Movie review - "Blanche Fury" (1948) ***

In the late 1940s Stewart Granger took the box office appeal he had developed starring in Gainsborough melodramas and made several movies that clearly aimed to be "just like Gainsborough melodramas, only good". They were made with big budgets, all based on historical record, and a lot more intelligence - they included this, Saraband for Dead Lovers and Captain Boycott. Neither are remembered with as much affection as The Man in Grey or Madonna of the Seven Moons, even if they are better movies.

This gives Granger one of this best parts - a moody, bitter illegitimate off spring of a rich family. Valerie Hobson comes to stay with them and marries the weak legitimate son (Michael Gough) but has it off with Granger (they clearly have sex - they kiss and he kicks the door shut). Granger is really good, there are some solid supporting parts - Hobson less so. I've never been much of a fan - kind of a prissy girl but not really, much of a muchness, really... She lacks the flair of Margaret Lockwood or sexiness of Joan Greenwood or Deborah Kerr, or presence of Kathleen Byron. For me, she's the one who stopped this reaching the top rank.

There are some great scenes - Granger shooting the two men in particular - beautiful sets and technicolour photography. A little girl dies while galloping on a horse and trying to ride over a jump, just like in Gone with the Wind. Maybe it was too restrained to take fire. It's very good - just not a classic.