South Riding (film)

South Riding
Directed byVictor Saville
Written byIan Dalrymple
Donald Bull
Based onnovel South Riding by Winifred Holtby
Produced byAlexander Korda
Stanley Haynes
Victor Saville
StarringEdna Best
Ralph Richardson
Edmund Gwenn
Ann Todd
CinematographyHarry Stradling Sr.
Edited byHugh Stewart
Music byRichard Addinsell
Production
companies
Victor Saville Productions
London Film Productions
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release date
  • 26 August 1938 (1938-08-26) (UK)
Running time
85 mins
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

South Riding is a 1938 British drama film directed by Victor Saville and produced by Alexander Korda, starring Edna Best, Ralph Richardson, Edmund Gwenn and Ann Todd.[1] It was the film debut of a 14-year-old Glynis Johns.[2] It is based on the 1936 novel South Riding by Winifred Holtby. The BBC produced a TV adaptation in 2011.[3]

Plot

A squire becomes involved in local politics.[4]

Cast

A fight breaks out at school between Midge Carne (Glynis Johns, left) and Lydia Holly (Joan Ellum) in South Riding

Production

Hugh Stewart who edited it called it "one of the very best scripts ever written".[5]

Critical reception

TV Guide wrote, "Not an altogether satisfying love story, it is more interesting as a portrait of pre-WW II life in the country. Excellent sets by Meerson and well shot by Stradling";[6] while Time Out wrote, "Saville carries Winifred Holtby's tart, witty exposé of Yorkshire power politics to the screen with breathtaking, and totally unexpected, panache."[7] Leonard Maltin called it "Smoothly made and superbly acted by a flawless cast."[2]

References

  1. ^ "South Riding (1938) - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  2. ^ a b "South Riding (1938) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
  3. ^ "BBC One - South Riding". Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  4. ^ "BFI – Film & TV Database – CLEMENTS, John". Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Hugh Stewart". British Entertainment History Project. 22 November 1968.
  6. ^ "South Riding". TVGuide.com.
  7. ^ "South Riding".


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