''Caste'' is a 1930 British

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Campbell Gullan Campbell Gullan (1881, in Glasgow – 1 December 1939, in New York City) was a Scottish actor. Partial filmography * ''Caste'' (1915) - Sam Gerridge * ''Far from the Madding Crowd'' (1915) * ''The Great Adventure'' (1916) - Reporter * '' A Plac ...

and starring

Hermione Baddeley Hermione Youlanda Ruby Clinton-Baddeley (13 November 1906 – 19 August 1986) was an English actress of theatre, film and television. She typically played brash, vulgar characters, often referred to as "brassy" or "blowsy".Folkart, Burt, "Noted ...

Nora Swinburne Leonora Mary Johnson (24 July 1902 – 1 May 2000), known professionally as Nora Swinburne, was an English people, English actress who appeared in many Cinema of the United Kingdom, British films. Early years Swinburne was born in Bath, Somer ...

and

Alan Napier Alan William Napier-Clavering (7 January 1903 – 8 August 1988), better known as Alan Napier, was an English actor. After a decade in West End theatre, he had a long film career in Britain and later, in Hollywood. Napier is best remembered for ...

. It was made at

Walton Studios Walton Studios, previously named Hepworth Studios and Nettlefold Studios, was a film production studio in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England.Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a serie ...

worked on the screenplay and (uncredited) was involved with the technical side of direction.

Cast

as Polly Eccles *

as Esther Eccles *

as Capt. Hawtree * Sebastian Shaw as Hon. George d'Alroy *

Ben Field Ben Field (1876–1939) was a British actor. Partial filmography * ''Les cloches de Corneville'' (1917) - Iolo * ''The Face at the Window'' (1920) - Peter Pottlebury * ''The Bachelor's Club'' (1921) - Peter Parker * '' Little Miss Nobody'' ...

as Albert Eccles * Edward Chapman as Sam Gerridge *

Mabel Terry-Lewis Mabel Gwynedd Terry-Lewis (born as Mabel Gwynedd Lewis) ( 28 October 1872 – 28 November 1957) was an English actress and a member of the Terry-Gielgud dynasty of actors of the 19th and 20th centuries. After a successful career in her twe ...

as Marquise * Percival Coyte

Critical reception

Film historian Geoff Brown writes, "most of the film’s enlivening spice comes from the jolting surprises of tone and manner as Gullan’s cast and Powell’s visuals glide or lurch through a scenario pleasingly punctured with camera trackings, lively spots of audiovisual montage and dramatically piquant closeups. (Watch for the carefully judged shots of hands delivering and receiving a crucial telegram regarding D’Alroy’s fate.)...the film is not a fossil; it is a lively embryo, and the first important step towards Powell’s future."

References

Bibliography

* Low, Rachael. ''Filmmaking in 1930s Britain''. George Allen & Unwin, 1985. * Wood, Linda. ''British Films, 1927-1939''. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

*
“Where did you get this old fossil?”: Michael Powell’s first film rediscovered
Sight & Sound website article by Geoff Brown 1930 films British drama films 1930 drama films Films shot at Nettlefold Studios Films directed by Campbell Gullan Quota quickies British black-and-white films 1930s English-language films 1930s British films {{1930s-UK-film-stub