The Wicked Lady
1945 Historical / Adventure / Drama
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Credits
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Summary
17th Century England. Barbara Worth isn’t content with stealing
her best friend’s fiancé and marrying him solely for his
wealth. As Lady Skelton, she embarks on a career of highway
robbery, striking up an alliance with the notorious highway man Jerry
Jackson. Barbara has no qualms over betraying her partner in
crime, but she is surprised when he makes an unexpected return from the
gallows...Review
The most controversial and successful film made by the British film
production company Gainsborough Pictures, The Wicked Lady is the cinematic
equivalent of the oft-derided sub-genre of historical fiction known as
the bodice ripper. It
was an incredibly daring film for its day, with more female cleavage
and overt references to sex than had beeen encountered in virtually any
other British film to this point. Today, it feels somewhat tacky
thanks to some hammy performances, wafer thin characterisation and some
toe-curlingly bad dialogue. Margaret Lockwood and James
Mason look like they’re appearing in pantomime, both failing to make
their characters remotely convincing. Yet, despite all its
manifest failings, The Wicked Lady
is immense fun to watch, and it’s a pity that director Leslie Arliss
didn’t go the extra mile and make this a totally unbridled
comedy. It is infintely better than Michael Winner's absolutely
dire 1983 remake.
© James Travers 2008 Write a review for this film...
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