The Farmer's Wife
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''The Farmer's Wife'' is a 1928 British silent
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
film directed by
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...
and starring
Jameson Thomas Jameson Thomas (born Thomas Roland Jameson; 24 March 1888 – 10 January 1939) was an English film actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1923 and 1939. Biography He was born in St George Hanover Square, London. On the stage from ...
, Lillian Hall-Davis and
Gordon Harker William Gordon Harker (7 August 1885 – 2 March 1967) was an English stage and film actor. Harker was one of the sons of Sarah Elizabeth Harker, née Hall, (1856–1927), and Joseph Harker (1855–1927), a much admired set painter for the ...
. It is adapted from a 1916 play of the same name by British novelist, poet and playwright Eden Phillpotts, best known for a series of novels based on
Dartmoor Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, South West England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers . The granite that forms the uplands dates from the Carb ...
, in
Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
. ''The Farmer's Wife'' is produced by British International Pictures at
Elstree studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...
. The film's sets were designed by the art director
Wilfred Arnold Wilfred Arnold (1903–1970), also known as C. Wilfred Arnold, was a British art director.Ryall p.98 He was a prolific contributor to British films, designing the sets for more than a hundred. His brother Norman Arnold was also an art directo ...
. The film was remade as a 1941 film '' The Farmer's Wife'' directed by
Leslie Arliss Leslie Arliss (6 October 1901 – 30 December 1987) was an English screenwriter and film director, director. He is best known for his work on the Gainsborough melodramas directing films such as ''The Man in Grey'' and ''The Wicked Lady'' during ...
.


Plot

Tibby, the wife of Samuel Sweetland (
Jameson Thomas Jameson Thomas (born Thomas Roland Jameson; 24 March 1888 – 10 January 1939) was an English film actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1923 and 1939. Biography He was born in St George Hanover Square, London. On the stage from ...
) dies, and shortly afterwards his daughter marries and leaves home, leaving him on his own with his two servants. His wife had told him that he should remarry after her death, so he pursues some local spinsters who were at his daughter's wedding after he and his housekeeper Minta ( Lillian Hall-Davis) make out a list of possibilities. First is Widow Louisa Windeatt, but Sweetland is shocked and angry when she rejects his advances and says she is too independent for him. Next, he attempts to court Thirza Tapper, a nervous wreck who almost collapses when Sweetland proposes to her. She, too, rejects him because she says she has no need for a man, and he is furious yet again. He wanders outside as other guests arrive for her party. His grumpy servant Ash is helping at the party, wearing an ill-fitting coat and trying to keep his trousers up while doing his work at the party. While the others are outside listening to some singers, Sweetland proposes to Mary Hearn, but she rejects him as too old, and then becomes hysterical when he angrily tells her that she too is "full blown and a bit over." Later Sweetland tells Minta that he is not going to finish the list of women because he is so dejected. He leaves the room and Ash returns and tells Minta what an embarrassment to men that Sweetland is by going around and practically begging any woman to be his wife. Sweetland overhears this and orders Ash to saddle his horse because he is going to try number four on the list, Mercy Bassett, a barmaid at a local inn. After he leaves, it is revealed that Minta is in love with him. Bassett rejects him too and he comes home dejectedly. Meanwhile, postmistress Hearn and Tapper compare notes and Hearn decides she should marry him after all and she goes to his house with Tapper. Having run through the women who have turned him down, Samuel sees Minta for the first time as more than a housekeeper and decides that she is the woman for him, if she'll have him. He tells her he has got used to being rejected and will not be angry if she rejects him, too. She accepts him and he tells her to put on the dress Tibby gave her. As she goes to the room, Hearn and Tapper arrive. Hearn says she is now willing to be his wife. Samuel says all should drink a toast to his wife to be and Hearn is sure it is her, until Minta comes down the stairs in an attractive dress. Hearn lapses into hysterics again as Sweetland reveals that Minta will be his bride.


Cast

*
Jameson Thomas Jameson Thomas (born Thomas Roland Jameson; 24 March 1888 – 10 January 1939) was an English film actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1923 and 1939. Biography He was born in St George Hanover Square, London. On the stage from ...
as Samuel Sweetland * Lillian Hall-Davis as Araminta Dench, his Housekeeper *
Gordon Harker William Gordon Harker (7 August 1885 – 2 March 1967) was an English stage and film actor. Harker was one of the sons of Sarah Elizabeth Harker, née Hall, (1856–1927), and Joseph Harker (1855–1927), a much admired set painter for the ...
as Churdles Ash: his Handyman * Gibb McLaughlin as Henry Coaker * Maud Gill as Thirza Tapper * Louie Pounds as Widow Louisa Windeatt * Olga Slade as Mary Hearn: Postmistress * Ruth Maitland as Mercy Bassett * Antonia Brough as Susan * Haward Watts as Dick Coaker * Diana Napier (credited as Mollie Ellis) as Sibley Sweetland


Production

The supporting cast includes Gordon Harker, in a comic role as a surly servant named Churdles Ash; Gibb McLaughlin as Henry Coaker; and Maud Gill as Thirza Tapper. As well as many indoor locations, there are a few outdoor scenes, such as Samuel getting about on a horse in open country as well as a large
fox hunt Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, normally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of hounds" ...
starting off from the local inn.


Preservation status and home media

A restoration of ''The Farmer's Wife'' was completed in 2012 as part of the BFI's £2 million "Save the Hitchcock 9" project to restore all of the director's surviving silent films. ''The Farmer's Wife'' has been heavily bootlegged on home video. Despite this, various licensed, restored releases have appeared on DVD, Blu-ray and video on demand from
Optimum Mathematical optimization (alternatively spelled ''optimisation'') or mathematical programming is the selection of a best element, with regard to some criteria, from some set of available alternatives. It is generally divided into two subfiel ...
in the UK,
Lionsgate Lions Gate, Lion Gate or similar terms may refer to: Gates *Lion Gate at Mycenae in Greece *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa, now in Turkey *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the gardens of Hampton Court Pala ...
and
Kino Lorber Kino Lorber is an international film distribution company based in New York City. Founded in 1977, it was originally known as Kino International until it was acquired by and merged into Lorber HT Digital in 2009. It specializes in art film, art ho ...
in the US, and many others.


References


External links

* *
''The Farmer's Wife''
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's
Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and tele ...

''Alfred Hitchcock Collectors’ Guide: The Farmer's Wife'' at Brenton Film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farmers Wife, The 1928 films British black-and-white films Films shot at British International Pictures Studios Films directed by Alfred Hitchcock British romantic comedy films British silent feature films 1928 romantic comedy films British films based on plays Films set in England 1920s British films Silent romantic comedy films Articles containing video clips