Storyline

Desirous of an heir, the remote and cruel Lord Rohan (James Mason) marries pretty young Clarissa Marr (Phyllis Calvert). Soon after, Clarissa discovers old school friend Hesther Shaw (Margaret Lockwood), now impoverished in an acting troupe, and brings her home, unaware that Hesther has long nursed resentment of her good fortune. While the ambitious Hesther sets her sights on Rohan, she also secretly encourages Clarissa into a relationship with affable gypsy Peter Rokeby (Stewart Granger).

Plot Keywords

aristocrat, beautiful woman, actress, gypsy, slave, servant, gripping, dark, powerful, england, auction house, mansion, theater, woods, household, ambition, resentment, infidelity, sadism, murder, romance, pursuit, temptation, rivalry, 1780s

Short Review

'The Man in Grey' ... It's literally a black and white movie, everyone's in grey. A silly little melodramatic romance, just another example of people gobbling up insipid light dramas based on scandal in upper crust society. It's also weirdly dated racially (blackface in 1943?), with Scott's Toby going beyond basic vaudevillian tropes in films from decades earlier that use the technique with at least something of a claim to innocence, and instead being more explicitly derogatory. The performances aren't necessarily bad (Mason's intensity and cold nature is actually good), but the mismatched lovers narrative is pretty darn predictable. The film was apparently a major popular success, but the Twilight and 50 Shades series have made billions, and this is just a predecessor with a thin veneer of classical styling to cover up the base nature. A chin-scratcher that this one ever made the 1001 Movies. (2/5)

Trailer

Streaming Service

1. Amazon Video : Rent from $1.99, Or $0.00 with a Prime membership

2. Apple iTunes : Track Price: 14.99, Track Rental Price: 3.99, Collection Price: 14.99, Track Hd Price: 14.99, Track Hd Rental Price: 3.99, Collection Hd Price: 14.99