margaret Lockwood, James Mason, Stewart Granger, Phyllis Calvert and Martita Hunt.It's also one of the most memorable costume melodramas Gainsborough Studios ever made.Margeret Lockwood again plays a similar woman to Barbara in The Wicked Lady, with the same low regard for other peoples feelings and lives.Beginning during the Second World War at an auction of heirlooms from the notorious Rohan family we then flash back to Regency era England.The beautiful and angry Hester Shaw(Margeret Lockwood) becomes a pupil at a private school for young ladies run by the comical Miss Patchett(Martita Hunt).Hester is an instant outcast to all except one of the pupils,the kindly Clarissa Marr(Phyllis Calvert).The two become best friends but Hetser also resents Clarissa because she thinks her friendship is a form of charity.A gypsy woman visits the school and reads Clarissa's palm,she predicts a marriage to a rich man but is afraid of Hester and refuses to tell her fortune.Hester runs away and becomes a stage actress,years later she meets up with Clarissa again.Clarissa is unhappily married to the wealthy,but cold and indifferent Lord Rohan(James Mason).Hester sets her sights on him and they begin an affair.Hester introduces Clarissa to her friend the dashing and kind hearted rogue Peter Rokeby(Stewart Granger).The two begin a close friendship and tender love affair.James is suitably slimy and harsh as the crazed Lord Rohan and Stewart oozes sex appeal out of every scene he's in.Margaret is at her best in these sorts of roles, playing a tough independent woman going against society. Ideal viewing for a rainy day.

'The Man In Grey' was the first film in the cycle of Gainsborough costume melodramas (which ended in 1948 with 'The Bad Lord Byron') and it's easily one of the very best. At the time, it was the pairing of a superstar (Lockwood), a star (Mason), a rising star (Calvert) and a newcomer (Granger), a combination which catapulted all four to the top of their profession, and made them the four names most associated with the costume. It's a pity that the four never made another movie all together! Margaret Lockwood as Hesther was just pure evil - a cold, calculating woman. One does get the idea that there is a small glimmer of kindness inside her, but she squashes it pretty quickly. Phyllis Calvert was as sweet as honey, as usual the beloved heroine. Her Clarissa is the main character of the tale - married off to Lord Rohan (Mason) because he desires an heir, she soon tires of his indifference and falls for traveling player Rokeby (Granger). Hesther (Lockwood) in turn falls for Rohan and he for her. And of course you know that's set for trouble. A hint of how much trouble? THIS is the film with the infamous horse-whip thrashing scene.What's also interesting is the whole story is told in flashback, when Calvert and Granger, descendents of the Rohan and Rokeby families, meet at an auction of the Rohan estate. Nice to see a bit of modern dress for a change!

The Man in Grey was the first and probably the most successful of the Gainsborough melodramas. The lavish regency tale centres around the aristocratic Clarissa Richmond (Phyllis Calvert) who dutifully enters into an loveless arranged marriage with the cold hearted Lord Rohan (James Mason)- the Man in Grey of the title.Love and intrigue are to enter Clarissa's life when a chance meeting with an old school friend, the scheming Hester (Margaret Lockwood), leads her to the dashing Rokeby (Stewart Granger).The story reaches its dramatic conclusion through twists and turns of plot and excellent performances from who can be called the four cornerstones of the war time British cinema - Stewart Granger, James Mason, Phyllis Calvert and Margaret Lockwood.The Man in Grey is my personal favorite of all the Gainsborough films, it is high drama and escapism. The Man in Grey is definitely worth another look.