I Watch Films: The Wicked Lady (1945)
The Wicked Lady (1945)
At the end of the 17th century Caroline (Patricia Roc) invites her friend Barbara (Margaret Lockwood) to visit in the country. She’s going to marry wealthy local landowner Sir Ralph Skelton (Griffith Jones). Barbara uses her wiles and she ends up marrying Sir Ralph. At the wedding Sir Raplh’s friend Kit Locksby (Michael Rennie) arrives and he and Barbara fall in love at first sight, awkward as she’s just married his friend for his wealth, estate, and status.
Wealth, estate, and status swiftly pale. Things perk up a little when visitors come, with the exciting news of infamous highwayman Captain Jerry Jackson (James Mason). Bored, while playing cards with her sister-in-law Henrietta, Barbara loses her mother’s ruby pendant. To get it back she puts on breeches, mask, and hat, and holds up the coach, claiming to be Jackson. Excited by the thrill she keeps robbing until she encounters Jackson himself. At first annoyed by a poacher on his territory, when he learns she’s a beautiful woman the two team up, and become lovers.
A raid on a coach goes wrong and she shoots a man, who is one of Sir Ralph’s tenants. Ancient family retainer Hogarth discovers her secret; she repents, playing to his devout Christianity. Then she poisons him, and when he seems likely to reveal her secret, she smothers him with a pillow. Excited at being free, she goes to the inn when Jackson stays, only to find him in bed with another woman. She betrays him and after a trial he’s sentenced to be hanged.
Visiting in London, she’s warned to stay away from the hanging, but goes, accompanied by Caroline, who is engaged to Kit Locksby and has forgiven her. Jackson gives a barnstorming speech from the scaffold, blaming his downfall on faithless women, but not naming her. Barbara watches; Caroline will not. Barbara tries to send money to Jackson’s other woman, but she refuses it and a riot breaks out. Kit rescues the women in their coach.
Jackson’s supporters rush the scaffold in the confusion, cutting him down before he’s dead*. He returns to the country, breaks into Barbara’s bedroom and rapes her. Barbara goes to Kit, asking him to run away with her, but he won’t betray Caroline. Instead he goes to London where he consults with Sir Ralph and Caroline. All agree the marriages have gone wrong, and travel by coach to the country to talk it over with Barbara, surely the two couples can somehow come to an arrangement. Barbara, not knowing this, plans to hold up the coach and kill her husband, but before that she encounters Jackson, and shoots him, Jackson saying they’ll meet again in hell. She then holds up the coach, but is shot by Kit. She gets away, but dying, confesses all to Kit back at the house.
A complicated love quintangle, combined with a cross-dressing highwaywoman. This has all the elements of a slightly racy 1940s historical melodrama – and one lifted by the cast committing to their slightly silly roles.
Watch This: Entertaining historical melodrama
Don’t Watch This: Barely makes much effort to be historical,
a lot of very silly plotting
* This is why you need a good hangman
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