Hindle Wakes (1931)(dvd)

Synopsis: Having twice been adapted for the silent screen, Stanley Houghton's play was accorded its talkie debut in this solid, but visually conservative presentation from the trusted Gaumont pairing of producer Michael Balcon and director Victor Saville. Making only her second picture, Belle Chrystall turns in a remarkably mature performance as the Lancashire mill lass who defies convention by refusing to marry the boss's son after a scandalous holiday romance.

John Stuart ably reprises the caddish role he'd played in Maurice Elvey's 1927 version, while Sybil Thorndike and Edmund Gwenn provide practised support. The story would resurface again in 1952.

Cast: Edmund Gwenn, Belle Chrystall.
Runtime: 79 min