Major Barbara (film)

Major Barbara
Directed by	Gabriel Pascal
Produced by	Gabriel Pascal
Written by	George Bernard Shaw Marjorie Deans Anatole de Grunwald
Starring	Wendy Hiller Rex Harrison Robert Morley Robert Newton
Music by	William Walton
Edited by	David Lean Charles Frend
Production company	Gabriel Pascal Productions
Distributed by	General Film Distributors
Release dates	2 August 1941
Running time	131 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Major Barbara is a 1941 British film starring Wendy Hiller and Rex Harrison. The film was produced and directed by Gabriel Pascal and edited by David Lean. It was adapted for the screen by Marjorie Deans and Anatole de Grunwald, based on the 1905 stage play Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw. It was both a critical and financial success.^[1]

Plot

In this social satire, Barbara Undershaft (Hiller), an idealistic major in the Salvation Army, is deeply troubled by the fact that her father, Andrew Undershaft (Robert Morley), is a wealthy weapons manufacturer. Meanwhile, Andrew is looking for an heir for his industrial empire, in particular a foundling like himself.

Cast

• Wendy Hiller as Major Barbara Undershaft
• Rex Harrison as Adolphus Cusins
• Robert Morley as Andrew Undershaft
• Robert Newton as Bill Walker
• Sybil Thorndike as The General
• Emlyn Williams as Snobby Price
• Miles Malleson as Morrison, the butler
• Stanley Holloway as a Policeman
• Kathleen Harrison as Mrs. Price
• Donald Calthrop as Peter Shirley
• Marie Lohr as Lady Britomart
• Marie Ault as Rummy Mitchens
• Penelope Dudley-Ward as Sarah Undershaft
• Walter Hudd as Stephen Undershaft
• David Tree as Charles Lomax
• Deborah Kerr as Jenny Hill

Production

Major Barbara was filmed in London during The Blitz bombing of 1940. During air raids, the crew and cast repeatedly had to dodge into bomb shelters. The film's producer-director, Pascal, never stopped the production and the film was completed on schedule. ^[2]

DVD

Major Barbara was released on DVD by The Criterion Collection on 23 February 2010, as part of the box set George Bernard Shaw on Film.

References

Notes

1. Valerie Pascal. The Disciple and His Devil. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1970.
2. Gene D., Phillips (2006). Beyond the Epic: The Life and Films of David Lean. University Press of Kentucky. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-8131-2415-5.

Bibliography

• The Great British Films, pp 59–62, Jerry Vermilye, 1978, Citadel Press, ISBN 0-8065-0661-X

External links

• Major Barbara at the Internet Movie Database