Bella Donna *** (1934, Conrad Veidt, Mary Ellis, Cedric Hardwicke, John Stuart, Jeanne Stuart) – Classic Movie Review 12,357

The 1934 British thriller film Bella Donna is based on Robert Hichens’s 1909 novel, and stars Conrad Veidt, Mary Ellis and Cedric Hardwicke. Happily, this long-missing movie was found again in the 1990s in a version with Czech subtitles. 

Director Robert Milton’s 1934 British film Bella Donna is based on Robert Smythe Hichens’s 1909 novel and the play version by James B Fagan, and stars Conrad Veidt, Mary Ellis, Cedric Hardwicke, John Stuart, and Jeanne Stuart.

It is a creaky but interesting old Edwardian romantic melodrama thriller about a archaeologist’s wife Mary (Mary Ellis) who tries to poison her husband Nigel (John Stuart) because she loves an Egyptian, the magnetic Mahmoud Baroudi (Conrad Veidt), who talks her into it. But the husband’s life is spared thanks to Doctor Isaacson (Cedric Hardwicke).

Even if the piece and the production are very faded, it is quite good fun to watch, and just look at the quality of the cast (especially Ellis, Veidt, Hardwicke).

It is based on James B Fagan’s play version of Robert Hichens’ novel, filmed in Hollywood in 1946 as Temptation.

It is made at Twickenham Studios, and unlike a number of Twickenham’s productions from that decade, it survives. Happily, this long-missing, believed-lost movie was finally found again in the 1990s in a version with Czech subtitles.

Also in the cast are Michael Shepley, Rodney Millington, and Eve South.

Bella Donna is directed by Robert Milton, runs 91 minutes, is made by Julius Hagen Productions and Twickenham Studios, is released by Gaumont British Distributors, is written by H Fowler Mear, is shot by Sydney Blythe and William Luff, is produced by Julius Hagen, and is scored by W L Trytel. The art direction is by James A Carter.

The 1946 American film noir thriller film Temptation is directed by Irving Pichel and stars Merle Oberon, George Brent, Charles Korvin and Paul Lukas. The film is based on Robert Smythe Hichens’s 1909 novel Bella Donna. Other film adaptations were made in 1915, in 1923 as the American silent film Bella Donna starring Pola Negri, and 1934.

The cast are Mary Ellis as Mary Chepstow Amine, John Stuart as Nigel Armine, Cedric Hardwicke as Dr Meyer Isaacson, Conrad Veidt as Mahmoud Baroudi, Jeanne Stuart as Lady Zoe Harwich, Rodney Millington as Ibrahim Achmed, Eve South as The Dancing Girl, and Michael Shepley as Dr Baring-Hartley.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,357

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